Admission and Financial Aid
Admission
Admission to any of the graduate programs is awarded on a competitive basis. All students must have an adequate background in music theory and musicianship, as well as a solid liberal arts background including a good reading knowledge of at least one foreign language (two are required for completion of the Ph.D.).
IMPORTANT: Application for admission must be submitted electronically to the Graduate School; further instructions can be found by visiting the Graduate School Admissions Page. Please note, however, that the following supplementary materials must be sent directly to the Graduate Studies Assistant.
Applications will not be considered complete and will not be acted upon until these materials have been received:
- Applicants to the A.M. and Ph.D. program in Composition should submit samples of the applicant's compositions in the form of scores and, if available, tapes or CDs.
- Applicants to the A.M. and Ph.D. programs in Musicology should submit samples of the applicant's writing in the form of papers or theses, preferably on musical topics.
- Applicants to the A.M. program in Performance Practice should provide, in addition to samples of research papers, a tape recording or CD demonstrating the applicant's performance ability.
All supporting materials (including those sent directly to the Department of Music) must be postmarked by December 15th and received by December 31st in order to receive priority in consideration for admission and financial aid.
(NB: The Graduate School's Priority deadline for submission of applications for admission and award to all programs for the fall semester is December 15th.)
Although the Graduate School forms lists options for both A.M and Ph.D. programs, the Music Department ordinarily admits only students intending to continue toward the Ph.D.
Financial Aid
At this time (2003) all entering students receive financial aid, which normally is maintained for five years (subject to certain conditions, such as satisfactory progress toward the degree). First-year students usually hold fellowships, which do not require service, and which pay tuition, fees, health insurance, as well as an income stipend. During subsequent years, the income stipend is normally replaced by a teaching- or research-assistantship.
Fellowships awarded to entering students include Departmental Graduate Fellowships, Mary Duke Biddle Fellowships in Composition, Fellowships in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, James B. Duke Fellowships, University Scholars Fellowships, Latin American Studies Fellowships, and A.J. Fletcher Fellowships in Performance Practice. Additional graduate fellowships are described in the Bulletin of the Graduate School. No separate application is required to be considered for any of these fellowships.
A few University fellowships and assistantships are awarded during the dissertation-writing stage on a competitive basis; in addition, students often receive fellowship awards or dissertation grants from outside sources, such as ACLS, Fulbright, DAAD, or AMS 50.
Campus Visit
Although no interview is required to be considered for admission, a visit to the campus is highly recommended. Such a visit will provide an opportunity to meet with faculty and current graduate students, and to see the facilities, including libraries, practice instruments, and the computer music studio, as well as to see a bit of the surrounding area. Prospective visitors are urged to schedule their visits with the Music Department's Office of Graduate Studies (919/660-3308) to insure that a suitable time is reserved during which faculty members can be available; the office can also help with finding accommodations and provide directions. Although visitors are welcome at any time, the department prefers visits to take place after the application has been completed. In certain cases limited funding is made available to assist with travel expenses. During February of 2003 and 2004, prospective admitted students were invited together for a weekend of interviews, campus visits, a musicology symposium, and a new music concert.
Further Information
For hard copy of this information or answers to your questions, write to:
Director
of Graduate Studies
Duke University Department of Music
Box 90666
Durham, NC 27708-0666
(919) 660-3308