Ph.D. Independent Study

In order to substitute an independent study for a social work elective course, a student must receive formal approval of the school prior to enrollment in the independent study. For this purpose, the student must complete the Independent Study Proposal Form and submit it to his/her faculty advisor for preliminary approval. The student may then request a member of the faculty of the School of Social Work to serve on a voluntary basis as instructor for the independent study. The primary basis for requesting a particular faculty member should be his/her interest or expertise in the topic of the student's proposed study. It should be noted that it is the responsibility of the student to obtain an agreement for instruction of his/her independent study.

A signed and completed copy of the Independent Study Proposal Form must be submitted to the Office of the Program Director for final approval. An independent study course may be approved as a social work elective only if: (a) the general purpose of the independent study is to enable the student to engage in a self-directed study of a problem/issue related to the School's curriculum, (b) the topic and content of the independent study is not repetitive of content contained in any required courses or available electives in the MSW program, (c) the level and amount of work required is comparable to the number of graduate credits to be earned (i.e., as a general guideline three clock hours of work per week are generally needed for each credit earned), and (d) the student must have obtained an agreement from a member of the faculty for instruction of the independent study.

The program director's approval must be obtained before registration for independent study will be permitted. Research projects requiring human subjects review must also have IRB approval prior to registration.

To be completed by the student:
Please respond to the following questions in a separate document and attach it to the Independent Study Form.

1. Describe the issue or problem you propose to study.
2. Specify the objectives to be accomplished or questions to be answered.
3. Describe the methodology that will be used to conduct the study.
4. Describe the expected end product of this independent effort.