Independent Study

In fact, 85% of our students take advantage of independent study by the time they graduate. While it's true that a professor might approach you with an idea for an independent study, what's more likely to happen is that the project will come from you.

You might find yourself in one of these scenarios:

• A topic is covered in class, and it interests you so much that you approach a professor with a proposal to pursue it on your own for credit.
• Maybe you're interested in lab or field research. If so, many science professors have lab research programs that involve several different students, each independently pursuing a particular aspect of the professor's general research.
• The Art Department's Open Studio program allows you to work full-time on your art project(s) throughout an entire term.
• If history is your passion, you could work on a project based on one of the historical document collections in Seymour Library's Special Collections.
• As a literature student, you might develop a literary analysis project focused on a particular writer or genre.
• If you're interested in the social sciences, you could interview Galesburg residents for a study of the local economy.

Many of our undergrad research opportunities help support independent study. Learn more about the Honors Program, Richter Scholarship, Ford Fellowship, and Ronald McNair Program.

Recent Independent Study Projects

Biochemistry

• pH study of a hydrogel polymer

Computer Science

• Parallel computing and strategies for teaching computer science at the undergraduate level

Educational Studies

• Curriculum to make learning about the Lincoln-Douglas Debates more engaging and relevant
• Exploring education for minorities in Galesburg

Educational Studies/Theatre

• Impact of arts programs such as Marwen, Gallery 37, and Young Chicago Authors on students from underrepresented backgrounds in their likelihood to attend college

English Literature

• Dystopian fiction and how the ideas have progressed throughout the years

English Literature / Anthropology and Sociology

•  Talking about the Land: Reflections on Language and Landscape in Brazil

Environmental Studies

• Operating a sustainably produced food stand at the Galesburg Farmers' Market

International Relations

• Connections between the notion of American exceptionalism and perceptions of violent actions perpetrated by and against America