Approximately 225 teaching, research, accompanying, and administrative assistantships are awarded by the College of Music typically in March and April to highly qualified Master’s and Doctoral students. Teaching assistants are selected and assigned to particular courses on the basis of experience, professional qualifications, and musical expertise. There is no separate assistantship application process; rather, candidates are assessed during the formal admission/audition process. Academic year 2023-2024 assistantship stipends will be $7,790.42 (0.25 time), $9,348.50 (0.30 time), or $15,580.84 (0.50 time) for two academic semesters: Fall and Spring. (Assistantships in music education, musicology and music theory are occasionally available for the Summer semester.)
The College of Music allows for maximum assistantship funding as follows: up to four (4) semesters for Master’s students and up to six (6) semesters for Doctoral students. Students who complete a (funded) graduate degree in the College of Music, and elect to earn a second graduate degree here, may receive funding up to four (4) semesters for a second Master’s degree and up to six (6) semesters for a Doctoral degree. (**Please note: PhD Theory GA’s are eligible for a maximum of 8 semesters of funding.) Individuals pursuing exceptions to this policy must submit the “Petition for Waiver of Assistantship Policy on Maximum Term of Appointment,” available in the Graduate Music Office. Assistantship renewals are contingent upon satisfactory degree progress, satisfactory work in the duties assigned, continued recommendation by relevant faculty and/or Area Coordinators, and availability of funding.Students who receive an assistantship after initial matriculation into the degree program may receive term-only assistantships; they may or may not be renewed.
Please note that all graduate assistantships come with a tuition waiver. Master’s GA’s receive a tuition waiver for 9 credit hours, while doctoral GA’s receive a tuition waiver foranywhere between9 and 12 credit hours (9, 10, 11, or 12). Tuition waivers cover only graduate-level credits (5000 or 6000-level). No undergraduate-level (4000-level and below) credits are covered by the tuition waiver. Please understand that the tuition waiver waives the cost of tuition, only (approximately80% of the total bill). All students pay per-credit-hour and one-time fees that the tuition waiver does not waive. Information on the current semester’s tuition and fees may be found by visiting the following website:http://controller.vpfa.fsu.edu/Student-Financial-Services/SFS-For-Students/Tuition-RatesPlease note that tuition and fees are subject to change for the following academic year.
All graduate assistants at FSU work under a contract negotiated by United Faculty of Florida-Florida State University-Graduate Assistants United (UFF-FSU-GAU) and Florida State University. UFF-FSU-GAU is the labor union certified as the executive bargaining agent for graduate assistants at FSU. For more information please visit the UFF-FSU-GAU website:http://www.uff-fsu-gau.org/. No department or University representative may make a binding agreement to reappoint the graduate assistant for longer than the term of the contract. Research grants, advisor’s promises, and departmental agreements are not binding.
SPEAK Test: International students, whose native language is not English, are required to take the SPEAK Test in order to be considered for a graduate assistantship from the College of Music. SPEAK (Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit) is a test for evaluating the English speaking ability of non-native speakers of English. At FSU, the SPEAK test is administered by the Center for Intensive English Studies to international students who have been appointed or will be appointed as teaching assistants in an academic department at Florida State University. If the SPEAK test is not completed, then a score of 26 on the speaking portion of the Internet-Based TOEFL must be obtained, (and verified by FSU Admissions).There are no exceptions to this policy. Please refer questions to our Music Admissions Office: 850/644-6102.
It is the policy of the College of Music that all financial assistance awarded to graduate students has one major purpose: to provide academically deserving students with financial assistance so they may pursue their professional studies at Florida State University. Consequently, the College of Music and its faculty members strive to ensure that the graduate assistantship assignments are:
- academically and professionally rewarding to the student
- well within the capabilities of the student
- directly related to the College of Music’s teaching, research, and administrative operations.
University and College of Music guidelines for the hours of weekly service required for various graduate assistantship assignments are as follows. For more information on the number of hours specific to your graduate assistantship duties please contact your Graduate Assistantship Supervisor.
| Name | FTE | Average Weekly Contact Hours (9 mos.) **These figures are approximate. Contact your GA supervisor for the most accurate information relative to your job assignment. |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Assistants (Academic courses) | 0.25 | 1-6 |
| 0.30 | 12 | |
| 0.33 | 3-6 | |
| 0.50 | 4-8 | |
| Graduate Assistants (Studio/recital accompanying) | 0.25 | 5 |
| 0.30 | 12 | |
| 0.33 | 7 | |
| 0.50 | 10 | |
| Graduate Assistants (Applied lessons) | 0.25 | 6 |
| 0.30 | 12 | |
| 0.33 | 8 | |
| 0.50 | 12 | |
| Graduate Assistants (Opera accompanying) | 0.25 | 7 |
| 0.30 | 12 | |
| 0.33 | 10 | |
| 0.50 | 15 | |
| Graduate Assistants (Research, administration, performing) | 0.25 | 10 |
| 0.30 | 12 | |
| 0.33 | 13 1/3 | |
| 0.50 | 20 |
Graduate assistants are expected to observe the same duty days as faculty members. Exceptions to this schedule require prior approval from the Associate Dean (Director of Graduate Studies in Music).
Graduate assistants must enroll for a minimum of 9 hours of course work each semester. Other requirements for graduate assistants include:
- Regular graduate status
- Maintain a 3.0 (B) grade point average
- Perform duties to the satisfaction of the supervising professor and the Associate Dean/Director of Graduate Studies in Music.
- Uphold the expectations of the FSU Student Code of Conduct and the FSU Academic Honor Policy.
Each graduate assistant is assigned a supervising professor by the area coordinator or Associate Dean. For purposes of consultation and evaluation, the professor will observe the assistant periodically in the performance of assigned duties. The supervising professor will formally evaluate the graduate assistant’s work on a quarterly basis.
Graduate assistants who encounter problems related to their assistantship duties are encouraged to discuss the matter with their immediate faculty supervisor, the appropriate area coordinator, and/or the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs/Director of Graduate Studies in Music.
