HONR 292 Independent Study (1-3 Credits)

Directed research and study on an individual basis, supervised by a sponsoring faculty (instructor). Consent of instructor and approval of Honors Dean are required. You can view the blank form before starting the DocuSign process.

HONR 492 Independent Study (1-3 Credits)

Directed research and study on an individual basis, supervised by a sponsoring faculty (instructor). Students must be Juniors by credit hours and must obtain approval from their instructor and the Honors Dean.  You can view the blank form before starting the DocuSign process.

 

Honors College Independent Study FAQs

What is an Honors College Independent Study?

  • An Honors College Independent Study is a Contract that allows students to engage in research, creative activities, or in-depth study of a specialized topic under the direction of a faculty sponsor outside of their major for academic credit that may count towards their Honors College and/or Directed Interdisciplinary Studies (DIS) degree requirements.
  • An Honors College Independent Study could encompass work that falls outside current academic offerings or serve as an augmentation or enrichment of existing courses.
  • An Honors College Independent Study could include, among other activities, an individual research project; assisting with faculty research; completing a group project with other Honors College students; producing a research paper or creative work; designing and executing a lab project.
  • Freshmen & Sophomores may take the lower-level version: HONR292 for a total of 6 credits while at MSU.
  • Juniors & Seniors may take the upper-level version: HONR492 for a total of 6 credits while at MSU.
  • Students may combine HONR292 & HONR492 for a total of 12 independent study credits while at MSU.

Who can do an Honors College Independent Study?

      • Any current Honors College student can propose and submit an Honors College Contract for Independent Study – see blank form here

 

How do I design an Honors College Independent Study?

  • Step 1. Meet with an Honors College advisor to discuss how the Honors College independent study might count towards your Honors and/or DIS Degree requirements.
  • Step 2. Meet with your Major academic advisor to discuss how the Honors College independent study might count towards your MSU degree.
  • Step 3. Ask an MSU faculty member with expertise in that field to serve as your advisor.
  • Step 4. View the blank contract, and work with your faculty advisor to design a comprehensive proposal. Your proposal should include:
    • A 300-500-word outline of your motivations, goals, and objectives
    • A short bibliography of readings and materials you’ll use to inform your project. These readings should foster an original, independent, or deep exploration of your topic.
    • An explanation of how your project will be evaluated
    • A timeline that includes deadlines and meetings with faculty
    • A final deliverable product: research paper, art piece, presentation, etc.
  • Step 5: Submit your contract and proposal in DocuSign. Signed contracts are due in the Honors College Office on the 7th day of the semester.
    • If your contract is approved: Begin the research or creative process
    • If your contract is not approved: Reach out for more information on how to review & resubmit. The deadline to resubmit is the 10th day of the semester (i.e., the last day to add with approval).
  • Step 6: After you finish your project, email a copy of all final deliverables to the Honors College (honors@montana.edu). We will send your contract around for the second round of signatures.

 

Things to remember:

  • Start the process early. It might take weeks or even months to find the right faculty advisor, build your proposal, and submit for approval.
  • Faculty, especially non-tenure track faculty, are allowed to say “no” when you ask them to be your faculty advisor. If they say no, ask them to provide the names of 2-3 colleagues they think could help.
  • The number of credit hours you wish to receive must correlate to the amount of time spent and work produced. The proposed project should be at least as academically challenging as a typical Honors College course.
    • 1 credit hour; average of 3 hours per week of work, 45 hours total
    • 2 credit hours; average of 6 hours per week of work, 90 hours total
    • 3 credit hours; average of 9 hours per week of work, 135 hours total
    • 4 credit hours; average of 12 hours per week of work, 180 hours total
    • 5 credit hours; average of 15 hours per week of work, 225 hours total
    • 6 credit hours; average of 18 hours per week of work, 270 hours total
  • We recognize the dynamic nature of research and understand your final project may change as you advance in your learning. You should meet regularly with your faculty advisor to keep them informed of all changes and new developments. If you have a drastic change of course, you may need to submit an updated contract.
  • You cannot receive Honors independent study credit if you are already getting paid or receiving academic credit in another department
  • You will not receive credit until your final deliverables have been submitted and your contract has been signed by both your faculty assigning the letter grade and the Honors College dean.