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Academic Options This page was last reviewed on September 8, 2011   

 

Doing IS courses as Electives - the course you want doesn't exist?

Students from all uWaterloo faculties can take Independent Studies courses for their electives with permission from their home faculty and from IS. It's a great way to personalize your plan of study and to try out material for a course not yet established.

You must have permission from your homeplan academic advisor and from a representativie at Independent Studies. To provide evidence of this approval, complete an over ride form and have your home academic advisor sign it. Bring it along with you to a meeting you arrange with either an IS academic advisor or the IS office staff.

If you (as the student) are considering organizing an IS course as one of your electives, there are certain components to devising a course that you need to follow:

 

Just so you know...

Occasional or 'visiting' students prepare a brief term plan and cover inconjunction with a course advisor for the term in which they hope to do an IS course. The course advisor is typically a uWaterloo faculty member who you have been working with, likely in other courses.

Together you plan the material you want to cover and establish measures  to determine that you learned what you set out to learn. In the term plan, you identify the resources you want to use, and remember that the material is not restricted to texts. Then, you have a brief meeting with an IS academic advisor who is assigned to you just to ensure you are meeting the IS requirements.

You and the course advisor meet at least five times throughout the term and the course advisor completes the final grading for the course to be submitted to the IS office by the end of lectures. The student also prepares and submits a modified term report and cover, provided first to the course advisor and then to the IS academic advisor.

IS courses are self-directed forms of study completed by a students with the support of a faculty member or an expert in the field. They are intended to help you achieve your academic goals when no other courses exist for you to do so. You cannot duplicate material in an IS course that is found in other univerity courses.

Sound exciting? Intrigued at the possibilities? Let us know how we can help you and perhaps answer any remaining questions. You and your course advisor are welcome to consult the IS Director at Extension 38383 and IS Office Staff at Extension 32345.

 

Other Ways to Study

If you're enrolled in first-year Honours Arts, Engineering, Environment and Resources Studies, or Science and can demonstrate outstanding academic proficiency, you could earn either concurrent degrees or a joint degree with IS and

  • Faculty of Arts
  • Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences
  • Faculty of Environment, Environment and Resource Studies
  • Faculty of Science

Joint Bachelor of Arts-Bachelor of Independent Studies degree

joint Bachelor of Applied Sciences-Bachelor of Independent Studies degree.

You would need extra time at uWaterloo to complete all the requirements for both programs. Consult your home plan academic advisor.

You may choose to pursue a minor in another program. A minor is a group of approved courses in a subject area outside your Independent Studies program. If you choose to complete a minor, the name of that minor would appear on your BIS degree when you graduate.

You can also complete the Independent Studies program on a part-time basis for both pre-thesis and thesis project phases. Fees for IS students are calulated on a per course basis, and for either one course or two, no or reduced incidental fees are charged. The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) and uWaterloo consider a student is full-time when he or she is enrolled in three or more courses per term.

The Independent Studies program can be completed off campus. However, you must make special arrangements for on-going communication and contact whether by visiting campus periodically, by routine telephone calls, using Skype and/or emails. You are still expected to "meet" with your academic advisor at least five times each four-month term.

IS advisors and staff are available to support students through all three terms (fall, winter, spring/summer).