Revised: June 1, 2006

Each January the Music Graduate Director will inform the music faculty of upcoming deadlines concerning graduate assistantships.

Applicants are eligible for an assistantship only if they meet all admission requirements for the desired degree program and fulfill all of the eligibility criteria of the Graduate School, as follows:

1. Graduate School requirements
1. for all graduate assistants - admittance to degree program
2. for a Graduate Teaching Assistant - completion of 18 graduate credits in the field and completion of the Instructional Development Project workshop
2. School of Music requirements
1. recommendation of area faculty (e.g., string faculty for a graduate assistantship in strings, piano faculty for a position in accompanying, etc.)
2. written approval by the Music Dean

Only in unusual circumstances will an assistantship be granted to an applicant admitted to the Graduate Certificate program.

Graduate assistantships are normally limited to one year for graduate certificate students, two years for master's students, and three for doctoral students. For students who earn another graduate music degree at USC, the total time accrued as a graduate assistant will normally not exceed one year more than the limits set forth above (e.g., three years for a student who has earned a graduate certificate and a master's degree, four years for a doctoral student who has earned a master's degree at USC).

In order to avoid a misunderstanding, offers (whether verbal or written) of a graduate assistantship may be made only by the Graduate Director in consultation with the Dean.

A copy of "Policies for Graduate Assistants" may be found at the end of this document.