Applications for independent study (when not initiated by the instructor) under the direction of a faculty member should be made in writing to the Department Chair toward the end of the fall semester (for enrolling in the spring semester) and toward the end of the spring semester (for enrolling in the fall semester). Applications must be submitted, at the latest, by 5 p.m. on the first day of classes.  Written permission from the instructor, the Major Advisor, the Director of Undergraduate Programs, and the Department Chair is required.

The application will be read by the instructor in charge of the course, the Major Advisor, the Director of Undergraduate Programs, and the Department Chair. Permission, including the consideration for the number of credits (1 to 3), will be granted or denied prior to the add/drop deadline. It is the student’s responsibility to submit all of the required materials on time.

Under normal circumstances, only Chinese, Japanese, and East Asian majors or minors may enroll in independent study courses.  IS courses are offered under CHIN 4993, JAPN 4993, EAST 4993, & KOR 4993. 

Students must submit a hard copy of the following materials by 5 p.m. on the first day of classes:

• A 250- to 500-word description of the project, which states the rationale for signing up for one, two, or three credits.
• Evidence of successfully completed prior courses, which demonstrate an adequate preparation for the project.
• A tentative title with a bibliography of the works to be studied.
• A brief statement from a faculty member who accepts responsibility for directing the IS.
• An IS request form.