Academic Advising
Getting StartedSteps to EnrollTuition and FeesFinancial AidTextbooks and MaterialsEnroll NowContact Your InstructorAt KU, students enrolled in academic programs in the Schools of Education, Architecture, Allied Health, Pharmacy, and the Applied English Center require approval of an advisor and the dean's office of their schools before enrolling. The other KU schools do not require prior approval to enroll. Students enrolled at other institutions should check with their school to determine if approval is needed before enrolling.
We highly recommend that you speak to your academic advisor before enrolling. For students wishing to apply an Independent Study course to a degree program, it is critical to speak to an academic advisor to be sure it will count as expected. High school students should consult their high school counselor or principal.
Academic advisors can generally be found by contacting the college or school's dean's office. At KU, students may also contact the University Advising Center at 785-864-2834 or via e-mail at advising@ku.edu.
This question should be answered by your academic advisor (see above). Although it may seem clear as to how an independent study course will count in an academic program, it is important to confirm this with the academic advisor.
KU Independent Study courses are listed on the official transcript and generally are accepted by other institutions. For specific transfer information, contact your academic advisor or the Registrar's Office at your home institution.
KU Independent Study does not offer degree programs.
Many students take KU Independent Study courses to fulfill degree-completion requirements. Academic programs have different requirements and limitations on the number of Independent Study courses a student may take, so contact your academic advisor before enrolling.
Because KU Independent Study courses are not semester-based, they do not count toward full-part-time status on campus at KU.
Students enrolled solely in Independent Study courses are not eligible for KU student employment and are not eligible for access to campus fee-based services, such as access to the Student Recreation Fitness Center.
Limitations on the number of hours allowed toward a degree program vary by college or school. The chart below provides general guidelines for KU students, but we recommend you contact your academic advisor before enrolling.
| Regulations and Requirements for KU Undergraduate Enrollment in Independent Study | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| School in which student is enrolled | Limit on number of hours taken | Limit on hours taken in last 60 hours at KU | Figured into school's GPA(1.) |
| College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) | 30 hrs. | 12 of last 30 hrs. may be CE if student has 2.0 GPA in residence hrs. & CE hrs. are not in the major | Yes(2.) |
| Architecture & Urban Design | 6 hrs. elective credit | Yes | |
| Business | 30 hrs. | Yes(2.) | |
| Education | 20 hrs. | 6 of last 30 hrs., 10 of last 60 hrs. | Yes |
| Engineering | No limit | No limit | No |
| Fine Arts | No limit | 6 of last 30 hrs. | No (except honor graduates) |
| Journalism & Mass Communications | No limit | No limit | Yes |
| Nursing | 31 hrs.(3.) | Yes (if letter grades) | |
| Pharmacy | No limit | No limit | Yes |
| Social Welfare | No limit | No limit | Yes |
| CLAS students in the last 30 hours must meet with a graduation adviser in College/Student Academic Services, 109 Strong Hall, if the KU grade-point average is below 2.0, and/or with the major adviser if the Independent Study course is in the major. The Schools of Business, Engineering, Fine Arts, Journalism and Mass Communications, and Social Welfare recommend but do not require the approval of an adviser or dean or both for enrollment in Independent Study courses. All other schools and the Applied English Center require an adviser's approval to enroll. | |||
| (1.)Independent Study grades are not calculated in the
grade-point average that appears on the academic transcript. (2.)CLAS and Business calculate Independent Study grades in the grade-point average on the ARTS form and the grade-point average required for graduation but not in the grade-point average on the academic transcript. (3.)Combination of Independent Study, credit-by-examination, and/or extension courses. |
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You have a number of grading options for your course. These include:
Students enrolling in graduate-level courses may only enroll with the conventional grading option (letter grades A-F) or noncredit. See descriptions above in the undergraduate course grading options. Some graduate-level courses are graded using the satisfactory/unsatisfactory system.
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