Students with a particular interest in Ethnomusicology/Popular Music, Musicology, or Music Theory & Analysis will propose a senior thesis of 6,500 words or more in length (excluding footnotes and bibliography).
Senior Comprehensive Project Proposal:
You will be emailed a proposal submission link and directions by October 15 of your junior year, and submit your proposal by November 15. If your committee requires you to revise your proposal, your updated documents will be due by February 15.
Please submit the following:
- Senior Comprehensive Analytic Paper Annotated Bibliography: Please submit an annotated bibliography that includes ten relevant peer-reviewed scholarly sources that map out the existing literature on your topic. This bibliography should ideally include 2–3 canonical sources that cover a broader background related to your topic, as well as more specific sources relating to your exact argument or methods. Annotations should indicate both the point of view of the author(s), critical evaluation of the source, and the pertinence of the article/chapter/book to your proposed essay. An annotation’s length may range from several sentences to a few paragraphs, depending on the source. These sources should be cited in Chicago style. Submit as a PDF.
- Senior Comprehensive Analytic Paper Proposal: Please submit a 250-350 word proposal for an argument-driven academic essay that will engage with and contribute to recent and relevant scholarship in the fields of musicology, ethnomusicology, sound studies, and/or music theory. You will need to engage with the ideas of specific authors from your bibliography in your proposal. A central goal of the proposal is to describe the current state of research on this area and articulate how you will do something new that adds to this literature. Your paper must include some musical analysis and you should indicate which repertoire of music will be the focus of your essay. You should propose a project that can be successfully argued within 6,500 words. Submit as a PDF. This paper is completed in MUSC 490.
- Writing sample: Please submit a writing sample that is at least five pages long, preferably one related to your proposed topic.
Senior Comprehensive Project:
At the beginning of the academic year, the Music Department will establish available dates for Senior Comprehensive presentations.
Students will digitally submit their 6500-word analytic paper for faculty review one month prior to their presentation date (a submission link will be sent by February 15th).
Students will give a 20-minute presentation, and then field questions from the audience for 10 minutes. Students will digitally submit their thesis for faculty review one month prior to their presentation date (a submission link will be sent by February 15th).
Each senior project component is graded Pass with Distinction (PD), Pass (P), or Fail (F). The paper is worth 85% and the research presentation plus Q&A 15%.