If you are a student that follows a different catalog year, see your department chair or the Office of Academic Records.

INDEPENDENT STUDY, UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH, INTERNSHIPS, ONLINE COURSES, AND SPECIAL TOPICS, READINGS

Special Access Fee
A Special Access Fee will be charged for the following category of courses:  Directed Study, Independent Study, On-line courses, and Internships.  Beginning with the Fall 2005-Summer 2006, any student who registers for a course in this category will be charged a tuition rate of $195 per credit hour for every credit taken.  This fee will be paid above and beyond the flat tuition rate for 12 semester hours and may result in a significant increase in the total tuition billed to the student.

The only exception made for non-payment of this special access fee would be if the course to be offered as Directed Study, Independent Study, Internship, or in an On-Line format is specifically mandated for graduation within a major, and has not been offered in the regular schedule within the previous two years, i.e., internships required for business majors and offered on a regular basis will not be charged a special access fee.  Exceptions for payment of the special access fee for these courses will be very limited with each exception being granted on a case-by-case basis.

All students need to check with their faculty advisor or the Director of Admissions and Academic Records before enrolling in any of theses courses.

Directed Study
This is a course that is listed in the Dickinson State University catalog but is not offered during the term requested. There is no obligation for a faculty member to offer a course by directed study, and this type of enrollment should be utilized only under unusual circumstances involving graduation. The course is usually taught to just one student.

Independent Study (Research)
A research related project with specific academic content and to which is attached an appropriately descriptive title. Credit values will vary depending upon the structure of the class and will be determined by the supervising faculty member. There is no obligation for a department (or faculty member) to offer this type of project. All research projects must receive approval from the appropriate department chair.

Internships
An internship is an on-the-job experience during which the student is able to put his/her educational training into a practical application and earn academic credit at the same time. One (1) academic credit will be granted for each 40 hours of work that is completed by the student.
From one to six credits may be earned during any specific internship experience. A maximum of 12 semester hours of internship credit may be used to fulfill graduation requirements. Students should visit with their academic advisor and the appropriate department chairperson regarding internships.

Special Topics, Readings
A uniquely designed advanced topics course is within a specific discipline. Course content and other related academic requirements are to be determined by the instructor.

Cross Listed Courses
Cross listed courses found either in the catalog or in the course schedules are courses that have two prefixes but are the same course, i.e., HIST 345 – U.S. Presidency (3cr), POLS 345 – U.S. Presidency (3cr).

These courses can be taken for credit within only one of the prefix disciplines; the example course above can be taken for either History credit or Political Science credit, but not for credit in both disciplines taken simultaneously or separately.  Cross listed courses can not be repeated in another semester with a registration in the opposite prefix from the one the student was previously granted credit in.

A student is limited to 16 semester hours of credit earned via Directed Study, Independent Study (Research), and/or Special Topics, Readings that will count toward the graduation requirement of 128 semester hours.