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A research university provides many opportunities for students to learn in settings that suit a wide variety of learning styles, talents and professional aspirations. Beyond the classroom lie opportunities for individual and collaborative research projects, creative application of theory, internships, and a range of other activities.

The Marshall School offers students several ways to take the classroom learning experience one step further through self-designed independent study.

Independent study courses allow self-motivated, independent students to take advantage of available resources, collaborate, and design learning experiences that inspire them, prompting a profound engagement with a learning environment ideally suited to their individual talents. Independent study courses include a wider array of educational contexts, experiences and opportunities for nontraditional learning than are generally available in the traditional classroom. In many cases they

  • are of particular interest to the individual
  • may be uniquely challenging,
  • may be directly applicable to future goals,
  • can be integrated with the real world,
  • offer a flexible time commitment,
  • include experiential learning opportunities,
  • may include an international focus not included in related courses,
  • are nontraditional in format, and/or
  • are ideally suited to the individual’s talents and skills.
 
Independent study courses are graded CR/NC. Work of at least "B" quality is required to earn a mark of Credit.
 
Graduate-level independent study courses offered by Marshall include: 
 
592 - Field Research in Business (ACCT, BUCO, FBE, GSBA, IOM, MKT, or MOR) 
Provides the student with an opportunity to pursue an individual or team project studying the business practices of an industry, company, government agency, country, geographic region, etc. Proposal, data collection, analyses, and written report required. 

593 – Independent Research in Business (ACCT, BUCO, FBE, GSBA, IOM, MKT, or MOR)  
Provides the student with an opportunity to pursue research in an area of interest above and beyond normal course offerings. Proposal, research and written report/paper required.
 
595 – Internship in Business (ACCT, BUCO, FBE, GSBA, IOM, MKT, or MOR) 
Provides the student with an opportunity to supplement the academic learning experience with real-world practice through paid or unpaid temporary employment under the direct supervision of the business entity for which the student is working. Because students admitted to the M.B.A. program have work experience, the number of units of internship that may be applied to the M.B.A. is usually limited to one.

596 – Research Practicum in Business (ACCT, BUCO, FBE, GSBA, IOM, MKT, or MOR)  
Hands-on practical experience working with a Marshall faculty member on an ongoing research project. (Similar to an academic internship.)

597 – Consulting Project in . . . (ACCT, BUCO, FBE, GSBA, IOM, MKT, or MOR)
Provides the student with an opportunity to pursue an individual or team project solving real business problems for an existing business entity, domestic and/or international. Proposal, field research, analyses and oral and written presentations required.  


Application and Registration

Students who are interested in proposing an independent study project must complete an application that includes a full description of the project, an explanation of why the project could not be accomplished within the context of a scheduled course, and a description of the deliverable that will be assessed when the independent study is completed. (Additional documentation may be required, depending on the nature of the proposal.)
 
The proposal must be endorsed by a Marshall faculty member who will serve as overseer for the project and who will award the final grade for the project. The faculty member’s department chair, the student’s program advisor, and the applicable Associate/Assistant Dean for the student’s program review the proposal for a variety of considerations and must approve before permission to register is granted.
 
For more information, refer to the information and instructions included with the corresponding course in the following downloadable forms.

     590 Directed Research (M.B.A., M.S.B.A., and M.M.S. students should do 593 instead.)

     592 Field Research in Business 

     593 Independent Research in Business 

     595 Internship in Business 

     596 Research Practicum in Business  

     597 Consulting Project