At the time of declaring a major, students submit a comprehensive plan that lists the coursework they have completed and outlines a plan for the remaining semesters of study. At this time, it is appropriate for interested students to discuss with their advisers how a Mentored Advanced Project, or MAP, might help shape their program by culminating a sequence of academic work.

Mentored Advanced Projects provide a chance to work closely with a faculty member on scholarly research or the creation of a work of art. A MAP can be the capstone of the academic major or a concentration, or it can culminate a separate sequence not recognized as a formal program. The MAP may be done individually, conducted with a research team, or developed in the context of an advanced seminar. In many fields, MAPs are connected with the faculty member’s scholarship and may contribute to ongoing faculty research. The MAP opportunity is made available by specific programs and individual faculty members at their discretion, so students should not expect to set the terms for a particular MAP. Sound planning and attentiveness to the available opportunities are recommended to students who seek a chance to culminate their undergraduate work in a creative or scholarly way. Products of MAPs are expected to contribute to the original scholarship of the field of study and may be disseminated professionally through a scholarly publication or presentation.

499 Mentored Advanced Project 2 or 4 credits

A Mentored Advanced Project is an approved course of faculty-directed scholarly or creative work that is the culmination of significant preparatory work and aims to produce results that merit presentation to the College community or the wider scholarly world. The Mentored Advanced Project takes place under the direct and continuous supervision of a Grinnell faculty member. Since MAPs are advanced and intensive, the first component of a multiterm MAP must earn four credits. Subsequent portions (such as a “follow-up” MAP) may earn two or four credits. Each component of a multiterm MAP will receive a grade. Prerequisite: completion of second-year student status; approval by the faculty director, the academic adviser, and the academic program in which the MAP takes place. Specific MAP offerings are described in greater detail by departments, concentrations, divisions, and nondepartmental majors.