Directed Independent Study
Directed Independent Study [DIS] coursework is intended to offer the opportunity for greater depth of learning or the supplementation of content otherwise not offered by the Bryant curriculum. The role of DIS should be considered as an alternative for academic credit in a student's program only when it augments existing courses or provides opportunity for more specialized learning.
DIS will not be approved when such proposals represent a duplication of existing coursework or simply course topics justified on the basis of convenience or instructor preference. No more than one directed independent study is permitted within each graduate student's curriculum.
Any student who registers for a directed independent study course must perform the following steps:
-
The student should contact a department chairman or graduate faculty member in the appropriate discipline to request the determination of a faculty advisor to oversee a course in Directed Study.
-
When a faculty advisor has been identified, the faculty member and student are expected to develop detailed specifications of the requirements that would satisfy three graduate course credits. A detailed specification of assignments should include time and output expectations (projects, processes, and considerations) as well as course milestones and evaluation criteria.
-
If the faculty member and graduate student agree on the proposal, both the student and the professor must sign the Directed Independent Study Proposal form, attach the proposal and send it to the dean or the dean's designate for final approval. This form and the approved proposal is to be submitted to the Graduate School for registration and recording purposes.
-
If the proposal is approved by all parties, the student will be registered for the course by the Graduate School.
-
The advising faculty member is expected to submit a final grade at the end of the semester.
