History students pursue independent studies to augment or extend work beyond the set curriculum.
An Independent Study (IS) usually focuses on historiography and draws heavily from secondary readings (HISTORY 391/392). A Research Independent Study (RIS) allows students to pursue their own historical research under faculty supervision (HISTORY 393/394). Students usually conduct a research independent study concurrently with the Honors Seminar (HISTORY 495S/496S) or with an instructor with whom they have had a course. A proposal for directed reading and research should include a detailed description and a list of the proposed readings, and the independent study should result in a substantive, well-written paper or similar final product. Neither an IS nor an RIS can substitute for gateway and capstone seminars, but they can fulfill other distribution requirements.
Students seeking Writing credit for their independent studies must petition the Trinity College Curriculum Committee. All independent study forms must be signed by the instructor and the director of undergraduate studies.
Independent Study Form (IS or RIS, non-thesis)
