What is 'independent study'?
Independent studies are specific courses, as well as, entire programs of study that are entirely independently developed. This means that the student has looked through the catalog and has determined that maybe there isn't a major for me here. Now, that is a very rare situation, because they hopefully should of chosen the college because of a major, a program, or something that they're interested in studying there. But often times, interests evolve and a student may say " I'd like to take courses from three different major areas of study and there isn't anything here for me". This means that you can approach a faculty member or two, who are interested in working with you as a student. And essentially create your own major, or even your own course, if it means that it will help you to enrich whatever your pre-existing major may be. It's often a complicated process, because it requires meeting with a faculty member or more than one faculty member, seeking approval at many different levels. Sometimes all the way up to the department chair, or to the vice president in charge of academic affairs at the college. But often, it does help the student to study exactly what it is that their interested in. And it helps them to be better prepared to go to graduate school.
