Independent Study-Colloquium Preparation

The deadline to submit proposals for Spring 2025 is December 1, 2024.

Independent Study-Colloquium Preparation is a two-credit independent study for students who need extra mentorship as they prepare for and complete their Rationales and Lists of Works. This study is conducted with your faculty adviser, and requires you to meet at least four times during the semester of enrollment. Students should refer to the Independent Study Proposal Guidelines before submitting this proposal form. Your adviser will receive a copy of your completed proposal and will be asked to send their approval to Gallatin. Once your adviser approves this proposal, registration codes will be sent to your NYU email account. Students must enroll themselves into this course using Albert. 

 

Students may enroll in the Colloquium Preparation Independent Study only once, in either the fall or the spring semester. It is ideally completed as part of a 12-18 credit semester, and it is not required. Please see Preparing for the Colloquium for possible alternatives. This course is graded pass/fail only, and it is not repeatable for credit. 

 

Questions about this form can be directed to: gallatin.academicsupport@nyu.edu.

Student Information

NOTE: Students enrolled in another NYU school are generally not permitted to apply for a Gallatin Independent Study.

Adviser Information

Questions

Are you planning to attend a course, class, workshop, etc., to supplement this study?
If yes, please explain your plan further below (The general expectation is that students will work independently with their independent study instructor, and not also attend a class.)
Are you planning to make any type of payment to an instructor or separate institution for this study?
Please explain the reason for the payment, and the name of the institution or instructor who would receive the payment
Are you planning to be outside of New York State for any part of this study?
Please explain where you will be during this study. (The general expectation is that students are on campus at Washington Square.)
Are you planning to NOT meet in person with your Instructor?
Please explain how you plan to meet with your instructor. (The general expectation is that students and instructors will meet in person.)
Are you planning to register for any other individualized projects this semester?
Please list the other individualized projects you are taking this semester

Independent Study Information

Description of Study

Like the course description in a college catalog, this part of the proposal should describe the general theme and scope of the study. (See Gallatin’s course descriptions for examples.) The theme may be stated as a problem to be investigated, an issue to be explored, or an argument to be defended. The description might indicate where your are starting out and where you would like to get in terms of answering a question, exploring a phenomenon, understanding a theory, building a skill or other goal. It should articulate the theme and strategy of the study as clearly as possible within 250 words.

For Colloquium Preparation, it is recommended that students explain the topic of their concentration, the anticipated scope of their colloquium, and the guiding questions of their rationale, all of which will be the focus of study for the semester. It should articulate the theme and strategy of the study as clearly as possible within 250 words. 

Readings

You must provide a reading list with authors and titles, even if tentative, along with the proposal. The list should be comparable to a similar classroom course. The list of readings may include substantial articles and other secondary readings. (However, a single article is not equivalent to a book; at least 3 articles are needed to equal a book.) Readings may change during the semester as the study evolves, but the preliminary list should be appropriate for the number of units. 

For Colloquium Preparation, this should be a minimum 3-5 books from your List of Works or that you plan to include on your list of works and that address the central questions of your colloquium.

The required minimum number of books for a 2-unit Independent Study is: 3-5 books

Title Author Type

Works to be Evaluated by Your Instructor:

The proposal should indicate the kinds of work (response papers, research essays, creative works, etc.), which will be evaluated by the instructor. Assignments should be comparable in extent to a similar classroom course. Details should be provided about this work, including the number, length and type of work to be submitted (e.g., two research papers, one 10 pages and the other 15).

Ultimately, it is up to the student and instructor to determine the specific format of the work to be evaluated by the instructor. The work for the study should be submitted according to the schedule of due dates agreed upon at the outset, and as with a classroom course, late work may be penalized.

The required minimum amount of written academic work for a 2-unit independent study is: 10-15 pages of written work. 

If you plan to complete the rationale this semester, the rationale may be completed as part of the Colloquium Preparation Independent Study. In addition, please describe any written responses to your readings that will contribute to your colloquium preparation

Syllabus

Instructors and students are expected to meet regularly throughout the semester. Meeting spaces for an Independent Study are identified and secured by the student and/or instructor. Please note that personal spaces (i.e. an apartment or dorm room) are not suitable. It is recommended that the instructor or student book an NYU space through Bobst Library.

You must provide a schedule of the meetings with the instructor, which includes the topics, the readings, and assignments to be covered during each session. You can revise your syllabus with your instructor once the semester begins.

The required minimum number of meetings is: 4 meetings.

Date / Week Number Readings Covered Amount of Work
I have read and accept the terms of the Independent Study Proposal Guidelines and the Student Checklist.

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