Graduate Assistantships Question

[TUBAMUSICIAN87]

Hey Tubenet,

I'll just jump right into the question at hand. I am about to finish up my undergraduate degrees in Education and Performance and I am very much enticed by the Graduate Assistantship prospect, What are the chances of finding one for the spring semester? and if anyone knows of any openings for the spring could you please let me know?

Now I will say that I do know that most (if not all) positions are 2 year programs that begin in the start of the academic year. What I was hoping to learn from this post was if a studio either was unable to fill a position or for one reason or another the G.A. was no longer holding the position by the end of the fall is it possible for it to be filled in the spring?

Any information at all would be greatly appreciated.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

It's nearly impossible to start graduate school in the spring semester because you can't take the "first semester" theory or history classes until the following fall. Therefore you are excluded from any "second semester" academic classes if you start in the spring.

[bud]

When I was at Lynn, there were quite a few grads off the traditional cycle. But it might be more difficult to do as a tuba player since there's only 2 or 3 spots in the school. Anyway, you could look into it since they seem to be alright with starting in the spring for grads. They didn't have assistantships when I was there, but many students got full tuition, room and board. Plus grads got over $20 an hour for work study. I left in 2008. Don't know if the money is still flowing so freely there anymore. Maybe it is. There's a lot of brass quintet (with a lot of faculty coachings) and orchestra playing at Lynn.

[Scott Roeder]

I am not sure there is sequencing at for most graduate programs that would prevent someone from starting in the spring instead of the fall. Most graduate theory and history courses tend not to be sequenced but rather as stand alone topics (this may not always be the case though). Now there may be an issue if a particular graduate program has entrance exams that are given in the fall and they will not let you take the test for the spring semester. I think the biggest issue for starting in the spring would be lack of funding possibilities. Most schools give out assistantship/fellowships based on spring auditions for the following fall. Most of the time this money is tied up at the start of the spring semester, but not always. I do know of a case where someone was able to get funding for spring semester start.

[CC]

Seems like there are a few different ways some schools might look at non-traditional graduate study when it comes to this topic - It might be best to just decide where you are interested in pursuing a MM degree and then just call them directly to inquire. You might find something that works for both of you. Making it known to them might also make it possible for you to work on what is offered in the Spring to you and then get back into the "normal" sequence once the Fall rolls around. Good luck with the search!

[swillafew]

I got an MM from BGSU in 1985, and it made me less employable: too young, and too expensive. It required me to get 54 credits for a 34 credit degree. This meant I had done nearly the same work as a PhD (in terms of hours at least). Had I known, I would have jumped departments before school ever started, and spent the energy (lots of energy, believe me) on a LUCRATIVE degree. It was fun for two years before the starving started, though.