Independent Study

The independent study course provides you an opportunity to "design your own course." It allows you to learn about a supply chain management, transportation or information technology topic or acquire a technology skill not covered in a regular course. Or you can learn a topic or skill in much greater depth than can be approached in any course. For example, some students have used an independent study to prepare for and pass an industry certification like the Oracle DBA certification. Other students have combined skills from the web design and the database courses to build web page interfaces to database applications.

To register for an independent study you must:

• choose a topic
• select a faculty advisor and
• complete an independent study contract.

Pick a topic that you are interested in, maybe even have a passion for. Because there is no instructor imposing a series of deadlines as occurs in a regular course, the motivation to learn from and complete your independent study must come from your passion for the topic.

You will select a faculty advisor to supervise your study and submit a letter grade at its completion. Choose a faculty member who can help you with your topic. Remember that each instructor has a few topic areas in which they teach and do research. They will feel comfortable helping you with a topic they know. How do you know their areas of expertise? You can ask them. And the courses they teach are a good indication of their expertise.

You can pick up an Independent Study Contract form from the IDS Department office (JB-460). Using the contract you will explain the specific purpose of your independent study, provide a brief outline of your study's activities and a brief description of your study's "deliverables." By deliverable we mean the documentation of your independent study at its completion. For example, "I will submit a working GIS application and brief written description of my project."

Most times you will negotiate your study topic and method with your faculty advisor. So it is very important to discuss the contract content with him or her.

When you have the three signatures (student's, faculty advisor's, and department chair's) on the Independent Study Contract you will turn that contract into the IDS Department where the office staff will enroll you in an INFO or SCM 595B (2 units) or INFO or SCM 595D (4 units) section. You cannot enroll in these sections through MyCoyote. We will enroll you after you have an independent study approved by the instructor and by the department chair.

Questions, then visit the IDS Department in JB-460 or call (909) 537-5723.