Independent Study
Independent study courses are to provide students with a 1-on-1 mentored, structured educational experience equivalent to a traditional course; they are intended to be for advanced or specialized material for which there is currently not sufficient student interest or demand for a regularly scheduled course. Independent Study courses are supervised by faculty members and generally involve substantial, close student-faculty interactions. Each Independent Study course shall be initiated on an individual basis between a student and a faculty member and must be accompanied by a completed independent study contract.
Enrollment
Enrollment in Independent Study courses is through courses numbered 197, 297, 397, 497, in the respective department or program in which the supervising faculty member is appointed. Independent Study courses offered at the graduate level are numbered 597. Independent Study courses that are used to replace senior seminars must be numbered 497.
Advanced planning is essential for students intending to enroll in an Independent Study course. The Independent Study contract must be completed, signed, and submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the 2- or 4-unit add deadline published in the Academic Calendar. Students must attach a brief syllabus or reading list or list of topics to be studied, a detailed breakdown of how the grade will be determined. The Independent Study contract should include a description of the expected total time the student enrolled in the Independent Study course will work which aligns with the College’s Credit Hour policy.
Eligibility
Sophomore, junior, and senior students may enroll in 4 units of Independent Study per semester. Frosh interested in enrolling in an Independent Study must first submit a Petition for Special Consideration for approval. All students are required to have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better in order to be eligible to enroll in an Independent Study course.
A maximum of eight units of Independent Study may be applied toward the degree. Exceptions may be made only for students who have been approved to complete an honors independent study project (which should be labeled 499).
The default expectation is that Independent Study courses will be offered for two units and graded CR/NC.
Exceptions are outlined below:
- No restrictions on units or grading scheme of Independent Study if:
- the student is a declared major in the field of study in which the Independent Study is being conducted; or
- the contract indicates that it is a substitute for a specific, approved Occidental course listed in the current catalog. The Independent Study must follow all requirements and grading policies of the regular course.
- A 4-unit Independent Study assigned a letter grade can be used for the fulfillment of a declared major or minor program requirement.
An Independent Study course cannot be used to satisfy Core requirements.
It is expected that students will satisfy Core, foreign language, and academic major and minor course requirements through regularly scheduled courses. Students completing an Independent Study as CR/NC should familiarize themselves with the restrictions outlined in the CR/NC policy.