When I agree to an independent study, I commit to take on a good deal of extra work.  I expect, therefore, that such studies will also be extra work for the students.  Thus students who are doing independent studies with me are expected to work more diligently than they do in their regular course with me.  In short, I do not view independent studies as simply being credit-earning or requirement-fulfilling activities.

As I see it, independent studies are available to provide students with the opportunity to pursue a topic, problem, work, or philosopher in a manner which is not available in the regular Departmental course offerings: a student may be pursuing an interest or problem not covered by the regular offerings, or the student may be pursuing in greater depth a topic, problem, philosopher, or text which is covered in one of the Department’s courses.  In effect, these independent studies are an opportunity for “student research in philosophy.”  Such research involves directed study of a philosophic topic, problem, or text, and, as such, involved a good deal of reading and critical thinking.  To promote the latter, I meet regularly with my independent study students to discuss their readings (see below), and I require a substantial paper from my independent study students (see below).

Of course, there are other faculty members in the Department, and I am competent (and interested) in only certain areas, problems, philosophers, and texts.  To secure my agreement to join a student in an independent studies course, the student must have an idea of the problem, theory, or philosopher they want to study, and of the readings they would like to do, and that topic or problem must be one within my competency or interests.  Generally I will only agree to engage in such projects with students I have already had in several regular classes, and I limit the number of such projects I will engage in during any given semester, so earlier requests are more likely to be approved than ones made near the beginning of a semester.

Successful requests for independent studies with me have usually been fairly specific at the onset, though there is almost always revision to the student’s plan before I approve the proposal.  In the past decade I have done independent studies projects on topics such as these: skepticism, contextualism, and justification; romanticism and Descartes; Rorty’s Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature; moral psychology; J.S. Mill’s logical theory; Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations; Rorty’s social thought; and Hume’s Treatise.  The projects usually involve individual students, but I have done several group independent studies over the years—one with four students.

I am happy to discuss project ideas with students, but since I require a lot from the student engaging in such projects, it is best for the student to have a fairly clear idea of what is to be pursued before discussing the proposed project with me.  Since an independent study is a response to a student’s interests, those who come to me and ask me for an idea for an independent study project are generally unsuccessful in securing such studies.

Well before the semester begins the student and I should have agreed on a set of readings, and it is the student’s responsibility to secure these readings from the University bookstore, a local bookstore, the library, etc.  Before the semester the student should have begun the readings so that we can have a productive meeting during the first week of classes.  Generally, I meet with independent study students for about an hour a week to discuss the readings they are doing (and the first meeting should be scheduled for the first week of classes).  These meetings will be most productive if the student begins by asking questions about the readings, but sometimes there is material I want to point out or dwell upon.  Near the end of the semester these meetings cease as the student’s attention turns to writing a paper (see below).

When I agree to an independent study, the student should see the Departmental Secretary who will enter the course in the University’s list of offerings and provide a permission number so that the student can register for the course.  Unless it is explicitly agreed to otherwise, I presume that the course will be a three-credit hour one (I am flexible upon the number of hours, but deviation from this norm should be discussed before registration).  Students who are doing an Senior Honors Project need to sign up for three hours for each of two semesters, and, of course, my expectations are greater for such projects (the two semesters are conducted along the lines specified above, but by the middle of the second semester the student is expected to be working on a substantial paper).

In terms of requirements, of course the student must do the readings and meet with me regularly throughout the term.  In addition the student must write a paper.  There is no specific page length requirement for the paper, but it should be a substantial paper.  Unless another due-date is explicitly agreed upon, the paper is due by the Friday of the semester’s final week of classes.  Of course, it may be turned in early, and I will be happy to read rough drafts and discuss the paper with the student, but once exam week has begun, it is not possible for me to meet and discuss the paper.  My normal policies regarding late work apply, and requests for extensions should be made before the due date.

As always, when you write a paper for me, I want you to write a critical and analytical paper.  Such a critical examination and analysis should: (1) clarify the position being examined; (2) elaborate the argument(s) for or against the position in question; (3) carefully assess the adequacy and strength of the argument(s) by considering possible responses, counter-arguments, or counter-examples; and (4) offer the student’s own overall assessment of where the arguments for and against the position being considered leave us—should we accept, reject, or remain neutral regarding this orientation, view, or position?  Review my discussion of what such papers are like in my “Writing Philosophy Papers”—available on my home-page: Hauptli's Home-page
 

Last revised: 12/29/2006.