Students interested in exploring an idea, contributing to research, or developing a project may do so under the guidance of an affiliated faculty member in the Data Science program. Graduate Independent studies may be taken for up to three (3) credit hours to fulfill an elective or capstone requirement for the master’s degree.
Students are responsible for finding a faculty member willing to serve as a mentor for an independent study. Please plan accordingly! Identify a topic or area of interest, suggest the number of credit hours for the independent study (1-3 credit hours), and draft a brief project outline before approaching a faculty member. Faculty are not obligated to advise a student on an independent study; the more prepared and specific you are, the more likely you will be to secure a suitable mentor.
You and your mentor will thus need to create a formal project proposal for the independent study, which will serve as your learning contract. Your project proposal should include the following:
- Number of work hours expected of the student
- Number of required meetings between the mentor and student
- All required readings and assignments with due dates of each
- The assessment produced and criteria for determining the student’s grade
- A 100 word work plan (equivalent to that provided in a typical class syllabus)
Once that is mutually discussed and agreed, please complete the Independent Study Request form and upload your project proposal. Once received, our office will grant permission to enroll in DSCI D699: Graduate Independent Study in Data Science for the appropriate term and notify you via email.