UMass Boston

Department of Performing Arts majors may receive departmental distinction as graduating seniors, issued at the time of spring commencement or by completing a senior honors project.

This page provides more information about these two options, which are awarded directly by the Performing Arts Department. Please visit the Honors College website for more information about the honors degree option: https://www.umb.edu/academics/honors.


Departmental Distinction

Each spring a graduating senior is elected by the faculty for departmental distinction. Criteria may include GPA, performance abilities, scholarship, or other factors. For more information, please contact the Department of Performing Arts.

Senior Honors (Music)

Students in music may, at the discretion of the faculty, elect to pursue senior honors in a particular area of excellence, such as music education, musical composition, music history, jazz, or musical performance, with the guidance of a tenured or tenure-track faculty member as the honors advisor. The student must have senior status and possess a GPA of 3.25 or above. Those who meet the above requirements and are interested in pursuing department honors research should secure the sponsorship of a department faculty member willing to supervise the project. Deciding on an appropriate topic for an honors project is a complicated matter, and the initial idea may come from work done in a previous course, some personal experience out of the classroom, or from a student’s general interest in a problem or question of musical relevance. A suitable faculty supervisor for the project should be someone with interests related to this field or problem. Frequently the final choice of research topic is based on a protracted dialogue between the student and the faculty sponsor. A final decision about the research topic should be made before the student begins the semester of the honors project.

Honors in Performance (Music)

Successful completion of a Senior Honors Recital (MUS 498, 3 credit hours), fulfills honors in musical performance. The student will work closely together with an agreed-upon faculty advisor and, normally, also the student's primary applied teacher in preparation of the recital. Work towards the recital may include the creation of scholarly program notes and/or text and translations (if in voice), or other requirements agreed upon in advance.

To pursue senior honors in other areas, please contact the Department of Performing Arts for additional information.