The Independent Program
Office: 204 New England Hall, Phone: (845)
437-7140, e-mail: independent@vassar.edu
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 JYA 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.
298a or b. Independent Work (1/2
or 1)
300a-301b. Thesis (1/2 or
1)
A thesis written in two semesters for either one or two
units. May be taken for a letter grade or as ungraded
work.
302a or b. Thesis (1, 2)
A thesis written in one semester for one or two units.
May be taken for a letter grade or as ungraded work.
399a or b. Senior Independent Work
(1/2 or 1)