The George State University School of Music invites applications for our Master of Music Composition program. We anticipate one assistantship available for next academic year. This assistantship comes with a tuition fee waiver and a stipend of $4000 for the 2026/27 year. The successful candidate for this assistantship will aid the Composition/Theory Area in areas including (but not limited to) music theory and instrumentation/orchestration (10 hours per week).

The composition program at GSU includes faculty composers Nickitas Demos and Brent Milam and provides students with numerous opportunities for master classes with guest composers and performers as well as the performances of their works. Each academic year, students have several opportunities to have their music performed and recorded including performances on the SCI Student Concert Series, Student Showcase Series, and the Student Honors Recital, among other school performances and opportunities. Student compositions are also often featured on the neoPhonia New Music Ensemble season.

In addition to the neoPhonia new music ensemble, GSU is home to the acclaimed professional contemporary music ensemble-in-residence, Bent Frequency. Student composers in our program reside in an international city boasting world-class institutions such as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Opera, and the Atlanta Ballet. Students also quickly become a part of a vibrant Atlanta contemporary music scene featuring professional ensembles such as the Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective, Bent Frequency, Chamber Cartel, and Terminus Ensemble among many other exciting groups.

The Georgia State University Master of Music Composition degree program courses in advanced music theory, orchestration as well as private instruction and twice-weekly composition seminars that cover such topics as entrepreneurship for composers, current trends in the field, and exposure to and study of contemporary composers and the musical literature of our time.

Please note: You must apply to both the Georgia State Graduate School and the School of Music.

Required University Application Materials:

  • Transcript(s): Upload unofficial copies of transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. The institution logo and your name must be present on the copies. Official transcripts will be required upon acceptance into the program.
  • Official TOEFL/IELT Scores (international applicants only): Institutional code 5251 should be used for reporting TOEFL scores.
  • Personal/Goal Statement: Please provide a statement of your educational and career goals (be as specific as possible).
  • Resume/Curriculum Vitae: Upload within the online Slate application.
  • Writing Sample: Provide a scholarly/research paper (3–5 pages in length) on a music-related subject that demonstrates intellectual engagement and critical thinking appropriate to beginning graduate-level academic work. The sample must include inline citations and a bibliography.
  • Portfolio: Refer to Step 2 below for Portfolio requirements.
  • Letters of recommendation: 2 letters of recommendation are required. Applicants must enter the names and contact information of the 2 recommenders within the application. An electronic recommendation request will be sent to recommenders, and recommendation letters must be submitted via this request. It is strongly advised that letters of recommendation are completed before the application deadline and are written within the last year. Recommendations submitted after this date are not guaranteed to be reviewed.
  • GPA: Students considered for admission into the graduate program generally have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

For more information please visit: https://music.gsu.edu/program/composition-mmu/ or contact Dr. Lara Dahl, Graduate Director, GSU School of Music at laradahl@gsu.edu and Dr. Nickitas Demos, Coordinator of Composition Studies at ndemos@gsu.edu.