This website provides a guide to preparing a proposal for an independent
study course in mathematics. The necessary material should be submitted to the
Director of Undergraduate Studies in Mathematics no later than the first
week of classes in which the course is to take place. As applications may be
returned with a request for further information, you are encouraged to submit
the proposal on the first day of the semester or before.
There are two sets of directions for preparing your proposal, depending upon
whether or not the independent study course is the direct continuation of a
previous independent study course. If the proposed course is not a direct continuation,
follow the instructions on this webpage. If it is a direct continuation, please consult
the web page
Independent study to continue a previous
independent study course
The first step is to get a copy of the independent study permisssion form.
This is available at
http://trinity.duke.edu/academic-requirements?p=independent-study
There is one modification of the university wide
proceedure which is special to the math department:
The Description of Proposed Study mentioned in item 1 on
the bottom of page two of the permission
form should be
completed on a separate sheet (or sheets) of paper
according to the guide below. It should be typed.
1. Work together with your mentor to write the proposal.
The length of the proposal depends on the particulars.
A bit less than a page to three pages will be typical,
with proposals for research independent study generally
longer than proposals for non-research independent study.
2. Bulletin course descriptions are not good models for
independent study proposals. A complete course syllabus
is an ideal model, something to keep in mind as a goal
to strive towards. However most course proposals will
fall short of the precision of a course syllabus.
3. State the purpose of the independent study course clearly.
In the case of a non-research
independent study course state the topics to be learned.
In the case of a research independent study
course state the research problem as precisely
as possible. The statement should be understandable
to a mathematician whose specialty is far removed
from the field in which you propose to work.
If the problem comes from science,
the social sciences, or engineering, in addition to
the statement of the original problem, describe with
care the role which mathematics is to play.
4. List courses you have taken or will take during the semester
in which the independent study
is in progress which are related
to the project. Also indicate briefly the relationship.
5. In the case of a non-research independent study
proposal indicate for each topic the sources
(book chapters,
exercise sets, etc.) which will be used to learn the
material.
6. In the case of a research independent study proposal
state the mathematical techniques and background
material to be learned.
For each technique indicate the sources (book chapters,
exercise sets, etc.)
which will be used to learn the
material. If material from the sciences, social sciences,
or engineering will also be needed, describe in a similar
manner what is to be learned and how.
7. In the case of research independent study describe briefly
the proposed research methods.
(Once you have learned the
background material, what will you actually be trying to
do and how?)
8. In the case of independent study involving
an ongoing project or a closely related previous
project, describe your results to date and how they
fit in with the proposed work. This paragraph applies
in particular if the proposed independent study is
related to work done in a summer research project.
After you have typed the proposal read through it and ask yourself
if it communicates clearly and if it responds to each of the above
points.
These hints apply only to item 1 at the bottom of page two of the
Independent Study Permission Form.
Please don't forget to respond to items 2,3, and 4 on that form!
Item 2 is particularly important.
Be sure to describe what will
be in the paper written at the end of the semester.
Keep in mind
that this may be quite different than the final goal of the project,
if the project is to strech over more than one semester.
The director of undergraduate studies looks forward to receiving
your independent study proposal.
He/she can set up the independent
study course after a proposal which meets the above guidelines has
been received.