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 University. 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
Students interested in an internship must contact their program or major to determine program or major requirements for internships.

If there are no requirements for internships in your program or major, faculty and the internship director will work with you to create a quality internship experience:

• You must make arrangements for a faculty member to serve as an advisor, as your faculty advisor must approve your internship learning contract. The contract will include: selection of internship site, learning goals and timelines, strategies for achieving those goals, methods to be used to evaluate achievement, requirements of the site supervisor, and the appropriate credits for your internship.
• The faculty advisor and student work with the internship director, who assists in generating possible sites, consults on learning goals and timelines, consults on strategies for achieving those goals, assists to clarify the relationship with the site supervisor, answers questions, and provides training in resume preparation and interviewing.
• The chair or program director of the department giving credit for the internship must approve the completed internship learning contract.

RESEARCH
Undergraduate research provides an opportunity for you to apply your knowledge and further develop critical-thinking skills through collaboration with an advisor (a St. Catherine 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 University-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.