Independent Study

[whit92]

I want to eventually get my Masters degree in English literature; however, I want to know if taking an independent study course now will improve my chances of getting into a good program later.  Is this course necessary?

[1Q84]

Do you mean an independent study on a literature subject with a professor in that field? I would say yes, especially because it will allow that faculty member to really get to know your work and research skills, which will result in a strong and personalized reference letter.

 

As a caveat, I would make sure to discuss very rigorously the expectations on both sides for the independent study as well. Do a lot of planning and laying out of reading lists, syllabi, deadlines, etc. I've heard stories of some people who walked into one expecting a really rigorous, personalized, and rewarding study and not getting it (and vice versa).

 

Also, I would talk to the graduate director and confirm how many credits it will count as and how it will appear on your transcript.

[Dr. Old Bill]

It's really a "YMMV" question, as 1Q84 pretty much points out. In theory, an independent study allows you to do the kind of research on a subject that interests you in a very specialized way. It forces you to be accountable for getting stuff done in a timely fashion, as there's really only one person who you are working with, and depending on his/her level of involvement (it can vary widely), you may be "mailing it in" for much of the semester, or you might have stringent weekly (or bi-weekly) expectations.

 

I had an independent study this past semester after discovering a professor I knew (but had never had a class with) had a vested interest in the poetry of Edwin Arlington Robinson. I'm a big Robinson fan myself, and so when I saw a few books on EAR in the professor's office one day, I struck up a conversation that led to him offering to do an independent study with me. I met with him once per week throughout the fall, and while he was fairly casual about "assignments" etc., it sprung up sort of organically that I should write three or four pages for him per week...with the result being that near the end of semester, I had the bulk of my final paper (intended to be a minimum of 20 pages, but ultimately wound up being 25) written. Now, this is all well and good, and I'm fine with the paper I wrote...but the problem is that sometimes your own view of the project will diverge from the professor's view. I had intended to approach the I.S. from a prosodic standpoint, and spend a lot of time comparing EAR to other poets of the era. The professor is decidedly not a prosodist, and he didn't find a comparative analysis interesting. As a result, my paper wound up being sort of middle of the road. It's well-written and cohesive, but I don't think it's publishable, as it wound up being more of a thematic and prosodic analysis. I have no regrets for doing the independent study, but I'm not sure if it was a valuable experience.

 

I recognize that this seems like it's skirting your main point, but it's not -- the course is not necessary, but if you can link it back to your main focus of study (which is admittedly more important for Ph.D. applicants than M.A. applicants), then sure...it will show that you have managed to successfully work on your own to produce a long, academic document, and like 1Q84 says, it will hopefully create a strong, personal, academic bond with your professor, who can then talk at length in a LOR about your aptitude etc. But more important than even this, successfully navigating an independent study might show you whether or not graduate study is right for you, as much as the other way around.

 

For the record, most programs I applied to won't be able to see that I've taken an independent study, as it won't be on my transcript until next month. Despite this, I don't think it's going to affect my applications one way or another, yet it might have helped in some small way had I taken it in my junior year and needed a different strong LOR-writer...or if the study itself dovetailed perfectly with my research interests, as opposed to partially.

 

 

Edited to add: I have no info to back this up, but I suspect research seminars will carry nearly as much weight as an independent study. Class sizes are usually smaller, and the professor usually gets to know you better than in a lecture format. Two of my LOR writers were from research seminars, and I'm certain that had I needed another, I could have had a different professor write a positive LOR based on a research seminar this past semester.

Edited December 22, 2014 by Wyatt's Torch

[mikers86]

I.S. are useful if there is a subject area you're interested in and your dept hasn't offered or will not offer a course relating to it. A great deal of time and effort is spent designing it with a professor, and it should enhance your knowledge in a way that traditional coursework hasn't. So in theory, that could demonstrate to admission committees a drive on your part that is desirable in MA students. But I've seen I.S. backfire because the way it was designed resulted in too heavy a work load when combined with other coursework, or professors agendas derailing the intended trajectory. I usually caution people from pursuing them unless the details have been rigorously discussed with the advising professor and there's no other way to incorporate the topic in an upcoming seminar offered by the dept. You'd be surprised how accommodating professors can be if you simply ask if they can add such and such a book or topic to a syllabus if it tangentially related to a class. This is less work for them than overseeing an entire I.S.

TL;DR An I.S. could be beneficial on an application but is by no means necessary to get into an MA program.

[whit92]

Thank you all for the helpful information. 

[Kleio_77]

Although I am a history major, I did an independent study with one of my professors. He offered to do the study with me after becoming a regular visitor to his office. We planned the course in the spring of the previous school year, and I purposely set up my course timetable for the following fall semester to be as light as possible. I began reading during the summer months and met with him once a week to discuss readings before the course officially began. My independent study has been very beneficial, I developed a really strong relationship with my prof, and my writing and research skills improved tenfold. 

[rising_star]

It really depends on what kind of agreement you and the professor come up with. I always recommend that students write a "syllabus" for the independent study so expectations are clear on both ends. That means providing a list of what you'll read, what deliverables (short papers, long papers, book reviews, etc.) you'll submit and by when, and figuring out how many credit hours to do the independent study for. At my current institution, undergraduates can do independent studies ranging from 1-4 units, so obviously someone doing 4 units should be doing more work than someone doing it for 1 unit. This is where the syllabus/learning contract comes in and plays a huge role.