Honors Capstone Experience

The Honors College experience is designed to encourage Honors dance students to work independently, to develop expertise in a specific field, to gain professional experience.

Dance Company Performance

In their senior year, Honors students pursuing a B.F.A. in dance enroll in DANC 480-Honors (3 credits) and DANC 491-Honors (3 credits). Together, these two courses (6 credits) fulfill both the requirements of the dance department B.F.A. degree and the Honors College capstone experience. 

The Honors Capstone Experience is designed to encourage Honors students to work independently, to develop expertise in a specific field, to gain further research and/or practice/performance experience, and to design a final project suited to their career goals. Thus students are encouraged to meet with their Honors advisers and start planning for their Honors College Capstone Experience during their junior year.

Honors students are responsible for the timely and successful completion of their Honors Capstone projects. It is independence, commitment, and excellence that separate senior Honors Capstone project work from normal coursework.

Procedures 

During their junior year, Honors students should meet with the Departmental Honors Coordinator to discuss their Honors College Capstone Experience. Honors students should then register for DANC 480 Honors and DANC 491 Honors. 

In addition to completing the requirements for DANC 480 and 491, Honors students will develop an undergraduate research project to submit as an application to the Undergraduate Research Committee at Towson University. The application could be based on one of the papers required for the course, a performance of work, a poster session on portfolio development, or any part of the senior capstone experience.

During their senior year, Dance Honors students should meet with the Departmental Honors Coordinator on a regular basis to develop an abstract with appropriate written materials for the research application. After the final draft of the project has been approved by the Dance Department Honors Coordinator, the Honors student will submit the work to the Undergraduate Research Committee. 

If funded by the Undergraduate Research Committee, Honors students are expected to deliver an appropriate presentation of their work at any undergraduate conference or similar forum set up by the Undergraduate Research Committee.