Choosing a topic

By the beginning of the term in which you will start your junior or senior I.S. you should have several ideas for possible topics ready for discussion with the Religious Studies faculty. In the first week of classes you must schedule appointments with possible advisors, or seek out a faculty member's advice on your provisional topic(s).

Choosing a Topic: Possible things to consider are: What issues deserve months of sustained research? What topics have you been introduced to in other classes, and want to analyze further? What type of project would you enjoy (i.e. talking to people in interviews, traveling to do fieldwork, burying yourself in library archives, reading government documents, etc.)? What topic has an existing supporting bibliography of books and articles, but still has some unanswered questions? How can you merge the academic with the personal? What topic might help prepare you for your future career/education? What kinds of issues/ideas do you care for passionately, or want to learnmore about? Is this something I can accomplish in one or two semesters? Answering any or all of these questions might help point you in the right direction. Department faculty members can also help you refine and/or narrowany topic. The College's Henry Copeland Fund for Independent Study is a competitive grant source available for funding travel and research for senior I.S.

Faculty Advisors: you can work with a faculty member who is new to the campus, one with whom you've never studied before, or one you know fairly well. Remember that faculty members have knowledge and expertise that often range far beyond the courses they teach in the Wooster curriculum. Often it is the one professor you might least expect that can in the end give you the best help and guidance on your project. You may of course enroll for I.S. with a clear idea about which faculty member you would like to be your advisor, and we will try to honor your preference and request. [See the Departmental Faculty list for an introduction to department professors].

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