University of Colorado DenverCollege of Liberal Arts and SciencesUniversity of Colorado Denver

Independent Study

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate students who wish to do an Independent Study must meet three minimum criteria:

  1. Completion of at least 24 hours of Communication courses at UCD;
  2. A cumulative GPA of 3.3 in those courses; and
  3. Communication major status.

Students who meet the criteria may apply for permission to do 1 to 3 credit hours of Independent Study work. The application must be submitted at least four weeks before the beginning of the semester in which the work is to be completed.

A 3-hour Independent Study should involve about 7 to 10 hours of work per week for students, so an Independent Study easily could entail reading several books on a selected topic and writing a 40-page research paper. Students who want to do an Independent Study must produce a written justification for doing so. Doing an Independent Study because it is easy to fit into a busy schedule is not considered a compelling reason. The written justification and explanation should be between 3 and 5 typed, double-spaced pages long and must include:

  • rationale for the Independent Study
  • a detailed plan for the Independent Study
  • description of the final product envisioned for the Independent Study
  • the name of the faculty member who will be supervising the Independent Study and a written note from the faculty member indicating his or her willingness to supervise the project
  • the semester in which the Independent Study will be completed
  • student's phone number

Students should submit the written justification to the faculty member whom they wish to sponsor them at least three weels before the beginning of the semester in which they intend to do the independent study, along with a copy of their transcript. Students will be notified of the department's decision within two weeks of the submission of the application.

Graduate Students

Graduate Students who wish to complete an independent study must submit a proposal to the interim director of the M. A. program in Communication, Barbara Walkosz, or the director of the M.S. program in Technical Communication, Jim Stratman, who will meet with a Department committee to decide if the Independent Study will be allowed. Additional information about Independent Study for graduate students may be obtained from the directors of the M. A. program in Communication or the M.S. program in Technical Communication:

Professor Barbara Walkosz
Department of Communication
Plaza Building, room 102-H
303-556-6719
Barbara.Walkosz@cudenver.edu

Professor Jim Stratman
Department of Communication
Plaza Building, room 102-F
303-556-2884
James.Stratman@cudenver.edu