The Independent Concentration program is for students interested in actively constructing an interdisciplinary concentration, representing a coherent field of study that Brown does not offer and that cannot be studied cohesively within a standard concentration. Such fields may include emerging areas of study in the academy, such as "Disability Studies" or "Educational Neuroscience," and broader interdisciplinary areas, such as "Aesthetics," "Geography," or "Migration Studies." The proposal process consists of the following steps: (1) Meeting with the Curricular Resource Center's IC Peer Coordinators or IC Dean; (2) Completing a draft IC Application and soliciting feedback from the Peer Coordinators; (3) Identifying an approved Faculty Sponsor (an advisor) and obtaining a letter of support; and (4) Submitting the application and letter of support by one of the six deadlines during the academic year. Independent Concentration proposals are reviewed and approved by the College Curriculum Council.
Once approved, all independent concentrators receive dedicated advising support from their IC Faculty Advisor and the IC Dean. Independent Concentrators must complete a senior capstone. Students interested in pursuing honors should read the IC Honors Thesis Guidelines.