Individualized Learning

INDEPENDENT STUDY
An independent study is a form of study initiated by the student for the purpose of expanding knowledge and/or skill in a particular area of interest. The work must be completed within the term of registration. Independent studies are not allowed for courses described in the catalog. In proposing an independent study, you work with a faculty evaluator to develop a learning contract that specifies the content and objectives of the study as well as the requirements and procedures for evaluation. The amount of credit to be earned for the study also is included in the learning contract. An independent study may be taken for two or four credits and is graded S/U (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) unless it fulfills a requirement for your major or minor.

ASSOCIATE PROGRAMS
Students may take a maximum of four Independent Study credits. Exceptions may be granted by the program director.

BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMS
Students may register for no more than two Independent Studies, and for no more than six Independent Study credits. Exceptions may be granted by the student’s major department chair.

The Independent Study Proposal and Registration form is available online on the Office of the Registrar’s Web page.

FACULTY-DESIGNED INDEPENDENT STUDY FOR ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS
Faculty-designed independent studies are available in some areas of the associate degree program curriculum. Faculty have designed these independent studies with opportunities for students to make some choices about learning objectives and methods, which are recorded on a learning contract. Students taking faculty-designed independent studies work primarily on their own, though they keep faculty advised about their progress. Faculty-designed independent studies are listed in this catalog and in the class schedule.

DIRECTED STUDY
Directed study is individual study of a course that is offered at the College. The directed study must be approved by your instructor, department chair or program director, and academic dean. Directed study is provided for students whose unusual circumstances prohibit taking a regularly scheduled course but who need the material of that course to satisfy a requirement. Availability of this faculty directed learning experience depends on faculty time and may be limited in any given term and restricted to certain courses. Negotiation of learning activities for the course is conducted between the instructor and student and primarily involves individual learning. CORE 1000 and CORE 3990 may not be taken as directed study. Students are limited to one Directed Study in any given department and a total of two.

INTERNSHIPS
An internship is designed to be a structured out-of-class learning experience that takes place on or off campus and includes a substantial work component. An internship provides students with an opportunity to test career interests and potential.

All internships are arranged in conjunction with the internship director in the Career Development Office. The director assists you in generating possible internship sites, answers questions and provides training in resume preparation and interviewing. All students are required to participate in an internship orientation prior to beginning an internship.

Internships may be taken for two or four semester credits or on a non-credit basis. If you wish to earn credit for an internship you must make arrangements with a faculty member to serve as an advisor. The advisor and the internship site supervisor work with you to prepare a learning contract which includes a list of learning goals, the specific strategies for achieving those goals, the methods to be used to evaluate achievement and the amount of credit to be earned. Further information may be obtained by contacting the Career Development Office.

RESEARCH
Undergraduate research provides an opportunity for you to apply your knowledge and further develop critical-thinking skills through collaboration with an advisor (a CSC faculty member or a researcher at an off-campus site) on a scholarly project. Such projects, often arranged to take place either during the summer or in January, introduce you to scholarship as it is practiced in the discipline and anticipate and help prepare you for graduate study and an academic career. You may arrange to earn credit for your research.

Opportunities for students to become involved in undergraduate research are made possible through both College-wide and individual departmental programs. If you are interested in pursuing a research project, you should contact a faculty member or your major department chair. The registration form for arranging academic credit for research is available in the Office of Academic Affairs.

URL: http://minerva.stkate.edu/academiccatalog0709.nsf/pages/individualized
This page was created on 06/03/2005 and last updated on 11/13/2007.
Comments, questions and feedback about this site may be addressed to registrar@stkate.edu.