Independent Study

Independent studies are courses designed for independent and motivated students to pursue intellectual inquiry outside of regularly scheduled course offerings. These are to be supervised by faculty members, generally involving substantial, close student-faculty interactions. Each course shall be initiated on an individual basis between a student and a faculty member. Enrollment shall be through courses numbered 197, 297 (lower division), 397 (upper division), or 597 (graduate) in the respective department, and must be accompanied by a completed independent study contract. Requirements for taking an independent study are the same as during the regular academic year as outlined below.

Specifications:

  1. Advanced planning is essential. There should be some indication that the student’s background is adequate for the proposed study.
  2. The independent study contract must be completed, signed and submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the add deadline.
  3. Students may enroll in one independent study during the course of the summer.
  4. Students are required to have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better.
  5. An independent study course cannot be used to satisfy Core requirements.
  6. All independent study courses are two units except those classified under 7 below.

Requirements for a two-unit independent study:

a. The contract must include a reading list or equivalent, along with the requirements to be met before a grade can be assigned.

b. The contract requires the signature of the instructor, and the approval of the appropriate subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee.

c. The course will be graded CR/NC.

d. If a major/minor has been declared and the department has accepted the independent study as meeting a requirement within that major/minor, the course will be assigned a letter grade.

e. A course graded CR/NC already may not be used to satisfy major/minor requirements. Petitions for retroactively changing CR/NC grades will not be approved.

     7. Four-unit (or five-unit for graduate students) independent study courses are to be taken only for fulfillment of approved major/minor requirements.

Requirements for a four-unit (or five-unit) independent study:

a. The student must have a declared major/minor recorded in the Office of the Registrar prior to enrolling in the independent study.

b. The course must be used within the major/minor to meet a requirement approved by the department.

c. The contract must include a reading list or equivalent, along with the requirements to be met before a grade can be assigned.

d. The contract requires the signature of the instructor and the chair of the department, and the approval of the appropriate subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee, as well as the Graduate Office for Graduate Students.

e. A four-unit (or five-unit) independent study will be assigned a letter grade. No CR/NC grade will be allowed.

     8. A maximum of eight units of independent studies may be applied toward the Bachelor of Arts degree, and a maximum of five units may be applied towards an advanced degree.

It is expected that students will satisfy Core, foreign language, and academic major/minor course requirements through regularly scheduled courses.