Music Honors Program

On this page:

• Overview
• Eligibility Requirements
• Proposal and Approval Process
• Academic Requirements
• Evaluation
• Project Oversight
• Timeline
• Forms

Overview

The School of Fine and Performing Arts encourages students who have demonstrated a superior academic ability to participate in the music honors program. To enter the program, students must be juniors or seniors with a cumulative 3.0 GPA and a 3.5 GPA in music. For additional information, students should contact Dr. Daniel Zehringer

Eligibility Requirements

• Junior or senior standing in applied music and credit hours
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 and 3.5 in major.
• Student may apply anytime after completion of the two year theory and literature sequence, i.e. MUS 1010,1020, 2010, 2020; MUS 1210, 1220; MUS 2010, 2020; MUS 1510,1520, 2510, 2520.

Proposal and Approval Process

• Approval process is:
  • Student finds a faculty mentor
  • A topic is developed and articulated
  • MUS 4810 paperwork is completed and submitted to the school Honor’s Committee and school director for approval.
• There must be a clear and suitable topic, agreeable and reasonable evaluation method, realistic goals and timeline.
• A more detailed procedure to be determined by the committee.

Academic Requirements

• Typical projects earn between 3-6 credit hours.
• Projects usually last one academic year (3 quarters/2 semesters).
• The projects must earn an “A” or “B” as a final grade.
• Students must complete one University Honors Seminar.
• The final paper is limited in scope to be no more than what is required of a thesis.

Evaluation

• Evaluation is articulated in the proposal outlined in the MUS 4810 paperwork and typically consists of a written paper in the form of a thesis. Some projects have had a performance component like a recital or lecture recital.
• Satisfactory completion is determined by a grade given by project director with a pass/fail approval by the Honors Committee.

Project Oversight

• Typically the student chooses an advisor with the consent of the Honors Committee.  
• This faculty member will aid the student through the process and meet with the committee on the student’s behalf.  
• This mentor must be agreeable to the extra time required to see the project to completion in a timely manner.

Timeline

• Student should complete the project within one academic year, but extensions could be granted by petitioning the Honors Committee.
• Typically this project is done in the senior year, but some students may want to start earlier with finding an advisor and developing a topic.

Forms

Students will use the College of Liberal Arts Independent Study form for independent study MUS 4810.

Visit the University Honors Program website for more information.