Senior Capstone Projects

Senior Projects come in four broad types: composition project, music technology project, recital, and thesis.

Students interested in doing a project should begin planning and even conducting preliminary work during their Junior year and be enrolled in the appropriate classes during the fall semester of their Senior year. For a general overview of the goals and expectations for a project, consult "So you want to do a senior project in music..." For complete details about prerequisites, about deadlines for proposing and completing a project, and about what to include in a project proposal, please consult the Music Major Capstone projects guidelines. Please print both of these documents out and consult them frequently as you plan your project.

A key component is beginning work with the faculty advisor appropriate for the project. The advisor can help you define your particular interest and identify achievable goals. Discussions with the Chair of the Department are strongly encouraged.

For Composition, Music Technology, or Thesis projects, a brief (100 words) statement of the project concept must be given to the Chair by October 1, and a full written proposal for the projects is due to the Department Chair by November 15th. The proposal should be a thoughtfully prepared, thorough document outlining the scope of the project. (See Capstone Project guidelines for more details.)

The faculty will consider proposals at the first faculty meeting in December. Students will meet individually with the faculty at that meeting to describe their proposals and to answer questions.

Recitals require auditions in the semester preceding the recital. The procedure for auditions is spelled out in the Performance Handbook. The audition requirements for Jazz Recitals differ somewhat from those for Classical Recitals. If you are considering auditioning, contact the current Head of the Artists-in-Residence and talk your plans through with your private teacher.


Departmental Honors

Departmental honors for senior music majors are recommended on the basis of

  1. a distinguished academic career as documented through department GPA (3.5 or higher for all work in MP courses; 3.5 or higher for all work in MU courses)

  2. faculty recommendation

  3. a high level of accomplishment on a department-approved Senior project (recital, thesis, composition, or music technology project).

Department approval of a project proposal or recital audition may or may not be for honors. The student and faculty advisor must specify at the time of the proposal whether they with the Department to consider the project for honors. Approval of the proposal or audition means that the student is a candidate for honors, but is in no sense a guarantee that the student will achieve honors. The awarding of honors is based on the a high level of accomplishment on a department approved senior project (recital, thesis, composition, or music-technology project). (The Department also reserves the right in unusual circumstances to consider projects for honors that have not been recommended.)

Additional questions may be directed to the Chair of the Department.