Independent Study Application

 Definitions:
 Independent Study is the umbrella term used to label two types of independent work:
- Independent Courses
- Directed Study
 Independent Course: a course listed in the catalog but offered in an independent study format. The course is
coded using the course number in the catalog. Approved special topic courses can be offered in an independent
course format.
 Directed Study: an investigation under faculty supervision beyond what is offered in existing courses. An
undergraduate directed study course is coded using a 396 or 496 course number; a graduate directed study
course is coded using a 596 or 696 course number. The three-letter course prefix reflects the field for study of
the course.

 Usage:
 An independent study should not be used to meet major requirements, core requirements, minor requirements,
concentration requirements, general education requirements or foundation courses requirements.
 A directed study can be offered to meet the free electives requirement if there is (1) demonstrated interest in
the area covered by the independent study as evidenced by the student’s justification; and (2) prior preparation
in the subject area or related fields that would indicate that the student has the potential for success.

 Eligibility:
 In order to be eligible to pursue an independent study, students must be in good academic standing.
 To be eligible to pursue a directed study, undergraduate students must have completed a minimum of 75 credit
hours with a minimum CGPA of 3.00. In cases where there is a 1-credit-hour deficiency resulting from structure
of a degree program or a minor, students in good academic standing who do not otherwise meet the directed
study eligibility requirements may still apply for a 1-credit- hour directed study. The application must be
accompanied by a petition with a comprehensive rationale.
 Students are allowed to take one independent study. A second independent study, for a maximum total of 8
credit hours used towards the graduation requirements of one degree, could be approved by the student’s
associate dean for graduation purposes only.
 Students are not allowed to repeat courses in an independent study format.

 Application Process:
 Students interested in registering for an independent study course must complete the Independent Study
Application form and submit it to the Office of the Registrar during the early registration period of the upcoming
semester/term.
 The application form is completed jointly by the student and the supervising instructor. Undergraduate students’
application forms must be approved by the head of the department housing the subject area of the independent
study and the student’s dean/associate dean; graduate students’ application forms are approved by their
graduate program director/coordinator and the college/school graduate program director. When the independent
study is offered by a college/school different from the student’s, the form most also be approved by the
dean/associate dean of the college/school offering the independent study.
 An updated Degree Audit must be attached to this application. For a directed study, also attach a course
syllabus; refer to the Course Descriptions and Syllabi section of the catalog for information on what to include in
the syllabus.

 Grading:
The final grade for the independent study must be submitted by the due date of the final grades for the term in
which the student is registered; otherwise, a grade of “F” will be entered by the Office of the Registrar.

___________________________________________ _____________________ ______________________

Student Name Student ID Number of Credits Earned

___________________________________________ _______________________ ________________________

Present Major (and concentration if any) Present Minor Mobile No. (very important)

Independent Study Application Form—October 2018

  Please check the appropriate box: Independent Course Directed Study

 Independent study title

(do not exceed 30 characters) ______________________________________________________________________

 Course code and Number of Term in which the

number __________________ credits ___________ student will register __________________

 Course Usage _______________________________________________________________________________

 Justification
___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

 Proposed frequency and duration of formal scheduled meetings of the students

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

 Name of supervising instructor __________________________________________________________________

Specific course requirements

Weighting in the final grade Due dates
(e.g., written reports, tests, oral presentations, critiques, etc.)

 Signatures

Student Supervising
_____/______/_____ _____/_____/_____
Instructor
DD MM YYYY DD MM YYYY

Head of Department/ _____/_____/_____

GR Program Coordinator
DD MM YYYY

Dean/ Associate Dean

_____/_____/_____
of College Offering the Course
DD MM YYYY

Student’s Associate Dean/

College GR Program Director _____/_____/_____
DD MM YYYY

 For Office of the Registrar official use

______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________

Independent Study Application Form—October 2018