An overview of taking Independent Study Hours

If you are interested in taking independent study hours with me, I ask that you write a proposal as to what you would like to work on.

The finished proposal should outline three things. . .

(I) Describe what you would like to learn and how many credit hours you would like to earn. A request of 3 hours will require a much bigger outcome than a request of 1 credit hour.

(II) Please describe how you plan to independently learn this topic or complete the project you have outlined. Some examples of "how" include, but are not limited to, online tutorials, books, community memebers, etc.

(III) The last paragraph should clearly describe what you plan to show at the end of the quarter to prove you have accomplished what you set out to accomplish in paragraph one of this proposal. I find that it is better to promise less then you feel you can do, incase you run into problems. Then if you don't run into problems your accomplishment appear to exceed expectations.

Check list to be included in this proposal.
Paragraph I
[ ] List year/ semester you plan to do this Independent Study.
[ ] List the faculty member you plan to receive credit from.
[ ] Define how many credit hours you expect to earn (usually between 1-3).
[ ] Define the scope of the project and what you plan to learn.
Paragraph II
[ ] Outline your planned sources of information.
[ ] Project Timeline
Paragraph III
[ ] Outline delieverables and in what form they will be delievered.

Once you have written this proposal, call me to arrange an office appointment to discuss the possibilty of signing up for credit hours with me. I have been told that I should not accept more than three proposals per semester. Usually I accept the first three reasonable proposals that I receive on a first come first serve basis.

Click here to read an example of a former student's proposal.