Independent Research
Independent Research in the Summer (IDRS S3000) consists of special projects initiated and arranged by the student in an area of academic interest under the mentorship and supervision of a Yale faculty adviser and with the approval of the relevant Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS). Admission to IDRS S3000 is by application only.
Requirements
For college students and beyond only, Independent Research in the Summer (IDRS S3000) may be taken either in person or remotely and is graded Pass/Fail. The 2026 tuition for IDRS S3000 is $5480 per five-week session. IDRS S3000 does not typically qualify as an in-person course for students who require an in-person course to fulfill their visa requirements. For Yale College students, IDRS S3000 may count toward a major’s requirements only with the approval of the DUS. Yale College students should review carefully the limits on independent studies in Section C of the Academic Regulations in the Yale College Programs of Study.
In general, IDRS S3000 enables the student to study material not otherwise offered by the department. The course may be used for research, design or other projects, or directed reading, but in all cases, a term paper, a written report on the research project, or an equivalent final assessment as determined by the Yale faculty adviser and the DUS is required. The student is expected to meet regularly with their faculty adviser and spend approximately 35 hours a week on their research for the duration of the five-week session. Students may receive academic credit only if they are not being paid for their research, although they may work for credit in one five-week session and for pay, if applicable, in the other. Upon completion of the course, the faculty adviser must submit to the Yale Summer Session Registrar a substantive report, which describes the nature of the independent research and evaluates the student’s performance in it. The report must indicate the mark of Pass or Fail. These reports should be shared with the student and the DUS and, for Yale College students, kept in the office of the student’s residential college dean.
Faculty Advisers
Students interested in enrolling in IDRS S3000 must secure their own Yale faculty adviser.
Because faculty members serve as advisers on an entirely voluntary basis, without additional compensation or teaching credit, students should consult closely with prospective advisers about their willingness and availability to take on this commitment over the summer. Only a small handful of students enroll in IDRS S3000 each summer; these are most often Yale College students who have pre-existing ties to their faculty adviser, typically from a course or previous research at Yale.
Application Process
Students should start the application process for IDRS S3000 well in advance of the relevant application deadline.
To apply, students must send a 1-2 page proposal for the research project, written in close collaboration with the Yale faculty adviser and stating the proposed start and end dates and meeting schedule, to Alexander Rosas, Dean of International and Summer Programs for Yale College, with IDRS S3000 and the student's name in the subject line. The proposal should indicate whether the research project will be undertaken in person on campus or remotely. The two written permissions below should also be forwarded to Dean Rosas, preferably in the same e-mail as the proposal:
- the Yale faculty adviser
- the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) for the relevant Yale department or program
Yale Summer Session will reach out if additional information is required.