Independent Study Guidelines
In order to fulfill the requirement for the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree, you are required to undertake at least one Independent Study (IS). Students may take two IS courses, but no more than two.
Independent Studies may only be undertaken by students who are "in residence" (within commuting distance of the college) and should be supervised by a regular Dartmouth faculty member. An IS course may be particularly helpful in identifying a thesis topic - please consult your IS advisor for more information. You should work closely with your advisor to formulate the proposal, because it is recommended that your advisor submit, along with your proposal, a letter of support for the proposed study.
Process:
Independent Study Proposal forms are available on the M.A.L.S. web site, or in the M.A.L.S. office. Your proposal should be typed and submitted to your advisor for approval approximately two weeks prior to the office deadline. The Committee will NOT consider incomplete proposals.
Students may apply for an IS after they have achieved official degree candidacy and have submitted a Plan of Study. Students should talk with their advisors or with the Executive Director and Faculty Chair, who can recommend faculty with expertise related to the particular IS; students design the IS with the supervising faculty.
Deadlines:
The M.A.L.S. Curriculum Committee adheres to the following deadlines for submission:
- For SUMMER: April 15
- For FALL: August 1
- For WINTER: October 15
- For SPRING: February 1
Note:
- Do Not Staple Proposal! Please submit all pages paper clipped together to facilitate copying and disbursement of proposal.
- Late submissions are subject to being withheld from Committee review. The student, not the faculty supervisor, is responsible for ensuring a timely proposal submission to the M.A.L.S. Office.
Format:
The IS course is expected to be a high quality, graduate-level experience. It may be:
- A subject studied independently that is unavailable at Dartmouth or not offered at a convenient time.
- A continuation of a course already taken.
- An independently designed research course.
- Independent study or research preliminary to the thesis.
Expectations:
*NB: See Independent Study Proposal form for guidelines on 'means of evaluation' and 'program of study'.
In addition the proposal is expected to include:
- Clearly stated goals written in language that can be clearly understood by the non-specialist.
- A comprehensive bibliography, breakdown of weekly activities (syllabus or weekly calendar of topics to be covered during that time and specific reading/writing assignments), and a schedule of meeting times with the supervising faculty member. (Meetings should be scheduled weekly, or at the minimum, bi-weekly.)
- Designation of a final product to be evaluated in writing by the professor. It is expected that there will be a significant written component (25-35 pages in length).
- Signatures of the student, the IS advisor and the Concentration Chair (where applicable).
NOTE: Some departments have Independent Study courses within their course offerings. M.A.L.S. Students may take these courses, but Curriculum Committee approval is necessary if they are to be used to satisfy the IS requirement.
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