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Independent Study

Posted by cac3791

Independent Study Procedure:

Independent study opportunities in the School of Communication are available by petition and are open to juniors and seniors who have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Sophomores with a strong academic justification are also encouraged to petition for an independent study.

To pursue an independent study within the School of Communication, students must complete the following:

  1. Secure a Faculty Sponsor
    Identify and confirm a faculty member who is willing to supervise your independent study project
  2. Prepare Your Petition & Syllabus
    Complete the Independent Study Smartsheet Petition in full,  carefully following all instructions. You must also prepare a detailed syllabus that includes:

    1. A description of the Independent Study,
    2. Method(s) of evaluation (length of research paper, etc.),
    3. Reading list AND weekly objectives.
  3. Approval Process
    After you submit your petition and syllabus, your Smartsheet will be routed for approval. It will first go to your faculty sponsor (and to your department chair if you are a theatre major), then to the SoC Undergraduate Dean. You will be contacted if there are any issues with your petition.
  4. Registration
    Once all approvals are complete, the Office of Undergraduate Programs and Advising will register you for the appropriate course. Please note that students may be approved for no more than one independent study per quarter.

Independent Study in WCAS:

SoC students may have the option to do independent study in WCAS departments; to register for those independent studies, they are required to follow the WCAS process for independent study. SoC does not limit the number of independent studies that SoC students may take in WCAS. However, no more than two such courses can count for the distribution requirements. Moreover, they can only count as additional distribution requirements, not towards courses for the three required distribution areas.

Independent Study Policy:

For policies regarding eligibility, grading, and how independent studies may be applied to degree requirements, please visit our catalog page.