Please note: The information displayed here is current as of Wednesday, November 13, 2024, but the official Course Catalog should be used for all official planning.
Degree Requirements
Residence Requirements
To qualify for a Lawrence University B.A., B.M.A., or B.Mus. degree, students are required to have a minimum of six terms in residence and 108 units earned in Lawrence courses. Nine terms in residence and 162 units are required for the five-year B.A. and B.Mus. double-degree program. Seniors must be in residence or in a cooperative degree program until the requirements for a major have been certified as complete.
Attending courses on the Appleton campus counts as being in residence. Participating in a Lawrence-sponsored or Lawrence-affiliated off-campus program also counts as being in residence, and units earned in these programs are counted as Lawrence courses, not as transfer credit. The optional December Term does not count toward the residence requirement.
Petitions for exceptions must be approved by the Faculty Subcommittee on Administration.
Bachelor of Arts Degree
Students seeking the Bachelor of Arts degree will complete approximately one-third of their work in each of three areas: First-Year Studies and general education, a major, and elective study. The First-Year Studies and general education requirements are designed to promote the breadth of study central to a liberal arts education, perspective on issues critical to a diverse America and an interconnected world, and the development of skills essential for success in any discipline or profession. The completion of a major provides focused, in-depth work in a single discipline or interdisciplinary area. Elective study affords students opportunities to develop secondary interests, work in areas complementary to their primary discipline, or explore new fields of study.
Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree
- Completion of 216 units. Of the 216 units required for the degree, a student must present:
- a minimum of 72 units from courses numbered 200 or above
- no more than 162 units from a single division
- no more than 90 units from a single subject
- no more than 42 units in EDUC
- no more than 18 units in ESL courses
- no more than 12 units from academic internships
- no more than 108 units in music
- Completion of 6 units of First-Year Studies, normally taken during the fall term of the first year
- Completion of the general education requirements:
- Distribution, in order to gain exposure to a range of disciplines, subjects, and perspectives within the liberal arts:
- 6 units selected from departments and courses listed within the division of humanities. All courses in the humanities taught in English will count toward this requirement. Humanities courses taught in a language other than English and numbered 300 and above will count toward this requirement, except as noted in the course catalog.
- 6 units selected from departments and courses listed within the division of fine arts
- 6 units selected from departments and courses listed within the division of social sciences
- 6 units selected from laboratory courses in biology, chemistry, geosciences, or physics in the division of natural sciences
- Diversity, in order to prepare students for a more global world and a more diverse America:
- 6 units selected from courses designated as either emphasizing global and comparative perspectives on the world or focusing on areas outside Europe and the United States
- 6 units selected from courses designated as focusing on dimensions of diversity, such as race, ethnicity, and gender, that are of particular importance in understanding contemporary society in the United States
- Competency, in order to improve and reinforce those fundamental abilities central to a liberal arts education:
- 6 units selected from courses designated as writing-intensive or 6 units selected from courses designated as speaking-intensive
- 6 units selected from courses designated as emphasizing mathematical reasoning or quantitative analysis
- 6 units in a language other than English taken from courses numbered 200 or above and taught primarily in that language. The language competency requirement may be satisfied in other ways described under Academic Procedures and Regulations.
- Distribution, in order to gain exposure to a range of disciplines, subjects, and perspectives within the liberal arts:
- Completion of a major—departmental, interdisciplinary, or student-designed—including all course and non-course requirements, such as departmental examinations, research projects and presentations, portfolios, etc. Students are required to declare a major by the beginning of the junior year and encouraged to declare a major by spring term of the sophomore year, when they advance register for junior-year courses.
- Completion of the designated Senior Experience course or activity within the chosen major.
- An academic record that meets the following standards:
- A 2.000 grade-point average in all Lawrence courses
- A 2.000 grade-point average in the college major (all courses taken in the major department or program and any other courses required for the major)
- Completion of the required terms and units in residence as specified by the university residence requirements.
Completion of a minor or interdisciplinary area is optional. If a minor is declared, a 2.000 grade-point average in the minor (all courses taken in the minor department or program and any other courses required for the minor) is required to complete the minor and have it recorded on the academic record.
Stipulations pertaining to the general education requirements
Qualified courses may count toward the requirements in any two of the categories above (distribution, diversity, and competency). Some courses may meet two requirements within a category. No single course can be used to fulfill more than two requirements.
Credits granted pursuant to university policy for examinations (Advanced Placement [AP], International Baccalaureate [IB], or A-levels) may be used as appropriate to fulfill diversity or competency requirements; such credit may not be used to fulfill distribution requirements. Coursework from other institutions may not be used to fulfill the writing or speaking competency requirement.
Bachelor of Musical Arts Degree
The Bachelor of Musical Arts is a professional degree. Courses in music represent approximately one-half of the curriculum while the other half is devoted to First Year Studies, general education requirements, and a secondary field of study (cognate).
Requirements for the Bachelor of Musical Arts Degree
- Completion of a minimum of 216 units.
- Of the 216 units required to complete the degree, a student must present:
- a minimum of 108 units in music
- a minimum of 108 units in courses other than music, consisting of two discrete groups of courses:
- a minimum of 30 units primarily in courses other than music in a secondary field of study (cognate), developed according to procedures described below
- an additional 78 units in courses other than music
- a minimum of 30 units in a secondary field of study (cognate), developed according to procedures described below.
- no more than 18 units in ESL courses
- no more than 12 units from academic internships
- Completion of 6 units of First-Year Studies, taken during the fall and winter terms of the first year
- Completion of the general education requirements:
- 6 units selected from courses designated as writing-intensive
- International diversity. One of the following: Note: While some music courses may satisfy general education requirements, a minimum of 78 units in courses other than music is required for the degree.
- 6 units selected from courses designated as either emphasizing global and comparative perspectives on the world or focusing on areas outside Europe and the United States
- 12 units selected from courses numbered below 200 in a single language other than English. The language competency requirement may be satisfied in other ways described under Academic Procedures and Regulations
- Participation for one term in a Lawrence or affiliated off-campus study program held outside the United States
- Completion of music requirements:
- Applied Musicianship I, II, and III: MUJI 150, 250, and 350
- Theory and improvisation: 3 units selected from MUJI 410 or 420
- Keyboard skills
- MURP 201, 202, 203 or MURP 301, 302
- MURP 320
- Musicology
- MUCO 211 and 212
- 6 units selected from courses in musicology numbered 400 or above
- Applied music individual instruction: a minimum of 36 units and 12 terms of study
- Ensemble study
- a minimum of 9 units selected from major ensembles
- a minimum of 3 units selected from MUEN 245 or 248
- students are required to participate in an ensemble every term in which they are attending classes on the Appleton campus.
- Composition and Arranging
- MUCA 230 Small Group Jazz Composition and Arranging - 3 units
- 6 units from the following courses:
MUCA 330 Large Ensemble Composition and Arranging
MUCA 530 Advanced Jazz Writing Skills
MUCA 100 Introduction to Composition
MUSI 110 Songwriting I
MUSI 210 Songwriting II
MUSI 315 Topics in Songwriting
MUSI 111 Collaborative Songwriting I
MUSI 211 Collaborative Songwriting II or applied study. - MUEP 305 Jazz Pedagogy
- MUEP 120 Basic Audio Recording
- MUJI 130 Contemporary Orchestration for Digital Workstations
- Presentation of a half recital during junior year and a full recital during senior year
- A 2.000 grade-point average in all Lawrence courses
- Completion of required terms and units in residence as specified by the residence requirements
Senior Experience
The required senior recital is considered the standard Senior Experience for students in the Bachelor of Musical Arts degree program. Students have the option of proposing enhancements to the senior recital or alternative performance projects as their Senior Experience with the approval of the applied teacher, advisor, and department chair. Alternative Senior Experience projects do not replace the senior recital requirement.
Stipulations pertaining to the general education requirements
A single course may be used to satisfy both requirement a. (writing intensive) and b. (international diversity) above. Credits granted pursuant to university policy for advanced placement or for transfer work may be used to fulfill general education requirements with the exception that coursework from other institutions may not be used to fulfill requirement a. (writing intensive).
Stipulations pertaining to the secondary field of study (cognate)
Depending upon each student’s academic objectives, the secondary field can consist of courses from a single academic department, courses from a single existing Lawrence interdisciplinary program, or courses from multiple departments and/or programs that can be combined to constitute a coherent interdisciplinary/multi-disciplinary secondary field not represented by one of Lawrence’s already established interdisciplinary programs.
The procedure for establishing the courses to be taken for the secondary field is as follows:
- With both the academic advisor and a faculty member from the secondary field, the student develops a statement on the planned secondary field. The statement indicates (a) the proposed secondary field of study; (b) how the secondary field will serve the student’s academic objectives; and (c) the specific courses to be taken as part of the secondary field.
- The student submits the statement of the proposed secondary course of study, endorsed by the faculty advisor and faculty member from the secondary field, to the associate dean of the conservatory for review before the end of Term I of the student’s sophomore year.
- The associate dean takes action on the proposal and communicates its action to the student, the faculty academic advisor, and the faculty member from the secondary field.
Bachelor of Music Degree
The Bachelor of Music is a professional degree. Courses in music represent approximately two-thirds of the curriculum, while one-third is devoted to First Year Studies and general education requirements.
Admission to the Bachelor of Music degree
An entrance audition is required of all applicants for admission to the Bachelor of Music degree. Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Musical Arts students who wish to become Bachelor of Music students must petition the Conservatory Committee on Administration for admission. Bachelor of Music students who wish to become Bachelor of Arts students must petition the University Faculty Subcommittee on Administration for acceptance into the Bachelor of Arts degree program.
Requirements for the Bachelor of Music degree
- Completion of a minimum of 216 units. The following music courses are used in the computation of the degree grade-point average but are excluded from the total of 216 units required for the degree: MURP 201, 202, 203, 301, 302 and MUTH 161, 162, 171, 172.
- Of the 216 units required to complete the degree, a student must present:
- a minimum of 144 units in music
- a minimum of 60 units in courses other than music
- no more than 18 units in ESL courses
- no more than 12 units from academic internships
- Completion of 6 units of First-Year Studies, normally taken during the fall of the first year
- Completion of the general education requirements:
- 6 units selected from courses designated as writing-intensive
- International diversity. One of the following:
- 6 units selected from courses designated as either emphasizing global and comparative perspectives on the world or focusing on areas outside Europe and the United States
- 12 units selected from courses numbered below 200 in a single language other than English. The language competency requirement may be satisfied in other ways described under Academic Procedures and Regulations.
- Participation for one term in a Lawrence or affiliated off-campus study program held outside the United States
- Completion of music core requirements:
- Music theory
- MUTH 151, 161, 171 or MUTH 201, 211, 221
- MUTH 152, 162, 172 or MUTH 202, 212, 222
- MUTH 251, 261, and 271
- MUTH 252, 262, and 272
- MUTH 301, 311, and 321
- Musicology
- MUCO 211 and 212
- 12 units selected from courses in musicology numbered 400 or above
- Keyboard skills: MURP 201, 202, 203 or MURP 301, 302
- Applied music individual instruction as specified under requirements for the major and areas of emphasis
- Ensemble study: a minimum of 12 units. Students are required to participate in an ensemble every term in which they are attending classes on the Appleton campus. Requirements for specific types of ensemble study (MUEN) are specified under requirements for majors and areas of emphasis.
- Music theory
- Completion of a major in music—performance, music education, theory, composition, or student-designed—including all course and non-course requirements, such as recitals, qualifying examinations, etc.
- An academic record that meets the following standards:
- A 2.000 grade-point average in all Lawrence courses
- A 2.000 grade-point average in the music major (all music courses and non-music courses required for the major) unless otherwise specified under the major requirements
- Completion of required terms and units in residence as specified by the residence requirements.
Completion of a minor or interdisciplinary area is optional. If a minor is declared, a 2.000 grade-point average in the minor (all courses taken in the minor department, program, or area and any other courses required for the minor) is required to complete the minor and have it recorded on the academic record.
Stipulations pertaining to the general education requirements
A single course may be used to satisfy both requirement a. (writing intensive) and b. (international diversity) above. Credits granted pursuant to university policy for advanced placement or for transfer work may be used to fulfill general education requirements with the exception that coursework from other institutions may not be used to fulfill requirement a. (writing intensive).
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Music Degree
Professional study in music and study in the liberal arts may be combined in a five-year program leading to both Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts degrees, the latter with a major other than music. Both degrees are awarded at the conclusion of the five-year program. Interested students should discuss this possibility with their advisors as early as possible.
Approximately half of the curriculum is devoted to the study of music—completion of the music core and requirements for a major in performance, music education, theory, or composition. The other half of the curriculum mirrors that of the Bachelor of Arts program, emphasizing breadth of study central to a liberal arts education, focused study in the college major, and elective study to complement other work or explore other fields of interest.
Certain majors in the Bachelor of Arts degree program (for example, some laboratory sciences) may be difficult to combine with the Bachelor of Music degree program into a five-year double-degree program. Such combinations may require that course overloads be taken to complete minimum requirements in each major in a timely and satisfactory manner. Early and regular consultation with advisors in both the college and the conservatory is imperative. Further, students who seek certification for purposes of teaching a subject other than music are urged to see the associate dean of the conservatory and the director of teacher education.
Requirements for the five-year Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Music degrees
- Completion of a minimum of 15 terms of study and 270 units. December Term does not count as a term toward this requirement. Of the 270 units required, a student must present:
- a minimum of 144 units in music, exclusive of MURP 201, 202, 203, 301, 302 and MUTH 161, 162, 171, 172
- a minimum of 114 units selected from courses other than music
- no more than 42 units from courses in education
- no more than 18 units in ESL courses
- a minimum of 72 units from courses numbered 200 and above
- no more than 90 units from a single subject outside of music
- no more than 12 units from academic internships
- Completion of 6 units of First-Year Studies, normally taken in the fall of the first year.
- Completion of the general education requirements:
- Distribution, in order to gain exposure to a range of disciplines, subjects, and perspectives within the liberal arts:
- 6 units selected from departments and courses listed within the division of humanities. All courses in the humanities taught in English will count toward this requirement. Humanities courses taught in a language other than English and numbered 300 and above also will count toward this requirement, except as noted in the course catalog.
- 6 units selected from departments and courses listed within the division of fine arts
- 6 units selected from departments and courses listed within the division of social sciences
- 6 units selected from laboratory courses in biology, chemistry, geology, or physics in the division of natural sciences
- Diversity, in order to prepare students for a more global world and a more diverse America:
- 6 units selected from courses designated as either emphasizing global and comparative perspectives on the world or focusing on areas outside Europe and the United States
- 6 units selected from courses designated as focusing on dimensions of diversity, such as race, ethnicity, and gender, that are of particular importance in understanding contemporary society in the United States
- Competency, in order to improve and reinforce those fundamental abilities central to a liberal arts education:
- 6 units selected from courses designated as writing-intensive or 6 units selected from courses designated as speaking-intensive
- 6 units selected from courses designated as emphasizing mathematical reasoning or quantitative analysis
- 6 units in a language other than English taken from courses numbered 200 or above and taught primarily in a language other than English. The language competency requirement may be satisfied in other ways described under Academic Procedures and Regulations.
- Distribution, in order to gain exposure to a range of disciplines, subjects, and perspectives within the liberal arts:
- Completion of a college major—departmental, interdisciplinary, or student-designed—exclusive of music, including all course and non-course requirements, such as departmental examinations, research projects and presentations, portfolios, etc. Students are required to declare a major by the beginning of the junior year and encouraged to declare a major by spring term of the sophomore year, when they advance register for junior-year courses.
- Completion of music core requirements:
- Music theory
- MUTH 151, 161, 171 or MUTH 201, 211, 221
- MUTH 152, 162, 172 or MUTH 202, 212, 222
- MUTH 251, 261, and 271
- MUTH 252, 262, and 272
- MUTH 301, 311, and 321
- Musicology
- MUCO 211 and 212
- 12 units selected from courses in musicology numbered 400 or above
- Keyboard skills: MURP 201, 202, 203 or MURP 301, 302
- Applied music individual instruction as specified under requirements for the major and areas of emphasis
- Ensemble study: a minimum of 12 units. Students are required to participate in an ensemble every term in which they are attending classes on the Appleton campus. Requirements for specific types of ensemble study (MUEN) are specified under requirements for majors and areas of emphasis.
- Music theory
- Completion of a major in music—performance, music education, theory, composition, or student-designed—including all course and non-course requirements, such as recitals, qualifying examinations, etc.
- Completion of a designated Senior Experience course or activity within the chosen majors for each degree.
- An academic record that meets the following standards:
- A 2.000 grade-point average in all Lawrence courses
- A 2.000 grade-point average in the college major (all courses in the major department or program and any other courses required for the major)
- A 2.000 grade-point average in the music major (all music courses and non-music courses required for the major) unless otherwise specified under the major requirements
- Completion of required terms and units in residence as specified by the university residence requirements.
Completion of a minor or interdisciplinary area is optional. If a minor is declared, a 2.000 grade-point average in the minor (all courses taken in the minor department, program, or area and any other courses required for the minor) is required to complete the minor and have it recorded on the academic record.
Stipulations pertaining to the general education requirements
Qualified courses may count toward the requirements in any two of the categories above (distribution, diversity, and competency). Some courses may meet two requirements within a category. No single course can be used to fulfill more than two requirements.
Credits granted pursuant to university policy for examinations (Advanced Placement [AP], International Baccalaureate [IB], or A-levels) may be used as appropriate to fulfill diversity or competency requirements; such credit may not be used to fulfill distribution requirements. Coursework from other institutions may not be used to fulfill the writing or speaking competency requirement.