Directed and Independent Study Policy

Policy Statement

Directed and Independent Study courses offer students the opportunity to learn in a non-classroom setting by interacting directly with an instructor and to earn up to a certain number of credits. To register for either, the student must meet certain requirements and obtain permission from the instructor and the department chair (or program director).

Purpose/Scope

The purpose of this policy is to clarify the intent of the directed study and independent study courses, and describe their associated restrictions and limitations.

Applicability

This policy applies to all graduate and undergraduate students.

Definitions

Directed Study — Directed Study substitutes an extant course not offered or not accessible to a student in a semester. The learning objectives of a directed study course are the same as those of the extant course for which it substitutes.

Independent Study — Independent Study allows the student to pursue a subject matter independently and in more depth than possible in the classroom setting, or to conduct research by developing objectives and outcomes through consultation between the student and the instructor, and making them explicit in the independent study contract.

Semesters and Sessions — Fall and spring are the two semesters of an academic year. The University offers courses during the winter break and in the summer months; those courses are referred to as winter or summer session courses.

Policy Procedures

To be eligible for either a Directed or Independent Study course, the student must have matriculated status with SUNY Brockport or have been accepted to a program of study at SUNY Brockport.

The undergraduate student must have:

1. completed 24 credits of college-level study or have department chair / program director approval; and
2. a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.

The graduate student must have:

1. completed 6 credits of graduate-level study or have department chair / program director approval; and
2. a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher.

General guidelines for Directed Study and Independent Study:

1. Subject to the maximum credit load allowed in a semester (fall/spring), a student may carry no more than two Independent Study courses, not exceeding 6 credits, and no more than one Directed Study course, carrying the same number of credits as the course for which it substitutes, for a total not to exceed 9 credits in a semester.
2. Subject to the maximum credit load allowed in a session (winter/summer), a student may carry no more than one Independent Study course, not exceeding 3 credits, and one Directed Study course, with the same number of credits as the course for which it substitutes, for a total not to exceed 6 credits in a term/session.
3. A student may count no more than 30 credits of any combination of Directed Study and Independent Study courses to satisfy the requirements of an undergraduate degree.
4. Both Independent Study and Directed Study courses are only possible by arrangement and at the discretion of the instructor and/or the department. A student pursuing either type of course may be expected to work with less instructor involvement than is customary in a standard course.
5. A Directed Study course will have the same designation, liberal arts (A) or professional (B), as the course for which it substitutes. An Independent Study course may have the liberal arts (A) or professional (B) designation, depending on its objectives and outcomes.
6. Academic programs retain the right to further restrict the number of Directed Study credits, Independent Study credits, or credits accruing from a combination of the two that can be used to satisfy programmatic requirements. These restrictions must be published in the catalog. 
7. A graduate student may take no more than 9 credits of Independent Study if the program of study requires 36 credits or less, or no more than 12 credits if the program of study requires more than 36 credits.
8. A graduate student may take no more than a combined total of 15 credits of Independent Study and Directed Study courses.
9. To register for either a Directed Study or an Independent Study course, a student must complete an online registration form, which requires the signatures of the student, the instructor, and the department chair (or program director). An Independent Study course requires completing additional information including, but not limited to: a list of objectives, a description of project requirements, meetings with the professor or sponsor, and a bibliography.

Links to Related Procedures and Information

Registration for Independent or Directed Study

Contact Information

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

History (in descending order)

Approval

This policy was approved by Brockport University Senate & SUNY Brockport President on 2024-02-02 (Senate Resolution 2023-2024 #6)