Department of Biology

L490: Individual Study

• Purpose of L490
• Scope of L490 Programs
• L490 Guidelines
• To enroll in L490
• Advantage of L490 Enrollment
• Relationship between L490 and the Honors Degree
• L490 and Honors Degree Faculty Advisors

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  • Introductory experience to a research program. Students who wish to become acquainted with professional level research activities frequently develop an arrangement with a faculty member which permits the undergraduate student to participate in various aspects of a faculty member's research program.
  • Intensive inquiry into a field of study. Students desiring more knowledge about a subject area than is covered by formal lecture or laboratory courses may enroll in L490 for the purpose of expanding their knowledge about a discipline or specific topic.
  • Preparation for postgraduate study. Students planning to continue their education beyond the A.B./B.S. level often enroll in L490 to prepare themselves for the rigor and routine of laboratory/field/library research activities which occupy the professional scholar.
  • Fulfillment of Honors Degree requirements. (NOTE: L490 cannot fulfill the Intensive Writing Requirement. A student earning L490 credit in a SPEA lab, CANNOT convert that research to a Biology upper level lab or for the Biology Departmental Honors notation.) L490 research DOES NOT fulfill an upper level lab requirement for the biology degree UNLESS it is earned with the Honors notation.
  • Overall minimum GPA of 2.5.
  • Regular contact with either the faculty member, postdoc, or advanced graduate student in the advising faculty member's lab who can closely supervise work.
  • Involvement with directed reading or creative research. (Not with dishwashing or other menial tasks.)
  • At the end of each semester, the student is required to submit to the advising faculty member a written report of the work completed.
  • Nature of the project.
  • Number of L490 credit hours you will enroll in for the semester.
  • Mechanics for establishing a final letter grade for the course.

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  Purpose of L490   (top)
  

  The Independent Study (L490) course may serve any of a number of functions, including the following:

  Scope of L490 Programs   (top)

  L490 presents an opportunity for maximum flexibility in project selection. At one extreme, students might collaborate with a faculty member to perform a set of field observations or laboratory based experiments. At the other extreme, students may elect to carry out library research on a specific topic. The scope of an individual L490 program depends entirely on the agreement reached between the student and faculty advisor.

  It should be emphasized that a student who desires to enroll in L490 need not have a project idea in mind before approaching a prospective faculty advisor. Frequently, faculty have L490 project ideas which are a part of a major, on-going research program. In some cases, faculty will offer students a choice of potential L490 projects.

  L490 Guidelines   (top)

  To enroll in L490   (top)

  Talk with prospective faculty advisors and determine with whom you will do Individual Study. Prior to registration for the semester in which you will begin L490, make arrangements with the faculty member concerning the following:

  Pick up an L490 permission form from the Biology Advising Office, JH A115. Have the form completed by the faculty advisor and return it to the advising office in exchange for an on-line authorization. You must have an L490 section authorization in order to actually register for L490.

  Advantage of L490 Enrollment   (top)

  By enrolling in L490, students typically have a good opportunity to become acquainted with faculty on a one-to-one basis. Should an L490 student apply for admission to a graduate or professional school, the supervising faculty member will most likely be able to write a highly personal and effective letter of recommendation concerning the student's abilities.

  Relationship between L490 and the Honors Degree   (top)

  L490 is designed to provide students with experiences and knowledge which are not normally available through formal courses. The course might be taken only one semester, for a limited number of credit hours (e.g., one or two), in order to accomplish a specific goal. Alternatively, L490 might be considered an integral part of a student's curriculum and be taken each semester for two or three years in order to broaden the normal scope of an undergraduate degree in Biology. Students are permitted to count a total of 12 hours of L490 credits toward an undergraduate degree.

  An Honors program provides a more intense, comprehensive, and demanding experience than an L490 course alone normally provides. As a major part of the L490 course, a prospective honors student works on a goal-oriented research program for at least two semesters and a minimum of 6 credit hours total. Writing a research report based upon the results of field observations or laboratory research is the ultimate goal of the L490 efforts.

  In contrast to regular L490 work, the Honors Degree L490 project must include either laboratory or field research. L490 projects can be based entirely on library research. However, the Honors Degree project must include laboratory or field research.

  In summary, although L490 is an integral part of an Honors program in Biology, the Honors Program encompasses more than the completion of two semesters of L490.

  Learn more about the Honors Degree »

  L490 and Honors Faculty Advisors   (top)