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Group Independent Study Projects (GISPs)

Group Independent Study Projects are cooperative ventures in which students and Brown faculty develop credit-bearing courses that are not a regular part of the Brown curriculum.  Participating students bear major responsibility for researching the course topic, constructing a syllabus, and planning and conducting the academic coursework.  Each Group Study is sponsored by an instructor who holds a teaching appointment at Brown and who is prepared to assess the proposed study, to provide advice during the semester, and to be responsible for the evaluation of each student's work.

The development of the GISP proposal is an intrinsic part of the process.  Each student participant is expected to contribute to the course syllabus.  Therefore no student may enroll in a Group Study after its proposal has been approved.  Group Studies on the same or on very similar topics may not be repeated by a student for credit, except with approval of the College Curriculum Council.

With the exception of students enrolled in their first semester at Brown, all full-time degree candidates in good standing at Brown are eligible to initiate and participate in a Group Study Project.