Directed/Independent Study
If a student is unable to meet with a class because of a schedule conflict or other special circumstances, it may be possible to take a course of directed/independent study. A directed study is used when the course is being offered but, because of special circumstances, the student cannot meet at the scheduled times; whereas, an independent study is used when the course is not on the approved schedule.
Typically, a student who needs to take a course as a directed or independent study during the fall or spring semester will have sixteen weeks to complete the course requirements. A student who needs to take a course as a directed or independent study during the summer will have twelve weeks to complete the course requirements. The weeks of completion are based on the regularly established academic schedule and not from the point of registration. A student registered for a directed/independent study will meet individually with the instructor at a convenient time.
The exception to the above term lengths will be when a student wishes to register for a directed or independent study in a program (e.g., degree completion, graduate business, graduate environmental) that offers its courses in an eight-week block format. Under these circumstances the student will have eight weeks to complete the course based on a regularly established eight-week block academic calendar.
A fee per course is charged in addition to the regular tuition fee for the directed/independent study course. Application forms may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar. All applications must have the approval of the supervising instructor, the academic advisor, the chair of the academic department, and the appropriate college dean. The approved application with the appropriate signatures will be sent to the Office of the Registrar where it will be processed and added to the student's registration for the semester. It is the responsibility of the student to make sure that all applications are received by the Office of the Registrar by 4 p.m. on the Friday of the third week of the fall, spring, or summer full academic term in which the student wants to take the class. For those students wishing to register for a directed or independent study in an eight-week block, it is the responsibility of the student to make sure that all applications are received by the Office of the Registrar by 4 p.m. on the Friday of the second week of the eight-week block in which he/she wishes to register.