Students performing, playing instruments, and doing science

Five-year B.A. and B.Mus. double-degree program

Lawrence offers a combined B.A./B.Mus. degree program, an innovative course of study that allows you to immerse yourself in music and at least one other field of study at a very high level. In this rigorous five year program, about half your coursework will be in music, with the other half in general education courses and a second major. The combination of a nationally ranked liberal arts college with a leading conservatory of music makes Lawrence's double-degree program a unique opportunity to pursue both musical and non-musical interests at a very high level in a collaborative environment. Each incoming double degree student meets with two advisors (one from the Conservatory and one from the College). Student and advisors work collaboratively in order to help plan a successful course of study. Our double-degree program is so successful because all of our professors see such great value in the dual course of study.  If you choose the double degree program, you won't be alone.  About half of every entering Conservatory class are double degree students.

Degree Requirements

Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts Requirements

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, or theory/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, especially if the student’s objective is to maintain serious options for graduate or professional work in both areas after graduation. 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.

In addition to academic policies and regulations, students in the conservatory are subject to policies and procedures detailed in conservatory department guidelines and the conservatory student handbook.

Requirements for the five-year Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Music Degrees

  1. 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:
    1. a minimum of 144 units in music, exclusive of MURP 201, 202, 203, 301, 302 and MUTH 161, 162, 171, 172
    2. a minimum of 114 units selected from courses other than music
    3. no more than 42 units from courses in education
    4. no more than 18 units in ESL courses
    5. a minimum of 72 units from courses numbered 200 and above
    6. no more than 90 units from a single department outside of music, except that in the art department a student may present no more than 126 units, no more than 90 of which may be in art and no more than 90 of which may be in art history
    7. no more than 12 units from academic internships
  2. Completion of 12 units of Freshman Studies, normally taken during the fall and winter terms of the first year
  3. Completion of the general education requirements:
    1. Distribution, in order to gain exposure to a range of disciplines, subjects, and perspectives within the liberal arts:
      1. 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.
      2. 6 units selected from departments and courses listed within the division of fine arts
      3. 6 units selected from departments and courses listed within the division of social sciences
      4. 6 units selected from laboratory courses in biology, chemistry, geology, or physics in the division of natural sciences
      See divisions within the university under Structure of the Curriculum.
    2. Diversity, in order to prepare students for a more global world and a more diverse America:
      1. 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
      2. 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
    3. Competency, in order to improve and reinforce those fundamental abilities central to a liberal arts education:
      1. 6 units selected from courses designated as writing intensive or 6 units selected from courses designated as speaking intensive
      2. 6 units selected from courses designated as emphasizing mathematical reasoning or quantitative analysis
      3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Completion of music core requirements:
    1. Music Theory
      1. MUTH 151, 161, 171 or MUTH 201, 211, 221
      2. MUTH 152, 162, 172 or MUTH 202, 212, 222
      3. MUTH 251, 261, and 271
      4. MUTH 252, 262, and 272
      5. MUTH 301, 311, and 321
    2. Musicology
      1. MUCO 211 and 212
      2. 12 units selected from courses in musicology numbered 400 or above
    3. Keyboard skills: MURP 201, 202, 203 or MURP 301, 302
    4. Applied music individual instruction as specified under requirements for the major and areas of emphasis
    5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Completion of a designated Senior Experience course or activity within the chosen majors for each degree.
  8. An academic record that meets the following standards:
    1. A 2.000 grade-point average in all Lawrence courses
    2. 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
    3. 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)
  9. 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.