Each department has the option to alter the requirements for Honors in the Major, as long as the stated minimums remain in effect.

Below, you will find the things you need to know about how Honors in the Major works in your department.

• The thesis can be a 50-page document OR some creative project with a document in fewer pages, with the number of pages to be stated in the prospectus. The project may include a tape or CD recording, video, or other artifact (one student proposed to build an instrument). For most Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education majors, this will be in addition to the usual capstone recital or project for the degree. For the B.A. in Music, there is no such capstone project, and the Honors Thesis therefore provides an opportunity beyond the courses that form the requirement for the degree.
• The course you register for, for Honors Thesis credit, is MUS4904r, Honors Study.
• Students take six hours of Honors Thesis credit, typically over two semesters, to graduate With Honors.
• Generally, none of the Honors thesis hours count toward major requirements, except as elective hours. However, in certain cases, where the regular degree already requires a thesis (as in the Music History and Literature major), the faculty can agree to waive the regular Senior Thesis requirement, regarding the Honors Thesis as a substitute. In that case, in effect, 2 of the 6 Honors Thesis hours are counting as major requirements.
• Letter grades are assigned for each semester enrolled in MUS4904.
• Students are encouraged to make plans for Honors in the Major work in Music well in advance, since the Music major curricula are generally very inflexible. Students should meet with Professor Nancy Rogers to discuss the program at their earliest convenience.