Independent Study

Students may avail themselves of the option to engage in Independent Study.  Like most universities, the University of Tennessee allows undergraduates to enroll in as many as 9 hours of Independent Study, which, in nearly every department curriculum, is listed with a 493 course number.  In the case of the University Honors curriculum, you will find Independent Study listed as 493 Honors: Independent Study.

Independent Study courses are created ad hoc and on the basis of the authority of a member of the faculty and their department head or program director.  Such courses are, by definition, tailored to meet a student’s particular needs and typically involve academic material not currently or usually part of the regular curriculum.

Independent Study courses may entail going in-depth into a subject covered only sparingly in an intermediate course, or may serve to extend an existing course into new or uncharted academic terrain.  Independent Studies can also be used effectively as preparation for in-depth and original research, including literature reviews that will ultimately contribute to the student’s required 3-credit hour Senior Project.

The key to any successful independent study experience is a willing faculty supervisor and a self-directed, self-reliant, and self-disciplined student.  The onus is always on the student to make satisfactory progress and to maintain excellent communication with the faculty member in question.  This is all the more the case when it comes to 493 Honors: Independent Study, which is distinct from other Independent Study courses only inasmuch as the student and faculty member in question devise means to enhance and enrich the experience beyond what is already an inherently intimate and distinctive learning experience.

To apply for an Independent Study, please complete this form.