By the end of the sophomore year, all students are required to write a two- to three-page essay in which they reflect on their educational experiences and articulate their academic concentrations. This essay, called the Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration, asks students to describe the central idea(s) of their concentration and the relevant coursework. This essay is a way for students to reflect on how they learn as individuals and to develop an academic plan with long-term goals in mind.
In writing the essay, students may want to begin by reflecting on their educational journey and exploring some of the following questions:
Using these questions as a starting point, students can then turn their attention to the plan for their concentration:
As you are writing your IAPC statement you also should be thinking about the following:
For most students, many of these questions are similar to those they answer when they complete the Gallatin Plan of Study form. The Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration becomes the opportunity to integrate these ideas and to help students to seek out the ways that their courses converge and coalesce into a unique, individualized course of study.
All students are required to submit the Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration (IAPC) no later than the end of the sophomore year (i.e., before completing 64 units). The timing of the essay in a student’s career at Gallatin may vary slightly, as students arrive at their concentrations at different rates and through different strategies. Some students may want to submit the essay earlier, but they should complete at least 32 units before doing so. Students who transfer into Gallatin with 64 units must complete this requirement during their first semester at Gallatin (deadline: summer/fall admits – November1; spring admits – April 1).
The student’s adviser is responsible for approving the IAPC essay, and it is therefore important that students stay in close touch with their advisers as they work on this document. Once the essay is completed, the student needs to submit it to his or her adviser for approval. After the adviser has given approval, the student should then submit the IAPC to the Gallatin Office of Advising by using the online Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration form. Students who do not fulfill this requirement will have a restriction (called an IAPC Hold) placed on their registration. This restriction will prohibit students from registering or making schedule changes (such as dropping or adding courses) until the IAPC is approved by the adviser and submitted.
The Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration is a snapshot of a concentration already in progress. Consequently, the essay is not expected to be exhaustive or binding; rather, it is a way for students to make sense of and guide their studies. After the essay is approved, students may make changes as they progress toward the degree, and they should discuss these changes with their advisers.The substance of the plan may shift somewhat as the student’s focus becomes clearer or as the student’s interests evolve. If a student’s interests change significantly, the adviser may ask for a revision of the essay, and the student would be asked to consider whether there is sufficient time left in the program to be able to complete the new plan.