Independent Studies

Special Topics Courses

Special Topics Courses are listed as INTA 4803 and INTA 8803. These courses are not offered frequently enough to be assigned a regular course number. Each semester, the advisor will send students a listing of elective course descriptions.

Special Problems Courses

A Special Problems Course, also called a directed study course, is a course in which a student works independently with a faculty member on a research topic of the student's choosing. Credit for this can vary between one and three credits and is taken on a letter-grade basis. This credit counts towards the INTA electives or free electives.

The work required for a three-credit special problems course is equivalent to the work required in a normal three-credit classroom course. The supervising faculty member and the student determine the topic and requirements for the special problems course. The faculty member submits a grade for the student at the end of the semester like a regular class. The decision to pursue a special problems course, in which the student will be studying and researching independently, should not be made in haste. The course requires much more discipline than a normal course because it does not meet regularly. The student is responsible for setting a steady pace and finishing research on time with little supervision. A student interested in a special problems courses should meet with a faculty member he or she is interested in working with to talk about research options, decide on a topic, and complete the Special Problems Application for undergraduate students or graduate students.