Independent Study Requirements

Purpose: The purpose of an Independent Study is to provide students with an opportunity to study, under the guidance of a faculty member, an academic topic that is not offered at the university or is taught but given only brief or introductory treatment in traditional class formats. An Independent Study is an opportunity for creativity and advanced scholarship under the mentorship of a faculty expert.

Eligibility: To be eligible for an Independent Study in the School of Business, a student must be in good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher at the time of application. Undergraduates must also have passed or be on track to pass a minimum of 90 credits before starting an Independent Study. Enrollment in an Independent Study course is a privilege of students seeking deeper or broader learning with a faculty mentor.

Credits & Registration: An Independent Study may be undertaken on a variable-credit basis ranging from 1.0 to 3.0 credits, based on the intended learning outcomes and associated workload. In the School of Business, these courses will be reflected on students’ transcripts as BUSI 491, 492, or 493 for undergraduates (1-, 2-, or 3-credit options, respectively), or BUSI 791, 792, or 793 for graduate students. A maximum of six (6) total credits of Independent Study is permitted during the course of either an undergraduate or graduate program at NJCU.

Registration for an Independent Study occurs after successful completion of the following procedure, which may be conducted electronically with digital signatures. This procedure should begin well in advance of the semester in question and must be completed before the end of the Add/Drop period:

  1. Student and faculty determine mutual interest to work together on the student’s topic of interest, then collaborate to determine learning outcomes and work plan for proposed Independent Study.
  2. Faculty member, after consulting with Department Chair, completes Independent Study Contract form.
  3. Student and faculty member sign completed Independent Study Contract form and submit to Department Chair. (Skip this step if faculty member is also the Chair.)
  4. Signature is required from the Department Chair, who sends to Dean’s Office. If the Chair rejects the application or requires revisions before approving, rationale will be provided to the faculty member.
  5. Signature is required from the School Dean or designee for final approval, after which the student may be registered for the course. If the Dean rejects the application or requires revisions before approving, rationale will be provided to the faculty member and Chair, as appropriate.

Grading: Grades for Independent Studies are determined by the supervising faculty member, based on the evaluation criteria set forth in the Independent Study Contract. The faculty member is responsible for submitting final grades for Independent Study to the Dean’s Office for entry in conformance with the university’s grade submission timeline. “Incomplete” grades are strongly discouraged; all work should be submitted according to the approved course of study in order to earn a satisfactory grade.