1. Independent Study or Independent Research courses are available at the discretion of a faculty member and of the chair of the appropriate department or program. Final registration for all independent study or research courses requires permission of the faculty member who will supervise such work and of the department or program chair. They count as one full course credit and are part of the student's overall course load.

2. Because an independent study course counts in every respect as a full course, the expectation is that the goals and scope of such studies are comparable to those appropriate for any regularly offered course and that the project will consist of work done by the student that explores material new to the student or clearly advances his or her knowledge beyond previous experience. There should be a written understanding on the part of both student and faculty member regarding goals and expectations with regard to work achieved, appropriate deadlines, and criteria for evaluation of the work. An "independent study" contract form, on the model of the Summer Contract Course form, is available from the Registrar's Office. A student may tentatively register for an independent study or research course on the basis of oral or other assurance from the faculty member giving permission, but final registration requires final submission of the form to the Registrar, with the approval of the department or program chair, prior to the end of the scheduled add/drop period (the end of the second week of class). Both the student and the faculty member are to be on campus during the semester involved.
(On occasion, preliminary work for an Honors Thesis may be converted to an Independent Study course and number if the student chooses not to pursue Honors; in such instances, with agreements regarding project goals presumed already to have been made, stipulations here regarding advanced planning and registration do not apply.)