Music, B.A.
Capstone
Every music major completes a senior capstone — a culminating project that brings together the skills, knowledge, and artistic identity you’ve developed across four years. The specific shape of that project depends on your track and your goals, and is developed in close collaboration with music faculty.
Visual and Performing Arts Capstone (VAPA 290)
The shared Visual and Performing Arts Capstone course, taken in the fall of senior year, brings together students from across the visual and performing arts for a semester of focused independent and collaborative work. For music majors, this may involve a research project, a composition, a production, or other work defined in consultation with your advisor.
Senior Projects
Most music majors complete an independent senior project under close faculty supervision. Options include:
- MUSC 270: Senior Tutorial in Computer Music — for students in the technology track
- MUSC 290: Senior Project — a flexible independent project in composition, musicology, or music theory
- MUSC 297: Honors — for students in the honors program
- Senior Recital — a public performance for students in the performance track
Honors
Students interested in honors must declare that intention in their junior year, with approval from the music program director and faculty. The honors program includes an additional music course completed by the end of junior year — which may include a Junior Honors Recital — followed by a senior honors project carried out over one or two semesters.
Honors projects may take the form of a year-long composition or research project, a Senior Honors Recital with a complementary paper, or other work proposed by the student and approved by faculty. A successful honors thesis and defense satisfies the capstone requirement.
Students interested in honors should connect with the music program director as early as possible in their junior year.
