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Independent Study / Field Work
How do I apply for English 298 (Independent Study), 399 (Senior Independent Study), or 290 (Field Work)?
Each year English majors engage in a variety of field work and internship projects as well as a wide range of independent study. However these require a certain amount of pre-planning. Permission to elect Independent Study and Field Work is granted by the associate chair, but you should find a faculty sponsor before obtaining the associate chair's signature. If you wish to do 298, 399, or 290 courses and you don't know who would be an appropriate sponsor, consult your advisor or the associate chair. Note that occasionally a request for Independent Study or Field Work also requires permission of the chair after consultation with the associate chair.
What kinds of Field Work will the department sponsor to oversee?
The department sponsors projects that fall clearly within the wide scope of our concerns as an English Department. These, too, require some planning and consultation to make sure English is the best home for your project. Projects involving work in new media, journalism, television, radio, or advertising, for instance, are often best referred to the American Culture or Media Studies programs or the Department of Sociology, which offer courses in those fields. However other projects fall clearly within the scope and concerns of the English Department's creative non-fiction or text and image offerings. Whatever your project, you need to submit a written proposal that addresses the relevance of the project to your work as an English major (or work in English courses). The proposal should outline clearly and specifically your duties on the job.