Course Catalog 2007-2008

A student in good standing may work intensively in areas of special interest under the Directed Study plan. A Directed Study is appropriate when a student wishes to explore a subject more fully than is possible in a regular course, or to study a subject not covered in the regular curriculum. A Directed Study should not normally duplicate a course that is regularly offered. A student electing a Directed Study must submit to the Registrar a typed proposal with appropriate departmental approval no later than the first Friday of the semester. Directed Studies are normally taken for 3 or 4 credits. The form required for Directed Studies is available in the Office of the Registrar.

Independent Study engages a student in the pursuit of clearly defined goals. In this effort a student may employ skills and information developed in previous course experiences or may develop some mastery of new knowledge or skills.

A proposal for an Independent Study project must be approved in advance by the faculty member who agrees to serve as the project advisor. The approval must be submitted on the appropriate form to the Registrar no later than the first Friday of the semester.

The chief distinction between this option and other options for individual study is that an individual faculty member works with the student only prior to the initiation of the study (or at its very beginning) and at the completion of the study. A student may propose an extensive independent project up to the equivalent of a full semester's work. An Independent Study project that constitutes a student's total academic load in a given semester may be done either on or off the campus. Any proposal or combination of proposals to do independent work carrying more than four credit hours must be submitted to the Academic Affairs Council. Examples of Independent Studies approved recently include: "An Existential Search for Religion," "Genetics of Sarracenia," "Creativity and the New York Musician," and "Behavioral Studies of the Primates of the Peruvian Amazon."

A student may enroll for Senior Research in his or her final year at Denison. Normally, Senior Research requires a major thesis, report or project in the student's field of concentration and carries eight semester-hours of credit for the year. Semester hours of credit for Senior Research shall not be counted toward the maximum hours allowed in the student's major. The form required for Senior Research is available in the Office of the Registrar.

Any senior whose record shows at least a 3.4 grade-point average and who has earned the recommendation of his or her department may undertake a two-semester Honors Project in a specific topic related to his or her major field. Such a study must be recommended by the student's academic advisor and the departmental chairperson and be approved by the Academic Affairs Council. If completed successfully, an Honors Project normally earns eight credit hours toward graduation and the possibility of graduation with Honors. The form required for Honors Projects is available in the Office of the Registrar. Students graduating in 2008-09 should consult with the Registrar for the requirements for Graduation with Honors.