Deadline for 2022-23 Proposals: Closed (8 April 2022)

Independent Study

Independent study courses are offered as a way for students, who are in good academic standing,  to study material not covered in regular courses. The IS course is tailored to each individual student based on a course proposal submitted by the student to an advising faculty member during registration.

Note: Students attempting an Independent Study are expected to;

  • Have initiative (be a self starter)
  • Have good writing skills (reports and presentations are primary means to communicate progress)

Evaluation Criterion to obtain registration approval:

  • Independent study course proposals must be approved by the faculty adviser prior to registration.  The proposal should document (Pre-registration  Proposal Example)
  • Objectives of the study
    • Materials covered/Justification
    • Course outline/milestones
    • Outcome/Assessments

Evaluation Criterion for applying for the Independent Study Course:

  • A detailed description  of the study for each upcoming semester (a more detailed version of the pre-registration proposal):
    • Materials covered/Justification
    • Course outline/milestones
    • Outcome/Assessments
  • A presentation of 30 minutes is given by the candidate at the end of the first and second semesters.
  • A written report containing the following items is submitted to the student’s supervisor prior to the second semester presentation:
    • Cover page (title of paper, name of student, name of advisor, date of submission, course number)
    • Motivation/Introduction
    • Approach/Methodology
    • Results/Outcome of the project
    • Conclusion and future works
    • References
    • Appendix (if applicable)
  • Before the end of the second semester, the student must also submit an electronic copy of the Independent Study report.
  • Periodic documentation throughout the project(s) as described in the Course Management section later in this document.