Independent Study - Policies And Regulations

Centenary College Admissions Department
Phone: 1-800-236-8679
Email: admissions@centenarycollege.edu

Independent Study (IND) is an important part of the curriculum and should be used to supplement, rather than replace, existing courses of study. When registering for an Independent Study, the student selects a topic from a single field of learning, or one that is interdisciplinary, prepares and executes a plan of study in consultation with one or more instructors, prepares a research paper for the end of the semester, and provides other evidence of accomplishment suitable to the topic. In addition, the student may be required to take an oral or written examination.

The credit to be sought for an IND, which may range from 1 to 4 credits, is to be determined when the topic is approved. No more than 8 credits of IND may be applied toward an Associate degree. The maximum IND credits applicable to a Baccalaureate degree will be determined by the nature of the student’s academic program, but optimally should not exceed 15 credits.

In order to register for an IND, a student must obtain a copy of the “INDEPENDENT STUDY APPLICATION” form from the Registrar’s Office, meet with the intructor(s) who is (are) to supervise the IND and assist in completing each part of the application, secure the required signatures, and return the application to the Vice President of Academic Affairs for approval. NO STUDENT SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO REGISTER FOR MORE THAN ONE INDEPENDENT STUDY DURING A GIVEN SEMESTER, without extenuating circumstances.

NO INSTRUCTOR MAY SUPERVISE MORE THAN THREE INDEPENDENT STUDIES IN A GIVEN SEMESTER, without extenuating circumstances.

Students who wish to undertake an IND must meet the following minimal requirements:

1. Student must have Sophomore standing.
2. Student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.75

To be approved, the IND must meet the following regulations:

1. The proposed IND must clearly state:
        a.  the educational objectives to be obtained
        b.  the texts or readings to used
        c.  a complete outline of the study (syllabus)
        d.  the schedule of meeting times
        e.  the method(s) to be used for evaluating student performance
2. The proposed IND must have requisite signatures prior to being submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
3. The proposed IND cannot duplicate courses already being offered, unless there is an conflict between required classes and no alternative is available.
4. The proposed IND for a full-time student must be assigned to a full-time faculty member for supervision, unless there are none available. No full-time student will be assigned an adjunct supervisor for IND except under extenuating circumstances.
5. All proposed IND applications must be submitted to the Vice  President for Academic Affairs, with a completed registration or Add/Drop form, prior to the end of the Add/Drop period for a given semester.            

APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED AFTER THIS DEADLINE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

You may download the Independent Study Application form here.