Independent Study

Our students produce a wide variety of interesting work on an eclectic range of salient and timely topics relating to media, communications and the social aspects of technology. Independent Study is an option for senior students to do independent critical reading and research without embarking on a full Honours Thesis.

Criteria to Read NM4660 Independent Study

NM4660 Independent Study (4 Units) is optional. To read Independent Study, students should:

  1. Be on the Honours track and have completed 110 Units, including 44 Units in the major, with a minimum GPA of 3.50 and SJAP of 4.00. Students may seek a waiver of the SJAP pre-requisite from the department if they have a minimum GPA of 4.25 after completing 110 Units;
  2. Not have read NM4401 Honours Thesis. Students who wish to read NM4401 may refer to this page instead.

Choosing an Advisor

Students may select a topic by examining the research interests of our faculty members.

Alternatively, students may formulate their own projects first, and then identify a suitable advisor with matching interests.

The nature of the work for the IS is to be determined through discussion and agreement between the supervisor and the student. The frequency of contact between supervisor and supervisee is a flexible arrangement to be worked out between themselves, but a minimum of 1 hour of contact per fortnight is recommended.

Guidelines and Forms

Please refer to the links below for more information on Independent Study:

  1. Independent Study Application Form
  2. Resources on plagiarism
  3. Honours Thesis Format (also for use by IS students)

Application Deadlines

Students must submit their thesis latest by Friday of Week 2, at 12pm. Students may submit their forms via email to cnm.undergraduate@nus.edu.sg; there is no need to submit any hardcopies.

The relevant forms will be e-mailed to all Year 4 students before the start of the semester.

Submission

Week 12 (Friday, 12pm) Submission of softcopy PDF document to Canvas

Students are required to submit an essay of 4,000 to 5,000 words.

If you have any specific query about Independent Study, please write to cnm.undergraduate@nus.edu.sg.

A PDF version of the Independent Study paper should be submitted to the Canvas submission folder. The submission will be assessed by your Independent Study advisor.

Late submission and plagiarism (including self-plagiarism) will be penalised.