Announcing the Graduate Research Assistantship in Music
2017-2018 GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP IN MUSIC
Department of Music, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

music.wayne.edu
The Department of Music at Wayne State University is pleased to announce a new 12-month Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) position for the 2017-2018 academic year. The graduate student selected for this position will assist with the research study, "Singing to Babies in Motown! The Detroit Lullaby Study," under the supervision of Professor Wendy Matthews.
The GRA will be awarded to an outstanding new or current graduate student pursuing the Masters of Music degree. New and current MM students are encouraged to apply (see application instructions below). Applicants should have excellent writing, mathematical, and critical thinking skills, and applicants with prior research experience, a bachelor's degree in music education or a related field, and experience working with children are preferred. Selection of the GRA will be competitive based on the assessment of the faculty.
The student holding the GRA position will receive a stipend of $22,241; tuition assistance for up to ten graduate credits in the Fall 2017 and Winter 2018 semesters, and two graduate credits during the Spring/Summer 2018 term; and subsidized medical, vision, and dental insurance coverage.
The recipient will work approximately 20 hours a week between August 17, 2017 and August 16, 2018 on "Singing to Babies in Motown! The Detroit Lullaby Study" as well as participate in Annual Graduate Exhibition sponsored by the Graduate School prior to his or her final oral examination. Per the policies of the WSU Graduate School and the GEOC/AFT contract, the student is required to enroll in a minimum of six graduate credits per term in order to remain eligible for this assistantship. Upon completion of the GRA, the recipient may be recommended for other scholarships to support the completion of his or her degree (the amount of support may vary). Graduate Research Assistants must comply with all applicable WSU policies and procedures.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
1) Students must be accepted to an MM program in music by May 12, 2017 (see the Graduate School application page), including a successful Audition/Interview for an MM Program at WSU (if you are a new student)
2) Send the following to Dr. Joshua S. Duchan, Interim Graduate Officer, Department of Music, Wayne State University, Suite 1321 Old Main, Detroit, MI 48202, USA:
DEADLINE
To be assured of consideration, candidates should complete all aspects of the application by May 12, 2017. Finalists will be contacted for an interview.
QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor's degree in music, 3.0 GPA, and unconditional admission to the Graduate School.
COMPENSATION
The 12-month contract provides a stipend of $22,241; tuition assistance for up to ten graduate credits in the Fall 2017 and Winter 2018 semesters, and two graduate credits during the Spring/Summer 2018 term; and subsidized medical, vision, and dental insurance coverage. Appointment begins August 17, 2017.
About the Detroit Lullaby Study
The history of Detroit includes a rich musical culture that remains a meaningful influence in the lives of the people of Detroit today. This study taps into this cultural strength with the ultimate goal of employing music to support vulnerable Detroit families who are struggling to raise infants and young children in communities affected by violence and poverty. Using an innovative, laboratory-based Lullaby Protocol, this study examines the influence of parental singing to their infants on the physiological responses of both parents and infants.
Master of Music Programs at WSU
The Master of Music degree is intended for students who wish to pursue a professional concentration in composition/theory, conducting, or performance (vocal, instrumental, or jazz). All programs are supervised by highly qualified faculty with extensive academic and professional experience in their areas of expertise. For more information about these programs, please see http://music.wayne.edu/graduate.php or contact Professor Joshua S. Duchan, Interim Graduate Officer, at jduchan@wayne.edu.
The Department of Music at WSU
The Department of Music cultivates music as a contemporary and global art, grounded in a long historical tradition, by combining higher education with professional training and experience for its undergraduate and graduate/professional students.
The Department offers students of music opportunities to learn, grow, and develop their skills and disciplines in an urban cultural setting. With close proximity to Detroit's cultural center, students have access to the resources of such premiere institutions as the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Public Library, the Detroit Opera House, and Orchestra Hall. The long historical relationship between the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Department allows students to study and coach with exceptional guest artists and resident artist-faculty who are specialists in all musical styles and media.
Building on the strengths of its geographic and cultural setting, the Department maintains public access to its performances and degree programs, offers high-level professional and academic standards and unique creative and scholarly opportunities appropriate to a large research university, and cultivates a deep aesthetic understanding of music in our students and the larger urban arts community.
About Wayne State University
Nearly 28,000 students call themselves Wayne State Warriors. WSU, a Carnegie I Research Institution, is home to students from nearly every state and 60 countries - the most diverse student body among Michigan's 15 public universities and a microcosm of the real world.