Directed Studies
Directed Studies are available in most disciplines. These are identified within this publication by course number 422. The Directed Study course provides a vehicle to allow a qualified student to receive University credit for an individualized investigation under the direct supervision of a UNC faculty member. Directed Studies cannot be used for Liberal Arts Core credit. For more information, refer to the UNC Catalog or contact the Registrar’s Office, (970) 351-2231. No faculty member will be authorized to supervise a directed study during a semester that he/she is not actually employed on-campus at UNC.
The investigation must be on a specific topic that is not duplicated by an existing course within the University’s curriculum. The nature of the study must involve intensive use of relevant literature, materials, or techniques, and the study report must reflect a synthesis of the information or techniques acquired. The following policies apply for registration in Directed Studies courses:
- A Directed Study course may be for not more than four semester hours of credit per academic semester, with no more than six credits of Directed Studies taken in any semester. A study may be further limited to the maximum number of credits listed in this catalog.
- The student should apply through the program in which he or she is doing the study.
- Permission to engage in a directed study for credit must be approved by the student’s program advisor, the faculty member supervising the study, and the school director of the major program. The Non-Scheduled Course form to be presented at the Registrar’s Office at the time of enrollment must bear the signatures of the supervising faculty member and the school director. A rationale for course credit form should be completed and filed in the academic program office. Forms are available only through the school in which the study is supervised.