Independent Study - Keck Graduate Institute

Below are some general guidelines for students interested in Independent Study Courses.

Independent study involves review of existing knowledge or studying for a certification.
First year students can choose an independent study as elective for the spring, if their fall GPA is above 3.25.
Independent study for 1.5 units or 3.0 units should involve about 4.5 hours or 9 hours per week, which adds to 72 hours or 144 hours total for the semester. The effort can be distributed unequally over the semester to fit the project and the student’s other obligations.
The student must prepare a write-up outlining the topics of study along with deliverables for assessment of the students understanding of the topics in advance of the course.
Providing a write-up does not obligate a faculty member to accept a student if, for example, the faculty is not available or the topics of study are considered unsatisfactory (e.g. too broad, not relevant)
Once agreement is reached between student and faculty advisor on an independent study project, you need to fill out the independent study/research contract available through the registrar’s office, and submit this form prior to the registration deadline.
Independent study students are responsible for completing the outlined work independently. However, the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the student is properly guided in the project, and for providing a final grade, lies with the faculty member.
Please note that the ADD and DROP deadlines follow the regular semester deadlines, but interested faculty and students may need more time to design and develop independent study plans.
Students must indicate on the independent study contract if the course will count toward a focus track.
No more than 3.0 units of IS/IR will count toward graduation for the MBS degree unless approved for the research emphasis degree.