Application
To apply for this credit, students must fill out the form here with the following information:
- Student Name
- Name of the Lab
- Number of Credits Desired (1-4)
- Number of Hours Estimated to Work in the Lab per week
- Project supervisor (P.I., post-doc, etc.)
Students must also upload a proposal that includes:
- A brief description of the overall question that the lab is addressing and the goals of the specific project that the student is working on (approximately 200-400 words)
- A description of the student's specific role in the project described above, including the student's specific responsibilities during their time in the lab each week.
- Before submitting their proposal, the student must discuss the project and all of the guidelines on this page with their PI and other mentors, and have their approval.
Note that there is not a strict correlation between the number hours worked and number of credits requested. Students may ask for a low number of credits because they only have room in their schedule for that many or because they are trying to space out their credits over multiple semesters (see restrictions below). However, if students are requesting a full four credits, they should be making a significant contribution to their lab.
Sample Proposals
Please see below for samples of successful independent study proposals.
Application Deadline
The completed form (including the proposal) must be received no later than one week into the semester for which the independent study credit is being sought.The Director of Undergraduate Studies will review the proposal and, if it is approved, will email both the student and the student's academic advisor, who will be able to assist with getting the project officially registered.