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"Internship changed my life for the better, both personally and professionally. I was given the tools to become more confident, competent, and prepared for my music therapy career."

​-Eternity Hamilton, AMTAS Vice President 2018

Scholarships

AMTAS offers scholarships to interns too! Check out the STARS Awards on the Scholarship page for more information.

Tips From and For Students

  • Begin looking through the AMTA internship directory available at your school or through the Internship Directory link on the AMTA Website. The Directory is updated quarterly so visiting the website may provide the student with the most current information. Make note of specific sites, which might appeal to you. (Suggestion: Begin two years prior to completion of coursework)
  • Become familiar with your school’s options for University Affiliated Internships. Speak with your Department Head for more information.
  • Begin to write for information and applications. Student may also contact the Clinical Training Committee Representative in the various regions to determine any changes in programs or if any new internship sites are opening in their region. The Representative also has copies of intern site evaluations for all current internship programs in their respective region. These may provide some additional insight into the type of training a specific site has to offer. (Suggested 1-1½ years prior to completion of coursework)
  • Begin the application process. You may have no more than four active applications out at one time. The application process can be quite lengthy and detailed, so allow sufficient time to prepare all materials professionally. Be sure to give ample time for reference letters to be prepared. Once a site has notified you that you have been accepted: CONGRATULATIONS! Should you have been turned down or you decide to withdraw your application from a site, you may submit an application to another site.
  • Make certain that all of your necessary materials have been received. If an on-site interview is not required, arrange an appointment to visit the internship site and meet with the Clinical Training Director if possible. The internship site visit is a very important part of the process, both for the prospective intern and the internship director.  It can help determine if the internship experience will be a good fit.  
  • Remember to write a thank you letter after each interview or site visit opportunity.
  • Once you have received an offer of an internship placement, you will have thirty days to accept or decline the offer in writing. After you have accepted an internship offer, it is your responsibility to notify the other sites where you have active applications so that they can remove your application from consideration at that facility.

Internship Sites

  • Check out internship programs in the US on the AMTA website
  • Read through the National Roster Internship Guidelines on the AMTA website

Professional Standards

  • Request your Welcome to the Profession Intern Packet on the AMTA website
  • Check out the AMTA Advanced Competencies on the AMTA website

CBMT

The mission of the Certification Board for Music Therapists is to define the body of knowledge that represents competent practice in the profession of music therapy; to create and administer a program to evaluate initial and continuing competence of this knowledge; to issue the credential of MT-BC to individuals that demonstrate the required level of competence; and to promote music therapy certification.

Additional information may be found on the CBMT website at http://www.cbmt.org/

Music Therapy Intern and New Professional Network

This public group gives former and current interns a chance to tell others about their experiences, both during the application process and especially during the internship itself.