Educational opportunities

In Norway, as in most European countries, a master's degree in music therapy is the standard qualification for practising music therapists:

• The Grieg Academy (University of Bergen) offers a five-year integrated master's degree in music therapy. Students with relevant prior university education may apply for recognition of prior learning and advanced placement.
• The Norwegian Academy of Music offers a two-year master's degree in music therapy (external link) following a bachelor's degree that includes at least one year of study in music and health (external link).

Doctoral education in music therapy is available at both the Grieg Academy (University of Bergen) and the Norwegian Academy of Music (NMH):

• At the University of Bergen, doctoral education in music therapy is part of the PhD Programme at the Faculty of Humanities, while research training is provided through the regional research school Grieg Research School in Interdisciplinary Music Studies (external link).
• At the Norwegian Academy of Music, doctoral education in music therapy is offered through the PhD programme in performance practice, music education and music therapy (external link).

A bachelor's degree in music and health can lead to a range of health-related music practices and may also provide a pathway to admission to the music therapy degree programmes at the University of Bergen and the Norwegian Academy of Music.

• Ansgar University College offers a Bachelor's degree in music and health (external link).

Knowledge about music as a resource for health is also relevant for those who do not pursue a professional qualification in music therapy. It can provide new perspectives and practical tools, while also supporting interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration.

• Nord University offers the courses Music-Based Environmental Treatment (external link) (15 ECTS credits) and Arts and Culture in Health and Care (external link) (15 ECTS credits).
• The Norwegian Academy of Music offers a one-year programme in Music and Health (external link) (60 ECTS credits), available full-time or part-time. The programme can be used as part of the entry requirements for the two-year master's degree in music therapy or as a continuing education programme.
• The University of Agder and Ansgar University College jointly offer a continuing education programme in Music, Culture and Health (external link) (30 ECTS credits).
• The Grieg Academy, University of Bergen, offers the elective course Music and the Brain (15 ECTS credits), as well as the continuing education course Music as a Tool in Preventive Work with Children and Young People, Part 1 (5 ECTS credits) and Part 2 (5 ECTS credits).