Independent Study (4995) courses offer students opportunities to pursue individualized studies under the supervision of full-time regular faculty members. These courses may be used to award students credit for serving as researchers in faculty labs or on faculty research projects when students are conducting independent research under the supervision of the faculty member. They also may be used to provide students opportunities to pursue individualized directed studies of topics not covered in their regularly scheduled courses.

Faculty members and students proposing Independent Study courses must adhere to the following guidelines:

1. A 4995 course enrollment form must be accompanied by a syllabus clearly articulating
   1. a description of the course,
   2. its projected learning outcomes, and
   3. a plan for assessing the student's achievement of those outcomes. The course must also have a subject-specific title of 60 characters or fewer.
2. Per the University Credit Policy, a 4995 course must involve a minimum student workload of 170 minutes per credit during each week of a 15-week session. A 4995 course offered in a shorter session must involve a minimum weekly workload commensurate with that of one offered during a 15-week session.
3. A 4995 course may not be used to award a student credit merely for serving as a lab assistant or to award a student credit for an internship or other career development experience.
4. A 4995 course may not be used to add to the credit value of a regularly scheduled course.
5. A 4995 course normally may be offered only by a full-time regular faculty member. Exceptions may be granted where the student works in an off-campus lab or another off-campus location. In such cases, the department chairperson approving the course must designate a full-time regular faculty member to serve as the course’s instructor of record and ensure that the student’s off-site supervisor adheres to these guidelines.
6. A 4995 course section normally may not enroll more than one student, nor should it be cross-listed with another section or sections to augment its enrollment capacity. Exceptions may be granted by the department chairperson approving the course and the associate dean for academic affairs.
7. A 4995 course normally may be taken only by students with junior or senior standing. Exceptions may be granted by the department chairperson approving the course and the associate dean for academic affairs.
8. A 4995 course normally may be taken only by students who have declared a major or minor in the subject area of the course and who have completed at least 9 credit hours in that subject area. Exceptions may be granted by means of waiver requests.
9. A 4995 course normally may not be taken in place of a regularly scheduled course required by the student’s major or minor or to fulfill a Marquette Core Curriculum or college curricular requirement. Exceptions may be granted by means of waiver requests.
10. Departments and programs may set maximum limits of credit hours earned in 4995 courses applicable to a major or minor.

The Independent Study enrollment form is located on the Marquette Central academic forms website. The deadlines for approval of 4995 courses by the college appear on the Academic Calendar.