Independent Study Policy

Students registering for the Independent Study IMP Option will need to register for IS 500 during the web registration period or during the Add/Drop period. Registration must occur by no later than the end of the Add/Drop period. There is a $750 fee associated with registering for an IMP.

Independent Studies must be completed within two semesters from the time of registration (refer to the chart below). In order to track your progression, you will see that your registration for the semester reflects your current progress. If you are registered for your Independent Study, one of these three courses will appear on your semester schedule:

• IS 500 – Beginning semester of Independent Study
• IS 501 – Final semester of Independent Study
• IS 502 – One-time extension of one additional semester

At the end of your first semester of Independent Study work, the Registrar’s Office will confer with your mentor to ensure you are still working on your thesis. If your mentor confirms your progress, we will automatically register you for IS 501.

You are expected to engage in work on your Independent Study throughout the year. In this case, a year consists of consecutive Fall-Spring or Spring-Fall semesters, with summer participation considered optional. To understand the timeline of your work and when your final thesis needs to be submitted to your mentor, please consult this list of start and end terms:

• Fall starts will have until the end of the next Summer 2 term.
• Spring starts will have until the end of the next Fall term.
• Summer starts in either Summer term will have until the end of the next Spring term.

In the event that you work throughout the year and are unable to finish by your scheduled final term, you are entitled to one extension period of one additional semester in order to complete you Independent Study without having to re-submit the Commence Form and re-pay the $750 IMP Fee. You may register for this extension, known as IS 502, by submitting an Independent Study Continuation Form (pdf) to the Registrar’s Office and paying a $100 Continuation Fee by no later than the end of the Add/Drop period of your extension semester.

If you do not submit your final thesis draft of your Independent Study to your mentor by the end of this extension semester, you must register and pay in full for another IMP. There will be no extensions allowed beyond the single extension semester.

Because of the shortened nature of the Summer terms, they will not be counted toward your extension. If the end of your Independent Study year is in Spring, your IS 502 enrollment will include the following Fall term.

A grade of “SP” (Satisfactory Progress) will be awarded for IS 500 if you made progress on your work and are continuing in IS 501.

A grade of “NT” (Never Attended) may be awarded if after the first semester of IS 500, your mentor cannot confirm you started your work.

A grade of “IA” (IMP Attempted – Not Completed) may be awarded if any of the following conditions apply:

• If after the first semester of IS 500, your mentor cannot confirm you are still engaged in any work
• If after completing the one year progression of IS 500 and IS 501, you do not register and pay the Continuation Fee for IS 502 by the end of the Add/Drop period
• If you pay and enroll in IS 502, but do not complete your Independent Study by the end of the semester extension.

Students who receive the final grade of either NT or IA will need to re-register and pay in full for another IMP.

Students who successfully complete their Independent Studies and submit their final draft of their thesis to their mentor by the due date will receive a grade of “P” (Pass).

For more information, see a Guide to the Integrative Master’s Project (pdf).