Graduate Degree - Independent Study
The Department of Communication Studies offers independent study. Graduate students are eligible to have units of independent study count toward the Master's Degree. Students may take one independent study (499c) during their course of study, and may count that course towards their degree as one of the two 400-level courses allowed by the University. In exceptional cases, the student may take a second independent study (699c). An independent study proposal form is available from the department office. Independent studies require approval from a faculty sponsor, the graduate coordinator, and the department chair.
Independent studies are sponsored by individual faculty members and tend to focus on areas of the individual faculty member's specialty. Independent studies may count toward a student's M.A. if the faculty sponsor is in the department, or if the department Chair co-signs a proposal with a faculty sponsor from another department. Individual faculty members may sponsor independent study for various reasons, but an independent study should be directly relevant to a student's plan of study.
- Communication Studies and the Problem of "Race"
- The Rhetoric of Religion
- Feminism, Art, and Communication
- Communication and Romantic Love
In general, independent study should be undertaken only when it is directly appropriate to a student's plan of study. Independent studies receive credit for work in the graduate program, and the requirements are typically as demanding as regular coursework. The student (along with the sponsoring faculty member) prepares an independent study proposal that indicates the course description, rationale, requirements, and methods of evaluation. This proposal is attached to the application form and remains in the student's file.