Independent Study

Catalog description

In an <a href="https://gallatin.nyu.edu/academics/graduate/curriculum/independent.html/" target="_blank"> independent study</a>, students work one-on-one with a faculty member on a particular topic or creative project. Often the idea for an independent study arises in a course; for example, in a seminar on early 20th-century American history, a student may develop an interest in the Harlem Renaissance and ask the professor to supervise an independent study focused exclusively on this topic during the next semester. Students may also develop creative projects in areas such as music composition, filmmaking, or fiction writing. Independent studies are graded courses, the details of which are formulated by the student and his or her instructor; these specifics are described in the Independent Study proposal and submitted to the Dean’s Office for approval. The student and instructor meet regularly throughout the semester to discuss the readings, the research, and the student’s work. Credit is determined by the amount of work entailed in the study and should be comparable to that of a Gallatin classroom course. Generally, independent studies, like other courses, are 2 to 4 credits. Meeting hours correspond to course credits; a 4-credit independent study requires at least seven meetings per term between the teacher and the student. For more details, see our Independent Study <a href="https://gallatin.nyu.edu/academics/graduate/curriculum/independent/GGguidelines.html/" target="_blank">guidelines </a>.