Independent Research Project
The What's, Why's, How's and Who's
If you have an interest in researching or learning about a topic not taught at American University, an independent study gives you the chance to learn and gain credit outside the classroom.
undergraduate rESEARCH rEGISTRATION
As per AU’s guidelines, degree-seeking students in good standing can register for two types of independent studies: the Independent Reading course and Independent Research project.
Learning by Leading™ seeks to support students interested in Independent Research projects relating to the environment and sustainability. Instead of students pursuing random professors to approve their projects, LxL™ encourages students to reach out to our faculty advisors from the Department of Environmental Science.
Contact information can be found in the bios for Professors Sauleh Siddiqui and Dhananjaya Katu on the Get Involved page.
Independent Research strategy
Before choosing your faculty advisors, it’s essential to decide if the Independent Study is right for you. Most importantly, the Independent Research project is not the easy way out of classes. The Independent Research platform is great for students who thrive outside of the classroom because it allows students to take control of their education.
After choosing a faculty advisor that aligns with your topic of interest, student and faculty must agree on the topic, title, scope, and credit value (1-6). Afterward, the department chair must approve the study and corroborate that the study does not duplicate a course already offered at American University.
More information on the process can be found on the American University Provost site.
Creating the Syllabus
Before sending your faculty-approved objective to the department chair, student and sponsor are expected to create a course of action. In the toggles below there are two separate types of syllabus formats previously used by Professor Siddiqui.
This document contains a working independent study proposal including study objectives, a calendar, and sources.
This example syllabus is courtesy of Professor Siddiqui.
This document contains a working independent study proposal including study objectives, a calendar, and sources.
This example syllabus is courtesy of Professor Siddiqui.