Independent Study Guidelines and Steps

Independent Study is designed to provide credit for field research, academic study not available in regular course work, or practice or performance in the arts. What distinguishes a suitable project is the application of analytical skills to the object of Independent Study. Any sophomore, junior, or senior whose previous record is satisfactory may petition to undertake Independent Study for non-letter-graded credit. A student may petition to take up to a total of four courses of Independent Study. Independent Study courses are subject to the same rules for dropping and withdrawing as any other course.

Students can find the current petition for Independent Study here. The petition requires the signatures of a qualified adviser and the student’s resident dean, as well as an outline of the student’s proposed project. It must be submitted to the Allston Burr Resident Dean for approval, ordinarily in the first week of the term.  The completed petition should be submitted to the OUE at 1414 Mass Ave, floor 3r, room 364.Please email Lisa Laskin, Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education at elaskin@fas.harvard.edu with any questions.

-- https://oue.fas.harvard.edu/independent-study

To complete this process you will need to register for INDSTUDY 1 by adding it to your cart in my.harvard.  The Resident Dean -- that's me! -- will need to approve and you will then need to submit for enrollment. Please confirm that INDSTUDY 1 appears under Enrolled Courses in my.harvard. For more information about the independent study, please visit the OUE website.