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Assistantships in Music Theory and Composition

Applying for Music Theory and Composition Assistantships
If you are interested in a music theory or composition assistantship or in Graduate School Fellowships and Grants, you should submit all your application materials by early January. Admissions decisions are generally made in early February, with assistantship interviews and decisions to follow in February or March. For information on applying, click on "Admissions" in the "Quicklinks" at the top of this page.

Teaching Assistantships
Teaching assistantships in music theory are available to qualified graduate theory or composition majors, and in some instances to students in the theory pedagogy certificate program.

Teaching assignments are drawn from required core theory and aural skills courses for undergraduate music majors, as well as music theory courses for non-music majors. Duties are normally assigned as follows:

Quarter-Time Assistantships
Two sections of an aural skills class for two semesters. The classes meet twice a week for a total of four hours of classroom teaching per week.
Half-Time Assistantships
Two sections of a music theory class (either for music majors or non-majors), or one section of music theory and one section of aural skills, for two semesters. The classes meet two or three times a week for a total of six hours of classroom teaching per week.

All sections of a given course use the same syllabus, texts, and exams, which are provided by the supervising faculty member. Instructors are responsible for all teaching and grading of classes they are assigned to teach.

Research Assistantships
Quarter-time research assistantships are also available to incoming graduate students. Typical research assistantship duties include assisting faculty in research and instruction, working in the computer-assisted instruction lab, assisting with the New Music Ensemble and the New Music Festival, and tutoring undergraduate theory students.

General Information about all Assistantships
Masters students typically hold quarter-time assistantships for two years; doctoral students typically hold half-time assistantships for three years. Assistantship stipends usually amount to $4,000 (quarter time), $5,300 (third time), or $8,000 (half time) for two academic semesters: fall and spring. Assistantships are rarely available for the summer semester. Graduate assistants currently receive a tuition waiver for up to twelve (12) credits per semester. Assistants from states other than Florida receive out-of-state tuition waivers during the first year in residence only; assistants will establish Florida residency after twelve months, prior to their second year of study. Please consult the Graduate Office for further details. Recipients of stipends (fellowships or assistantships) from the University must be full-time students during the entire appointment period. Tuition waivers must be obtained from the Graduate Music Office and submitted to the Bursar at the beginning of each semester.

Other Funding Opportunities
While most funding for graduate students in music theory and composition comes in the form of departmental assistantships, the Office of Graduate Studies at Florida State University offers prestigious named fellowships that carry stipends ranging from $18,000 to $23,000. For more information on these awards, please see http://www.gradstudies.fsu.edu/Funding-Awards/Office-of-Graduate-Studies-Fellowships

Graduate School Fellowships and Grants

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