Independent Study Guidelines
Department of Sociology 

Getting Started 

Independent study projects provide an opportunity for interested students to explore a subject area of particular importance and not otherwise available in the department’s curriculum. They allow students to pursue in depth field or library research as apprentice scholars. The possible topics for independent studies are nearly unlimited.  

A few students each year choose to turn their independent study work into Honors projects, but most students doing independent studies do not. Independent study projects are not synonymous with departmental honors; they may be undertaken by sophomores, juniors, or seniors and under special circumstances by non-majors. We generally prefer that independent study students have had substantial course work in the Department, including Sociology 2010 (and Sociology 2020 if applicable). 

Working with Faculty 

Independent studies require initiative, high motivation, and self-discipline on the part of the student. It is the responsibility of each student undertaking an independent study to find a faculty member who is prepared to guide the project. That student will then take the initiative with the assistance of the faculty advisor in seeking out and selecting materials for study, in providing coherence to the project, in helping limit the scope of the project so that it may reasonably be accomplished in one or two semesters, and in deciding on the appropriate work-product to result from the project. Throughout the independent study the faculty advisor's major role is to serve as a sounding board for the student's ideas and analysis.  

Evaluation 

Advisors will evaluate the student's performance by means of a grade at the end of a semester. That grade will be based largely on the evaluation of the interim or final work product (e.g., a paper or papers, film, and/or public lectures, or other products). It may also include, however, some evaluation of the way the project was carried out by the student using criteria such as the following, which characterizes an ideal independent study course:

• Meeting regularly with an advisor to discuss readings, fieldwork, etc.
• Developing and keeping to the mutually agreed upon schedule of reading, fieldwork, writing.
• Taking the initiative in seeking out resources and making use of appropriate learning resources. 

Application Process 

As a department, our capacity to advise independent studies is limited. Because the extent of an advisor's participation in each independent study should be substantial, no advisor may sponsor more than three independent studies per year. Other factors further limit the availability of faculty to advise projects. For these reasons, not all students who are interested in pursuing an independent study will be able to do so.  

All applications will be reviewed by the Department. Students will be notified of our decision during Add/Drop II. During Registration, students should register for a full slate of classes. If you are approved to pursue an independent study, you may drop one of your classes and replace it with the independent study before the end of Add/Drop II.  

To apply to pursue an independent study:  

1. Meet with the professor who you would like to advise your project. Come prepared with a sense of the kind of project you would like to pursue and what motivates you to pursue this work, including (as applicable) a preliminary outline of goals, research questions, methodology, reading list, timeline, and interim and final work products.   
   
   
2. Submit a written proposal to the department. Your proposal should include:
   1. A detailed paragraph describing your project, including (as applicable) research questions (what are you going to study?), methodology (how are you going to study it?), interim and final work products (what are you planning to write/do/create this semester?), and any relevant coursework you have already completed. In addition, please indicate which faculty member you are hoping to work with. 
   2. If applicable, attach a preliminary reading list and timeline for the semester.
   3. Your unofficial Bowdoin transcript.
      
      
3. Proposals and all supplementary materials must be submitted via email to Lori Brackett (lbracket@bowdoin.edu) by NOON on the deadline.
   
   1. Applications for FALL semester independent studies must be submitted by the first Friday of classes in Fall semester. 
   2. Applications for SPRING semester independent studies must be submitted by the first Friday of classes in the Spring semester.