Independent Research in Education (ED495a)

You will not be allowed to enroll in this course until your topic has been formally approved.  Your request must be submitted no later than 4 weeks before the date you want to start the course.  (Independent Research Studies must take place within an existing 6-week course cycle.  So submit your topic approval request no later than the end of Week 3 of the previous course cycle.)

Being allowed to engage in an Independent Research Study is a privilege that should not be taken lightly. There will be two face-to-face conferences scheduled with your Research Advisor, which will each last approximately 1 to 2 hours. 

Failure to attend a conference with your Research Advisor without giving him/her proper notice is entirely unacceptable and may result in your being immediately withdrawn from ED495a.  Futhermore, you might not be allowed to enroll in another Independent Research Study at another time.

Independent Research Studies can only be taken for "whole credits"; there is no 0.5 credit option.  Even if you need only half a credit to meet your graduation requirements, you will still be required to complete the project for (and pay for) 1 full credit.

If you need 2 credits to meet the total number required for graduation, you may complete 2 Independent Research Studies.  Those 2 projects must remain completely distict; they may not cover the same topic or two closely related topics.  It might be possible for you to take them both at the same time, but the usual policies for "doubling" are in effect.

Only in extremely rare circumstances will students be allowed to take more than 2 credits of Independent Research.  Students who are concerned with meeting credit requirements for graduation should take a 3-credit course instead.