Trinity’s Independent Studies program allows students to undertake extensive research into a topic that interests you, and is an especially suitable way of doing interdisciplinary work on subjects that are not directly part of the present university curriculum.
Independent Studies program is open to students of all colleges. Only full-time students are eligible to apply. It can be done as a half-credit during Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer terms. It can also be done as a full-credit course in the Fall-Winter or Spring-Summer terms. It’s for this reason that we have a number of different course codes.
At the University of Toronto there is no limit to the number of Independent Studies courses a student may take. However, student undertaking more than the equivalent of two full courses are strongly urged to consult their registrar. In all cases, your proposal must be approved by your supervisor and accepted by the Director of the Independent Studies program.
Students enrolling for the first time register for one or more of TRN300H1, 301Y1, 302Y1 (third year), or for one or more of TRN400H1, 404Y1, 405Y1 (fourth year), as appropriate. Those enrolling for a second time register in one of TRN400H1, 404Y1 and 405Y1, as appropriate. Enrollment in third-year TRN Independent Studies courses is not a prerequisite for fourth-year TRN Independent Studies courses but students who initially enroll in fourth-year TRN Independent Studies courses may not subsequently enroll in third-year TRN independent studies courses.
Students are enrolled in TRN Independent Studies courses by the Dean of Arts’ Office at Trinity College. Students should complete the enrollment approval process in enough time to be enrolled no later than the end of the first week of classes in the relevant term.
Please note that a TRN Independent Studies course is not a “directed reading” course. The expectation is that students should do original research and provide a report of this research as part of their evaluation.
| “I participated in the Independent Studies program during my fourth year at Trinity. My project focused on addictions and substance use policy in Canada and I was supervised by my professor and mentor, Dr. Boehm. I had an extremely positive experience with the program because it allowed me to dive deeper into a topic I care a lot about, but one that I wouldn’t otherwise have been able to explore in my undergraduate course load. It gave me flexibility in structuring my own research proposal, independence in working on my own timeline, and confidence in pursuing further graduate-level research.”
– Former Trinity College student, now studying medicine at another university |