Students have the freedom to undertake an independent study project during their second or third years. This project must be supervised by a faculty member and approved by Academic Services.

Independent Study Approval Form

                                Guidelines

Credit Requirement

Students may substitute an independent study for up to six credits of course work, and up to a maximum of three credits in any one semester, during their second or third years. Work receiving independent study credit must include a significant writing component of 15 pages per credit granted and be supervised and graded by a faculty member.

 

Student limits

No independent study project may be used to satisfy the course, seminar, or independent writing requirements of more than one faculty member. Students may not receive independent study credit for work for which they are paid or for which they otherwise will receive or have received credit.

 

Faculty limits

In general, no professor should agree to supervise independent study projects for more than three students at any one time.

Supervision

The supervised independent study experience is intended to be at least as academically enriching and rigorous as a classroom study experience carrying equivalent academic credit. Supervising faculty should monitor regularly the work of the students supervised in order to assure themselves that projects are making appropriate progress during the academic period involved.

 

Scope of project

Students will work with their supervising faculty members on all details concerning the scope of the project, the methods of supervising and grading the student's work (whether by letter grade or pass/fail), all deadlines and the amount of course credit to be given for the project.

Application

 

Approval Process

In rare cases where there are doubts either as to the sufficiency of the writing component or the feasibility of faculty supervision, Academic Services may defer action pending a review by the Associate Dean for Faculty.

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