Students in the Bachelor's Program who have completed at least 12 credits in residence and are in good academic standing are eligible to undertake independent study for credit. Independent study is arranged through the School of Undergraduate Studies office, which works with the appropriate academic department. Independent study is normally set up as a three-credit course, with one student and one faculty member, to be completed in one semester. Students are permitted to take a maximum of two independent study courses while matriculated in the School of Undergraduate Studies. In most cases, students use independent study to explore topics of personal interest that are not offered or not covered in depth in courses available to them at The New School.
Application Process
A student who wishes to do an independent study must identify a project and discuss it with an academic advisor well in advance of the registration period for the term in which the student proposes to undertake the project. The proposal should contribute to the student’s overall plan of study and may not duplicate an existing New School course. If the project idea is deemed viable, the advisor contacts the associate director of the School of Undergraduate Studies for preliminary approval and to solicit recommendations for potential instructors. If the idea is approved by the associate director, the advisor and the appropriate department chair will make an offer to a faculty member. Once a faculty supervisor has been assigned, the student and the instructor will work together to draft the formal independent study proposal. The proposal must state clearly:
- Topic to be studied
- Issues or problems to be investigated
- The materials and methods to be used
- The work to be completed
- due dates for work (as far as possible)
- how often the student and instructor will meet
- how the student's work will be evaluated
The faculty member and student will indicate their agreement on a proposal by signing the Contract for Independent Study. The proposal and contract must be formally approved by the department chair and the associate director of the School of Undergraduate Studies before the registrar will set up an independent study course. The contract for Independent Study, signed by the student, instructor, and the department chair, must be received by the associate director at least one calendar week before the first day of classes for the semester in which the independent study is to take place. Note: Independent study contracts cannot be approved without the plan of study attached to the contract.
Once the independent study course is set up for the academic term, the student can register for it. Tuition is charged per credit, as with all courses in the School of Undergraduate Studies. Independent study is also subject to the same add and drop deadlines as other courses.
You can download a Contract for Independent Study and a description of the independent study process, both in PDF format.