Directed Studies are a type of contract course intended to permit students to work closely with a faculty member on a scholarly or creative project not realizable through an existing course.
Policies and Prerequisites:
Undergraduate Directed Studies
- Directed Studies or Projects may not duplicate existing courses.
- A 4-credit Directed Study or Project should require the equivalent of a minimum of 120 hours of work over the course of the semester.
- A student may not count more than 8 credits of any combination of directed studies and directed projects toward the total graduation requirements.
- A student must have achieved a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 to register for a Directed Study or Project.
- A student must be a junior or senior to register for a Directed Study or Project.
- Completed proposals and forms must be submitted by the last day of the preceding semester.
Graduate Directed Studies
- Approval of a Directed Study or Project is not guaranteed.
- Some programs may not allow a Directed Study or Project to count toward degree requirements.
- Directed Studies or Projects may not duplicate existing courses.
- A four credit Directed Study or Project should require the equivalent of a minimum of 120 hours of work over the course of the semester.
- A student may not count more than twelve (12) credits of internship and directed study in combination toward their major requirements.
- Completed proposals and forms must be submitted by the last day of the preceding semester.
Procedures
Students Must
- Complete the Contract Course Form available on the Registrar's Office Instructions & Forms for Students webpage, which includes the following:
- A short description of the creative or scholarly project.
- The courses in which the student has enrolled which prepared them for this study or project.
- The ways in which the study or project differs from available courses.
- A week by week course of study outline.
- A list of required reading and viewing.
- A detailed description of the anticipated final outcome of the study or project, e.g. length of research paper, the type and length of the script, the format and running time of a film or video, the number of B&W prints, etc.
- A list of any equipment, software or other resources required to complete the study or project, noting when and for how long each will be needed
- Undergraduate students must attach a copy of your unofficial transcript, available on myEmerson (Duo Required).
Faculty members must
- Respond to an email notification for the student's Contract Course submission and submit the following:
- The schedule for meeting with the student, including frequency and duration of meetings
- The minimum expected time devoted to each portion of the study
- The basis for grading the independent study, including what will be graded and what grading policy will be applied
Final Steps
Once the faculty advisor has submitted their portion and signed off on the proposal, the final approval step goes through the department chair and, for graduate students only, graduate program director via email. After all approvals have been received, the Registrar's Office will register the student. Students will receive a confirmation email once they have been registered.