GEOG 596I - Independent Study in Geospatial Intelligence

Independent Study (IS) is an opportunity for students to work with individual direction from a faculty member on a topic of mutual interest in geospatial intelligence. Students must have strong professional experience or have taken courses in the subject matter leading up to the chosen topic. Independent Study is reserved for advanced specialties or for intermediate study in areas in which the department does not normally offer coursework.

This option allows students to complete some of their credit requirements by studying on their own. A student and their faculty advisor must agree in advance on the topic and approach of the study program and meet periodically to discuss the student's progress. 

Note: It is the responsibility of the student to contact a faculty member to arrange the independent study. If both agree the topic is worthy of independent research, an Independent Study Agreement is developed and then signed by both the student and the faculty sponsor before beginning the effort.

Acceptable and Unacceptable Activities

Independent Study may not be used to fulfill Core curriculum requirements. Independent Study is not intended to be used by students to take a regular course not being offered that term.

The Independent Study Agreement

An Independent Study (IS) Agreement is executed for every independent study project. The IS Agreement between the student and faculty sponsor provides the details for the project including the topic and nature of the project, how the project will be accomplished, and what the intended final outcome will be (i.e., paper, presentation, etc.).

Semester Hours of Credit

Independent Study agreements range from one (1) to three (3) credits. The number of credit hours is determined by the faculty sponsor and student prior to registering for the IS credits. No Independent Study credit will be granted retroactively for study experiences carried out at an earlier date. A minimum of 25 hours of time is required for each semester hour of credit.

Faculty Sponsor

Only regular faculty members may sponsor Independent Study projects. Program approval for each project is provided by the Option Director.

Procedures

Students contact a faculty member to discuss their idea for an IS project, how the work will be accomplished, and what the final outcome will be (paper, presentation, etc.). Students should contact a faculty member whose research is related to the IS topic the student is pursuing. If the project is accepted by the faculty member, the student completes the Independent Study Agreement. The form must be signed by the student, the faculty member, and the Option Director.