Intro

Students may elect to take independent study courses with Uni faculty or with professors at the University of Illinois. Independent study is an opportunity for highly motivated, independent, and self-reliant students to engage in intellectual inquiry beyond the existing curriculum and develop independent study habits.

Title
How to Apply for an Independent Study
Body
  1. Read the Independent Study Guidelines and Expectations.
  2. Please note that the Fine Arts department requires students to have previously taken at least 2 courses in the specific discipline they're interested in pursuing (i.e. music, visual arts, or theater).
  3. Consider what you want to study and why. Consult with the teacher you would like to work with, and come up with specific answers to the following questions:
    • Why are you pursuing study outside of the Uni curriculum?
    • What are 3-5 learning goals you hope to achieve?
    • What will your syllabus look like? (You'll need to write a syllabus up before you complete the application. It's best to work with your teacher-advisor on this.)
    • What specific learning tools will you use? (Examples include readings, writings, courses, workshops, community service projects, interviews, lab experiments, observations, etc.)
    • How will you and your teacher-advisor assess how you've met your learning goals?
    • What will your final project look like? (All independent study participants must make a 15-20 minute final presentation to the teacher-advisor and interested faculty.)
    • When and how often will you meet with your teacher-advisor? What will you do when you meet?
    • How will you use your time outside of your meetings to work on your independent study?
  4. Fill out the Independent Study Application (webform). Be prepared to answer all the questions outlined above in detail. Applications must be submitted by the Friday of the first week of classes.
  5. After you submit the application, your proposal will be sent to your counselor, the assistant director, your proposed teacher-advisor, the executive teacher of the Uni department(s) you're working with, and your parent(s)/guardian(s) for approval.
  6. Once all approvals have been obtained, your independent study will be added to your schedule.