Independent Study

Independent Study At or Outside of Lesley University

EAGSR 7999 - Independent Study at Lesley University

Designing the Course & Completing the Course Contract

The option to design and complete a suitable independent project which does not duplicate a course offering is available for students in the Ph.D. Program. If an independent study course is desired, the student is responsible for planning the project, discussing the project with his/her Senior Advisor, obtaining approval from the Program Director, and arranging for supervision by a particular faculty member.  An Independent Study Contract form is completed by the student and signed by the Senior Advisor, the Faculty Instructor (if different from Senior Advisor), and the Director of the doctoral program.

Registration & Tuition Payment

The deadline to register for independent study course work is approximately one month after the general registration date each semester. (Specific deadline dates are found in the Course Listing each semester.) This allows students ample time to negotiate an independent study contract with a faculty member, and to obtain approval/signatures from the faculty sponsor, Senior Advisor and the Director of the Program. Please complete your independent study contracts in a timely manner in order to meet the stated deadlines.

Independent Study Contracts must be filled out completely and include all the necessary signatures.  A Lesley faculty member must be the faculty sponsor on the contract.  These signatures must appear on each contract:

_________________________

Line one - student's signature,

_________________________

Line two -  1. faculty instructor and 2. Senior Advisor's signatures

[both signatures should appear on same line], and

_________________________

Line three - the program director's signature. 

Appropriate information and signatures are important for the following three reasons:

1.  A grade sheet is generated by the Registrar's Office at the end of each semester and sent to the appropriate faculty sponsor's (must be a Lesley faculty member) name/address that appears on the form;

2.  A copy of the independent study contract is sent to the Ph.D. Program office; and

3.      Payment vouchers are completed and submitted to the financial office to insure payment to the faculty member listed on the contract.

The student must present the completed Independent Study Contract along with a completed Registration Form at the time of registration.  The project course number EAGSR 7999 Independent Study appears on the student's transcript with a descriptive project title.  The Registrar assigns the section number.  (An Independent Study Contract is included in the Appendix.  These forms are available at the Registrar or Ph.D. Program Offices.)

Students pay the regular tuition rate per credit for independent study.

Reimbursement for EAGSR 7999 - Independent Study

Students do not have any responsibility for insuring that core/adjunct faculty get paid for EAGSR 7999 Independent Study course work which is done at Lesley University. Once a copy of the course contract is received by the Ph. D. Program Office, a payment voucher is submitted to the appropriate financial office at the University and faculty members are paid directly by the program.

There is no reimbursement to the student for expenses associated with EAGSR 7999.

EAGSR 7500 - Independent Study: Outside Activity

Designing the Course & Completing the Course Contract

Students can arrange to do independent study to take advantage of scholarly activities outside of Lesley.  (This is different from taking a course for credit at another university and transferring the credit to Lesley.  See Transfer Credit section.)  Students must submit an Independent Study Contract form and register for EAGSR 7500 Independent Study: Outside Activity.  This work can involve a) outside scholarly work such as workshops, seminars, conferences, or b) independent study course work with faculty members or individuals that are not core or adjunct faculty at Lesley.  Include this information, the workshop/institute information and/or individual's name and affiliation in the "Documentation-of-Course Content" section of the Independent Study Contract.

Just as for on-campus independent study, the student is responsible for planning the project, discussing the project with his/her Senior Advisor, obtaining approval from the Program Director.  Independent Study Contracts must be filled out completely and include all the necessary signatures.  These signatures must appear on each contract:

_________________________

Line one - student's signature,

_________________________

Line two -  1. faculty instructor and 2. Senior Advisor's signatures

[both signatures should appear on same line], and

_________________________

Line three - the program director's signature. 

Registration  & Tuition for EAGSR 7500 Independent Study: Outside Activity

The student must present the signed Independent Study Contract along with a completed Registration Form at the time of registration.  The course number and title: EAGSR 7500 - Independent Study: Outside Activity appears on the student's transcript with a descriptive project title.  The Registrar assigns the section number. 

Students will pay tuition at Lesley at the regular on-campus rate per credit for these monitored activities.

The deadline to register for independent study course work is approximately one month after the general registration date each semester.  (Specific deadline dates are found in the Course Schedule each semester.)  This allows students ample time to negotiate an independent study contract with a faculty member, and to obtain approval/signatures.  Please complete your independent study contracts in a timely manner to avoid problems with the Registrar and/or Ph.D. Program Office.

Reimbursement for EAGSR 7500 - Independent Study: Outside Activity

In addition to the standard tuition paid at the time of registration, students register and/or pay for the outside independent activities (e.g., conferences, seminars, and workshops).  Or, students negotiate and make a payment to the outside faculty member directly.  The program will reimburse students up to $200 per credit to help defray the expense of the outside activity.

To be reimbursed for the outside scholarly activity or a payment to the outside faculty member, students submit the following (a reimbursement form is available in the Appendix) information to the Program Administrator of the Ph.D. Program:      

1.  A copy of the canceled check (front & back) paid to the outside institution or the outside faculty member,

2.  A description of outside scholarly work-- a copy of the Independent Study contract for EAGSR 7500-Independent Study: Outside Activity will suffice

3.  The name of outside institution where work was carried out or the name of the outside faculty member and his/her institutional affiliation, and

4.   The semester in which student registered for the Independent Study  -- on the Independent Study Contract 

The reimbursement form is then processed by the Ph.D. Program office and sent to the Bursar's Office.  Lesley reimburses students an appropriate amount from their student account.  Students are reimbursed at the rate of $200 per credit.  No more than 12 credits of EAGSR 7500 may be reimbursed.

Students are currently reimbursed a maximum of $200.00 per credit for up to 12 credits for outside scholarly work, hence, students may need to absorb any additional expenses for scholarly activities and/or independent study coursework outside of Lesley.

Students should always keep copies of their Independent Study Contracts & registration forms should the Registrars/Bursars Office make an error at time of registration.