Independent Program at Vassar College: the Major

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Independent Program Guidelines for Admission

Requirements: The requirements for a major in the Independent Program are shown to the right. Note that units in excess of the minimum 12 may be taken at any level and may be ungraded or NRO work.

• a minimum of 12 units
• no more than two units at the 100-level
• at least four at the 300-level (which must include a senior thesis or project, work from at least two departments, and a minimum of two units taken for a letter grade)
• of the 12 units, none may be elected NRO and a maximum of three units may be ungraded

Courses

Major Requirements

The Independent Program Committee consists of five faculty members: the director and a representative of each of the four curricular divisions of the college.

The Independent Program is available to students who wish to elect an interdisciplinary field of concentration that is not provided by one of the regular departments, interdepartmental concentrations, or multidisciplinary programs of the college.

Requirements for Concentration: A minimum of 12 units, with the following distribution: no more than 2 units at the 100-level and at least 4 units at the 300-level (which must include a senior thesis or project, work from at least two departments, and a minimum of 2 units taken for a letter grade). Of the 12 units, none may be elected NRO and a maximum of 3 units may be ungraded. Units in excess of the minimum 12 may be taken at any level and may be ungraded or NRO work. Appropriate courses taken away from Vassar, either in an approved study abroad program or at another college or university in the U.S., may be included in the major. The choice of program and courses should be made in consultation with the Independent Program Committee as a part of the proposal procedure.

Senior-Year Requirements: A senior thesis or project (Independent 300-301 or 302) for 1 unit. This thesis may be taken for a letter grade or as ungraded work, and may be elected for the first semester, the second semester, or the entire year.

Procedures for Admission to the Independent Program: After identifying the proposed field of concentration and, when possible, consulting appropriate faculty, the student meets with the director of the Independent Program to discuss general guidelines. The student then submits a written program proposal which defines the major, lists all proposed courses (both for the major and outside the major) and fully describes and justifies the courses for the major. This initial proposal should also include the names of potential advisers for the major. The Independent Program Committee then evaluates the contents of the proposal and the relevance of the proposed courses; the committee may also propose alternate advisers. In consultation with the approved advisers, the student revises the proposal for resubmission to the committee. Only upon final approval by the committee is the student admitted to the Independent Program.

As is evident from the above description of the procedures, the process of declaring an independent major generally involves several consultations and revisions. Consequently, students should expect to begin the process in advance of the normal deadlines for declaration of the major. Students may apply for admission to the Independent Program after their first semester at Vassar. Students who plan to include courses taken abroad at an approved Study Away or exchange program should submit their initial proposal no later than the Friday following October break of their sophomore year. Students who plan to include courses taken at another U.S. institution should submit their initial proposals no later than the Friday of the first week of the spring semester of their sophomore year. All other students should submit their initial proposal by March 1 of their sophomore year.

Admission to the Program:

The Committee on the Independent Program meets regularly throughout the year to discuss proposals. Because the process of declaring an Independent major generally involves several consultations and revisions (see below), students should expect to begin the process well in advance of the normal deadlines for declaring a major. Deadlines for submission of initial proposals are given below.

• If the student plans to include courses taken abroad at an approved JYA or Exchange program, the deadline is no later than the Friday following October Break of the sophomore year.
• If the student plans to include courses taken at another U.S. institution, the deadline is no later than the Friday of the first week of the spring semester of the sophomore year.
• For all other students, the deadline is March 1st of the sophomore year.

When considering an Independent major, the student is encouraged to consult relevant faculty. The first step in the procedure is for the student to meet with the director of the Independent Program. The student then submits a written proposal.

The Committee on the Independent Program examines the proposal, paying particular attention to its coherence, the pertinence of the courses to be included, and the feasibility of the student's plan. If necessary (and this is the usual case), the student then revises the proposal in close consultation with the advisers, secures their formal approval (conveyed by their signatures), and resubmits the proposal. Upon its approval by the committee, the student becomes an Independent major.

Advisers:

Once the student is an Independent major, the advisers assume the responsibility of guiding the student's program until graduation. In deciding upon advisers, the student should be aware of the faculty member's future plans and should try to choose at least one adviser who will be on campus throughout the student's work as Independent major. Should an adviser go on leave or leave the college permanently, the student, after consultation with the adviser, will recommend a replacement to be approved by the director.

The Proposal:

The written proposal informs the members of the Committee of the educational goals and plans of the student. It is important that the proposal be written clearly and that it define the goals of the major. Every proposal, typed with double spacing, must contain the following elements, in order:

• an IP cover sheet
• an essay describing the major (1-2 pages)
• a rationale for declaring this major rather than an already established major (1 paragraph)
• a preliminary proposal for a senior thesis topic (1 paragraph)
• a full description/justification of the courses to be included in the major (grouping courses where appropriate, 1-2 sentences per group or course)
• the names of potential advisers (with signatures if this is not the initial proposal)

Exchange Programs:

When appropriate to the major, a student may apply to study abroad or at another college in the U.S. during the junior year and may include all or some of this study toward the major. Choice of program and courses should be made in consultation with the Independent Program Committee as part of the proposal process (above).

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