These opportunities are available within most of the College's academic disciplines in order to provide students with a practical application of their particular majors or more specialized study in a particular area. Students who wish to pursue an independent study or independent research should follow departmental guidelines for application. Generally, students wishing to register for independent research must make their requests known to a faculty member (the prospective supervisor) who, if agreeable to the request, will inform the department chair.
One week prior to the beginning of each term the department chairs will complete and forward a request form to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. All approved requests are then sent to the Assistant Registrar in the Registrar's Office, and students are formally registered. The supervising professor will assign the grade; in the case of an internship, the professor will consult with the on-site supervisor if appropriate. Independent studies and research are graded with letter grades.