Create an original scholarly work

For more than 50 years, every Wooster graduate has had the experience of creating something genuinely new and valuable through Independent Study (I.S.), a year-long project that allows you to throw yourself into an idea you care about.

It’s called Independent Study, but this is a journey that you and your faculty adviser take together. In weekly, hour-long, one-on-one meetings, your adviser will help you refine and focus your topic, suggest areas for exploration, ask questions that provoke your thought and creativity, and evaluate your progress.

You, in turn, will review and synthesize literature related to your subject, plan and conduct your research in the lab, or work to realize your creative vision in the studio, recital hall, or theatre. You’ll present drafts of your work to your adviser, who will offer extensive, thoughtful feedback as a close collaborator.

If your project requires travel or special equipment or supplies, the College’s Henry J. Copeland Fund for Independent Study can help. In a typical year, the fund disburses more than $90,000 to help students study the lives of West African immigrants in Paris, produce a documentary on survivors of Hiroshima, or research ways to purify methane gas to permit its use as a renewable energy source.

Once you've completed your I.S. and savored the celebration of I.S. Monday, you may find yourself presenting your results at a national conference in your discipline, or coauthoring a paper with your adviser. (Geology professor Mark Wilson has published articles with more than 40 student co-authors.)

Through it all, you’ll be learning not just about a specific topic, but about how to break down any complex project into manageable pieces, develop a plan of action, and follow it through. You’ll learn how to analyze a problem, gather and evaluate information, propose a solution, test its validity, and communicate your results clearly and persuasively.

Your completed I.S. gives employers tangible proof of your resourcefulness, creativity, and communication skills. It also marks you as an independent scholar, ready to take on graduate-level research wherever your interests lead.

To get a full sense of the range of possibilities, check out the I.S. database or read student I.S. profiles.

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