Undergraduate Independent Study

Students may pursue a program of Independent Study under the direction of a Medical School faculty member.

To design the Independent Study project, a student should first meet with the faculty member who teaches or conducts research in the area of the student's interest. Together they should determine the project goals and write up a brief, but thorough, description.

The faculty member and student should decide on hours per week the student will devote to the Independent Study project, the number of credits the student will receive (between one and four), and how the project will be graded.

The student must submit this information on the Independent Study Form to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs for final approval. If approved to register in the course, the student then submits the approved Independent Study paperwork to the Office of Academic Records/Registrar .

On occasion, a student may have an opportunity to conduct an Independent Study project with a physician or scientist from another institution. In such cases, the project must be co-sponsored and co-supervised by a member of the Medical School faculty.

Students may apply up to eight credits of Independent Study, whether taken on a letter grade or “Pass/Fail” basis, to fulfill the electives requirement for graduation.