Graduate Students

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS

Assistantships in music education are available for masters and doctoral students in the School of Music. Students interested in a graduate assistantship should share this with the director of graduate studies. Below are important deadlines to be considered for an assistantship.

Financial Aid Priority Date: March 15

  • Applications received by the priority date will be reviewed first.
  • Other applications will be reviewed next on a continuing basis.
  • Contact Southern Miss Financial Aid Office at 601.266.4774 or via e-mail at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
  • Absolute deadline May 1. All candidates for assistantships must be in by May 1.
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OTHER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Students seeking other financial assistance should contact the Southern Miss Financial Aid Office at 601.266.4774 OR click Financial Aid to visit their Web site.


SCHEDULING GRADUATE AUDITIONS/INTERVIEWS

On behalf of the Music Education faculty at The University of Southern Mississippi, we welcome you to our graduate music education web site.  We host interviews and auditions at any time during the academic year.

We feel the ideal time to interview/visit is between September and February of the academic year.  These times are ideal for several reasons: 

1) Professors and students are present
2) Classes/ensembles are meeting
3) Campus offices are open
4) Assistantships for the next academic year are offered starting during the month of March.

Students interested in the Master of Music Education degree should contact (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), Division Chair for Music Education. 


First, students should click the Graduate Studies link to learn more about USM’s Graduate School and application process.  You may complete an Application at the Graduate Studies web site.  Once your application has been received and processed by the Graduate School, it will be forwarded to the School of Music where it will be reviewed by the graduate committee.

ADMISSION DEADLINES

Summer - May 1
Fall - August 1
Spring - December 1
Graduate Assistant Eligibility (GA) - May 1


MASTERS OF MUSIC EDUCATION DEGREES

In music education, we offer the Master of Music Education degree and the Doctorate of Philosophy in Music Education degree.  For the MMEd degree, we offer four different formats, “Traditional”, “Licensure” and “Hybrid.”  For the “Traditional” and “Licensure” masters degree, admission requirements are the same .  Because the “Hybrid” degree is writing intensive, each student must submit a writing sample.  The writing sample may be one of the following:  1) term paper, 2) lecture or class presentation, 3) professional paper/presentation.  To learn more about the admission requirements for this degree, please click Masters Handbook (revised July 2009) for more information.  Admission requirements also differ between the master’s and doctoral degrees.


ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Regular Admission

For regular admission to master’s degree programs in the School of Music at The University of Southern Mississippi, a student must:

1) Have a bachelors in Music Education.
2) Have a “B” average or better on music courses in the undergraduate degree.
3) Have an overall grade point average of at least 2.75 (A = 4.0) on the last two years of undergraduate study.
4) Submit test scores of the General Test (verbal, quantitative, analytical writing) of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
5) Pass a candidacy audition (Master of Music only).
6) Submit strong letters of recommendation and/or undergo a successful personal interview.

Students applying for the “Hybrid” and “On-Line” degree should submit a writing sample to the following address: 

Dr. Jennifer Shank, Director of Graduate Studies
118 College Drive #5081
Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406-5081

The writing sample may be one of the following:  1) term paper, 2) lecture or student presentation

Conditional Admission

Students who are unable to meet regular admission standards may be considered for conditional admission.  (For details concerning conditional admission, see “Admission Requirements and Procedures,” Graduate Bulletin, University of Southern Mississippi.)

DOCTORATE OF PHILOSOPHY IN MUSIC EDUCATION

For the Doctorate of Philosophy in Music Education degree, please click Doctoral Handbook (revised July 2009) for more information.

ADMISSION DEADLINES

Summer - May 1
Fall - August 1
Spring - December 1
Graduate Assistant (GA) Eligibility - May 1