Undergrad program dilemma for Masters in MT

Hi all,

I'm wrapping up my first year of undergrad, and it's currently the month when we need to pick our majors after a general first-year program. After life's many curve-balls thrown my way during the span of this year, I've circled back to my initial pursuit of becoming a music therapist. That being said, I'm in quite a program pickle.

To the set the record straight, I'm a Canadian student looking at Laurier's MMT program. I've also completed the RCM with an ARCT diploma in Piano Performance (though, it's been almost 5 years since I've completed it). The original goal was to work towards an Honours degree in Applied Psychology in tandem with a minor in music. However, I've been presented with what seems to be a promising opportunity from my university's music department, wherein they'll cover the fees of private music lessons as part of my general tuition, and I can essentially customize the rest of the degree to my liking, such as taking courses in music psychology or composition. Their recommendation was a Combined Honours arts degree in music and another Humanities/Social Science subject. A science program cannot be mashed with a humanities program, which ultimately removes applied psychology from the picture. I was honestly contemplating taking English as the second subject out of personal interest, as maybe narrative arts could be of some help, if not just studying something out of pure interest. Elective spaces can be used towards satisfying the psych course requirements for the MMT.

The pros of an Applied Psychology degree are that there are no worries regarding the psychology aspect of music therapy, but I've read a fair share of critique towards a music minor as it doesn't demonstrate a real gear towards the music side of things. Conversely, a music major (or at least, a degree with a central focus on music) hammers down the big picture, but I'm afraid it wouldn't provide enough of a solid foundation in psychology/therapy due to the limited elective space, and essentially opting for the bare minimum in those requirements. However, a convincing perk for me is that program's option to do an internship, which could be useful if it's in the right field.

My university does not offer a pure Bachelor's in Music Therapy, by the way. That's why I'm messing around with potential alternatives.

What are your thoughts on the programs? Which degrees did you come in with? Any opinions and/or insight would be immensely appreciated!