Undergraduate Certificate or Specialized Studies with Honors
Completing an undergraduate certificate or specialized studies with honors, like the Honors in the Major, is open to all students including honors and non-honors students. Students who complete a certificate with honors will have this distinction noted on their transcripts; specialized studies do not appear on transcripts but may be included on a resume. This option is intended to encourage more participation in certificate/specialized studies programs by honors students and to give non-honors students an opportunity for an enriched honors learning experience.
Click here for a complete list of undergraduate certificates. Each of these programs and/or departments has its own application process and requirements. Click on the certificate/specialized studies links for further details.
Criteria
The criteria for completing a certificate or specialized studies with honors are as follows:
- A 3.2 overall GPA and a 3.5 GPA in all certificate/specialized studies courses
- Completion of one of the following three options for certificate or specialize studies course work:
- an additional academic course approved by the certificate/specialized studies director
- a graduate (5000) level academic course approved by the certificate/specialized studies director which may substitute for a course required for the certificate/specialized studies
- an individual honors-augmented course among those required for the certificate/specialized studies, contracted with the instructor (honors students only).
- The student and certificate/specialized studies director will determine which of the above options is most appropriate. A paper of at least seven pages that offers a reflection and synthesis of the program and experience, to be approved by the director of the certificate program, must be submitted to the Honors Office. Program directors may specify the content or intent of the paper. NOTE: A capstone learning experience or project, subject to the approval of individual directors, may serve in lieu of the paper.
Upon completion of the above requirements, the student should have the certificate/specialized studies director or faculty representative send a brief email to honors@fsu.edu. The Honors Office will then verify completion and see that "with honors" is noted.
Honors Specialized Studies in Music
In addition to the "with honors" designation available in all certificate/specialized studies areas, the College of Music also offers a separate Honors Specialized Studies in Music for music majors in the Honors Program.
A. Purpose:
The Honors Specialized Studies in Music provides honors sections of required music courses for music majors and promotes additional experiential learning outside the university. Thus the certificate is open to music majors only. Completion of the program enriches the core music curriculum and encourages experiential honors projects that further develop critical writing skills, performance expertise, and/or community service initiatives. It also facilitates completion of the Honors Medallion.
B. Application Procedures:
The Honors Specialized Studies in Music is available to all music majors who are admitted to the University Honors Program, whether as first-time incoming students or lateral admissions. Information about applying to the FSU Honors Program may be found here. Information on applying to the College of Music can be found here. The application to the College of Music is separate from the university application. No separate application is necessary for the Specialized Studies in Music, but see "Program of Studies" below concerning approval of an individualized course of study. The Honors Speicalized Studies in Music is not intended as a diploma or degree.
C. Admission Requirements:
Students must be admitted to the University and the University Honors Program, and must be admitted as a music major through a successful audition. Admission to the Honors Program is by invitation (see above). Once admitted as an FSU honors student and as a music major, students should contact the Honors Liaison for the College of Music (currently Professor Nancy Rogers) for advising during their first semester in residence. The Honors Specialized Studies in Music must be completed in conjunction with a Bachelor's degree in music prior to graduation.
D. Program of Study:
This program is completed under the guidance of the College of Music Honors Liaison, a faculty member who advises all COM honors students. Eighteen (18) credit hours of honors coursework and experiential learning are required for completion of the specialized studies, distributed as outlined under "Requirements". The Honors Liaison must approve the course of study in writing. All courses applied to this program must be completed at the main FSU campus. The COM Honors Specialized Studies in Music meets requirements for finishing the University Honors Program and earning the Honors Medallion. While certain honors sections of courses required of music majors may count toward both the specialized studies and the music degree, completion of the specialized studies is not a requirement for completion of the degree or the honors medallion. The requirements for completing the specialized studies, outlined below, follow the basic guidelines stipulated by the University Honors Program.
E. Requirements:
12- 15 hours of Honors Coursework distributed as follows:
6-9 hours of honors music courses. These courses may include any MUX class that is designated as an honors course or section, which typically will be required music-major classes in music theory, history, or literature.
6 hours of university honors courses outside of music.
3-6 hours of Capstone Experiential Learning
These credit hours can consist of thesis hours for Honors in the Major; an enhanced internship; a practicum; a Directed Individual Study; an additional, off campus recital of repertoire separate from required recitals; an Apprentice Research Project; or a Service-learning Project. In all cases, the learning experience should have an Honors component that differentiates it from the equivalent non-Honors experience.
Each of the experiential learning types listed will entail registering for 3 credits under MUS 4904. The Honors Liaison's signature and a supervising faculty signature on a 1:1 form are required for approval each time.
Grade required for successfully completing the Specialized Studies:
Minimum GPA (cumulative): 3.2 Grade of B or higher is necessary for each honors music course that is counted toward the Honors Specialized Studies in Music.