Graduate Assistantships are available to qualified, full-time graduate students in the School of Music. Applicants must be admitted to the program, have an outstanding academic record and present favorable recommendations.

Master’s and doctoral applicants will be considered for graduate assistantships as part of their application process. Assistantships provide tuition grants plus stipend and require approximately ten hours of work weekly.

Musicology students are also eligible for the Michael M. Winesanker Scholarship, named for the late distinguished scholar who served the TCU School of Music for more than 40 years.

The deadline for doctoral applications is December 1, and the deadline for master’s applications is February 15.

Learn more about graduate assistantships under the corresponding Graduate Area of Study, or contact the applied faculty member regarding graduate assistantships for the upcoming year.

All entering graduate students are required to take placement examinations during the first week of residency and must satisfy keyboard and theory proficiencies. All portions of the test must be satisfactorily completed prior to admission to candidacy.

Prior to or at the start of the final semester, determine the Oral Exam committee
- Review Guidelines for Master of Music Oral Exam
Schedule Master’s Oral Exam with committee
- Review Rubric for Master’s Degree Oral Exam
- Complete Report of Master’s Oral Exam

Doctoral Committee

Prior to the first recital

Determine cognate in consultation with Major Professor
Determine committee and complete the Appointment of Doctoral Committee Form

After completing at least 20, but no more than 30 hours

Complete the DMA Report Form

DMA Comprehensive Exam

After completing the majority of music theory, music history, and major coursework

Register by semester deadline with Assistant Director of Academic & Student Programs
Complete the DMA Comprehensive Exam Approval Form

Within 2 to 4 weeks of the written portion of the exam, take the oral portion

Ask committee chair to complete the Report of DMA Comprehensive Examination

After passing the DMA Comprehensive Exams

Give final recital

DMA Document

After choosing a topic, prepare the proposal in consultation with the committee chair

Proposal contents:

Introduction
Importance of the topic
State of current knowledge relevant to the topic
Chapter-by-chapter outline
Bibliography
Proposal may include other contents as determined by the committee chair

Once written, the proposal is submitted to committee members for comments and suggestions. The committee and the DMA student should meet to discuss the proposal.

Once approved, the committee completes the Approval of DMA Document Proposal Form.

In the final semester of the DMA Document, the timeline is as follows.

Week 2:The candidate must file an Intent to Graduate Form through the College of Fine Arts website. A non-refundable fee is charged when the Intent is filed. Candidates should not file the Intent without reviewing the following deadlines and obtaining permission from the Major Professor.
Week 6:The completed Document/Dissertation must be available for the committee by this time. Minor revisions may take place during the weeks following this date. If the committee, led by the Major Professor, approves the Document/Dissertation the final oral defense may be scheduled.
Week 11: Date of Final Oral defense should be agreed upon and set by this time. The candidate will schedule the exam and notify the CFA Graduate Office of the date using the Final Oral Defense Scheduling Form. In order to allow adequate time for preparation of questions, the candidate will provide a PDF of the finished Document/Dissertation to each member of the committee two weeks before the defense.
Week 15: The Final Oral Defense must be completed by this date. The defense is a discussion of the Document/Dissertation. At least four members of the committee, including the Major Professor, must be present to conduct the defense. Following a decision on the candidate’s defense, those committee members present will grade and sign the Report on the Final Oral Defense Form. The Major Professor will deliver the form Assistant Director for Academic Programs in the School of Music.
Week 16: The candidate will submit a PDF of the final Document/Dissertation following the instructions posted on the TCU library website and the CFA Graduate website. Copyright may be obtained; the candidate must pay the fee for this optional service. The School of Music also requires a bound copy of the Document/Dissertation for its archives. Electronic submission of the final version of the project, including any changes suggested at the Oral Defense, must be completed by the Monday before graduation. The Major Professor must turn in a course grade for the Document/Dissertation by the Wednesday before graduation. This grade will replace all previous Incomplete grades for Document or Dissertation hours.

Located on the third floor of the Mary Couts Burnett Library, the Music/Media Library houses several thousand scores, print books, CDs and music discipline-related videos. The Music/Media Library and Hamilton Audiovisual Center provide a creative space for musicians to listen to music, watch performances, study scores, write research papers and attend specialized classes.

Music History Course Rotation 2023-2026

Music Theory Course Rotation 2023-2026

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