You will share a first draft of your proposal with the Independent Studies coordinators before you submit your finalized application to the committee. This is meant to help strengthen your application; the coordinators will provide extensive feedback and suggest strategies for revision.

The feedback process is dialectical and meant to improve your learning experience - please reach out to the coordinators at any point to discuss your ideas.

Before Submitting an Application

Before submitting an Independent Study Application, please read thoroughly the Independent Study section of this website, and refer to the (G)ISP/AI Application Checklist. We also recommend giving your intended faculty sponsor the Faculty Info Sheet for more information about being a (G)ISP/AI sponsor.

All Group Independent Study Projects (GISPs), Independent Study Projects (ISPs), and Academic Internships (AIs) need to submit the Independent Study Application and a Faculty Sponsor statement, along with any appropriate supplements. Submission instructions are within the documents.

(G)ISP/AI Proposal Submission Form

• The completed Independent Study Application (Revised Spring 2021)
• If a co-sponsor is not a member of Brown faculty, they should complete the Instructor Sponsor Statement.
• If this is a language Independent Study, complete the Language IS Supplement.
• If this is an Academic Internship, complete the AI Supplement. AIs are during the academic year only.
• If students will be taking any field trips, each student must submit the Request for Release and Waiver

Every student participant in a GISP is expected to contribute to the course syllabus, and in how each of the classes are facilitated once the semester is underway.

Students wishing to enroll in the GISP need to be on the original roster for it when the proposal is submitted the semester prior. However, during the first week of the semester for the GISP, there is an opportunity for the GISP faculty sponsor and student coordinator to submit a petition to add students to the course.

For a Departmental Independent Study course, work directly with your professor to determine the expectations you both have for the credit. They will give you an override code, and you must register for the course no later than the Add a Course deadline listed on the Academic Calendar -- the end of the fourth week of the semester.