BIS 490, 491

BIS 490 Basic Course Information:

The purpose of this course is to assist you in undertaking the research and writing process developed in your BIS 390 proposal and approved by the BIS Director and your faculty advisor. Course readings and assignments are designed to illustrate and provide experience in various components of the interdisciplinary research and writing process. Peer affinity groups contribute to the collaborative learning environment of BIS 490. The culmination of your reading, writing, and classroom activity this semester will be a completed BIS 490 Senior Capstone Project (Project) that you will present to faculty, peers, family, and community members typically with the support of BIS 491.

Corequisite: BIS 491 Senior Project Presentation (1 credit)

Capstone Project

Students pursuing the degree through the Bachelor of Individualized Study (BIS) program are required to complete a final capstone project. The purpose of this evidenced-based project is for students to demonstrate their ability to critically analyze a problem related to their interdisciplinary concentration/major. The BIS 490 Capstone Course represents the culminating and integrating educational activity of BIS students. Using a research process, students acquire significant knowledge in areas directly related to their educational goals. By means of an investigative or creative project (see below), students in BIS 490 synthesize knowledge gained from the student's interdisciplinary program of study.

INVESTIGATIVE: The investigative option allows students to design and implement a critical analysis of a problem, issue, or topic that cannot be addressed adequately by just one discipline. The following components are expected in this type of project: purpose statement, interdisciplinary rationale, literature review, methodology/approach, analysis, discussion, conclusions/recommendations. This type of project reports on research conducted by others via an extensive research paper (5000-word minimum).

CREATIVE: This option allows students the latitude to actually create a product that is closely connected to their core concentration. Products might be a multimedia presentation (CD ROM or Web-Based), sculpture, musical score, theatrical production, novelette, or handbook, to name a few. As with both options, the student poses a problem/issue or need statement and develops research questions that will be answered in the development of the product. These creative projects still require a minimum of a 3500-word written component that includes a purpose statement, interdisciplinary rationale, literature review, methodology/approach, analysis, discussion, conclusions/recommendations as well as a reflection section exploring the creative process and challenges relative to the on-going development of the product.