Course credit
1 to 3 credit hours
May be repeated for a maximum of 6 hours
Course description
Directed readings and individual reports in any area of religion. The student determines the particular area in which he/she wished to read by sending a proposal to the instructor. A bibliography is then set up by the student in conjunction with the instructor. There are no examinations as such, but the proposal will necessitate at least one research paper to bring to focus the reading project. View course details
Delivery
This course is available in a print-based format. Mail completed assignments to the GIS Office. We will forward them to the instructor for grading.
Prerequisites
UNI students: junior standing; consent of department head
Instructor
James Robinson, Associate Professor
Evaluation
Directed readings and written reports, including bibliography and at least one research paper
Overview
Frequently students come across religious ideas or facets of religion on which they would like to do further research. This course is designed to give guidance for such research, allowing students to explore and investigate topics in religion that are of particular interest to them.
The further research need not be considered "original" research designed to come up with new and startling discoveries-except, of course, to the student doing the research. This course intends the more modest aim of allowing a student to find out what he or she wants to know from the resources available.
Course organization
To carry the research out, the student should first select an area of interest to them. Experience has shown that students do best with what genuinely interests them; topics done simply for the sake of writing are often of less quality.
While topics on various aspects of Christianity are quite appropriate, papers of an overtly denominational or sectarian nature will be returned to be revised in a more academic direction.
Reading courses have variable content; what fits one project may not fit another. Generally students elect either to submit one major paper or a series of short papers. The format the student chooses should be made clear at the beginning. While no hard and fast rules can be laid down, the following can serve as guidelines:
If a student elects to send in a series of papers, the last paper should be a summary and evaluation of the readings done in the course and it should serve as concrete evidence of the work done. The other papers may be "progress reports" sent in at regular intervals indicating what reading is fulfilling the student's intentions.
These papers should be long enough to communicate what the student wants to say but quality counts as much as mere number of pages. All of your work must be typed on 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper or written in ink. Please leave sufficient margins for my comments.
When working on your reports, feel free to ask the instructor of any questions or problems you have.
Grading
The grading will be determined by the quality of investigation and the degree to which the student has accomplished what he/she has set out to do.
Textbook(s)
Determined by student and instructor.
Texts are available from the vendor of your choice or
University Book and Supply
1009 West 23rd Street, Cedar Falls, IA 50613
Phone: 319-266-7581 or 800-728-7581
Fax: 319-277-1266
E-mail: bookstore@panthersupply.com
To enroll
ONLINE
GIS enrollment information
IN PERSON
UNI Continuing Education
2637 Hudson Road (corner of 27th St. and Hudson Rd.)
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0223
Campus map (Look for Building 31)
For more information
Cindy Klodt, Guided Independent Study
UNI Continuing Education
319-273-2123 or 800-772-1746
ContinuingEd@uni.edu