The following appeared in a memorandum written by the chair of the music department to the president of Omega University Mental health experts have observed that symptoms of mental illness are less pronounced in many patients after group music therapy ses

This argument states that Omega University can and should increase its financial status by expanding their music-therapy program via an increase in enrollment. The argument is based on a few assumptions, and thus cannot be considered valid until each assumption is considered.

Omega University is first assuming that the expansion of the music-therapy program will provide the university with more revenue. Omega University would have to provide a detailed report of their earnings per year and where they come from in order for us to better understand if the financial undertaking of the expanded music-therapy program would be worth the financial status boost. A cost-benefit analysis would have to be conducted in order to understand if the cost of an expanded program would provide enough benefit to the university’s financial status.

The second assumption that Omega University is making is that their alumni can and will improve their financial status. While past records may indicate a certain amount of alumni donations, there is no certainty that graduates landing jobs will provide the university with a better financial status. In order to better understand if an increase in music-therapy graduates would increase the university’s financial status, we would have to analyze alumni giving histories and which graduates have donated the most.

Finally, Omega University is assuming that the field of music therapists will remain open and low in competition. If the university were to undertake the expansion of their music-therapy program, there would have to be a guaranteed market for music therapists for years to come in order for the expansion to pay off. While the past year may have shown openings in the job market for music therapists, there is no guarantee how long the industry will remain high in openings. After one or two years, the music therapist industry may become overcrowded and unideal for a college graduate.

Omega University has made many assumptions that withhold the validity of their argument. While a music-therapy program enrollment expansion may end up providing the university with more music therapist graduates and a higher financial status, it seems impossible to guarantee any benefits. Without knowing the truth behind the assumptions made, we cannot trust this argument.