Information about FRE 360 Independent Study abroad General:

1.    You must keep in mind that in order to receive IS credit, the Modern
 Languages Studies Department and other Administrative office must be
 convinced that you are specifically working on a legitimate academic project
 that is best completed in France.

2.             It must be very clear that you cannot receive credit just for being there. There
is also concern about the time that you would have to dedicate to the
Independent Study. Hence, the burden of proof rests with you. There has to be
two different sets of purposes and tasks.

3.             In order to receive 3 semester credit hours you would need to complete 45
hours doing tasks strictly for Independent Study.

Procedure:

1.    The primary destination and any secondary destinations abroad.

a.    The duration of your trip

b.   Primary goals: what you hope to accomplish while there.

c.    List the sites that you will be visiting for the Independent Study and what
you plan to accomplish.

d.   List the cultural events ( be specific with examples) that you will be
attending and what you discovered, verified first hand from previous
"bookish" or hearsay experience, your reactions, change of perspective etc

e.    List the cultural artistic shows, events, festivals that you will be attending (
with special care to note that your goals for these events can only be
completed in France)

f.    Your own conclusion ( a rationale of why you chose that specific location,
your background history, etc.)

g.   Bibliography of academic sources that you will be researching here and
there to complement your studies.

2.   You would also need to meet with the professor that would be supervising your
Independent Study and come up together with:

a.    A list of Journal topics that you would need to complete while in France
(Usually 12 topics is the norm: 6 will be mandatory, and then you will be able
to choose the other 6 from an additional pool of 12 questions). 6 are to be
written in French and the other 6 in English.

b.    A list of topics for Thoughtful Reaction Papers that combine your readings
from the bibliography with your first -hand personal experiences while in
France.   Do they conflict or do they match your expectations? You must
write 3 essays (length will be set with your supervisor's approval).


 

c.    Requirements:

•         Completion of at least 45 contact hours in meaningful activities
 that are different from the duties of your internship work.

•         Completion of 12 written journal entries

•         Completion of 3 thoughtful reaction papers

•         Completion of an oral conversation/interview upon return

d.   Approximate time-line;

•         Creating  proposal  consulting  with  your  supervisor,   getting
 administrative approval and registering (You must be approved
 prior to departure).

•         Journal entries are usually due no later than one month after
 return to the US

•         Thoughtful reaction papers are usually due no later than the first
day of the semester following return to the US

•         The oral conversation is usually completed no later than the end
of the second week following return to the US