Independent Study

A student who wishes to enroll in 360 Independent Study or s50 Individual Research should begin planning before or during the Preregistration Period and must do the following.

  1. Obtain from the Registrar the required application form and read both sides.
  2. Meet with a potential instructor for the course or unit and discuss:
    • the willingness of the instructor to direct the project and
    • what to put on the form, including a carefully considered title and description of the project.
  3. Submit the completed form to the Department Chair no later than the last day of the Preregistration Period.

The Department will meet to discuss the application, and then take one of the following actions:

  1. Approve the proposal, after which the Chair will sign it and return it to the student.
  2. Deny the proposal.
  3. Return the proposal to the student for modification.

If the department approves the proposal, either immediately or after modification, the student then brings the proposal to the Office of the Registrar and completes the registration process.

The student and advisor will see that:

  1. The project results in a tangible product, as required by the College policy on Independent Study. In most cases the product will be a paper.
  2. Before the end of the semester the student makes a presentation on the project before the Department and its students. This may be in the form of a poster presentation or a seminar presentation.
  3. A copy of the final product of the project is retained by the Department for future reference by students and faculty.

Mathematics Courses 360 and s50 do not count as electives in satisfying the requirements for either the mathematics major or the mathematics minor.