Independent Study

Independent Study provides students with an opportunity to undertake a program of supervised reading, research, or artistic production not normally provided within the existing courses. The Independent Study option is available to students who have a junior or senior standing with a cumulative Quality Point Average of at least 2.70.

The Independent Study is available for a full course unit or a half unit. Students may schedule no more than one Independent Study or Honors course unit a term to a maximum of four over the period of the junior and senior years. Independent Study may be taken in the fall or spring terms or during the summer. A student may not take more than one Independent Study during the summer and must register for it no later than the beginning of the second summer session.

An "Information and Approval Form" describing the project and certifying that the student is eligible and qualified to undertake the project must be submitted to the associate dean of the University, who decides any questions concerning eligibility.

Student Profile: Emese Jordan, Class of 2018

After becoming interested in working with textiles, I approached Natessa Amin about advising an independent study because I was familiar with her textile work from when I attended one of her shows on campus.

The Hybrid Textile Design course we constructed challenged me to think differently about designing textiles, while becoming familiar with and drawing inspiration from renowned artists in the field. I was able to combine my graphic design and screen printing skills to digitally create patterns and transfer them onto fabric. Natessa encouraged me to experiment with different dye techniques, incorporate embroidery into some pieces, and use uncommon objects to think abstractly and create interesting designs. At the completion of the semester, I walked away with a better understanding of textile design and a desire to keep creating.

The textiles Emese created are featured in the banner image on this page.

Student Profile: Shamus Matthews, Class of 2015

The focus of my independent study was developing and creating art with a well-thought-out process dealing with art history and contemporary art while representing a topic or subject matter that I found interesting and inspirational. My subject matter was that of water and the movement and displacement of water, which I represented in abstracted fiberglass and resin sculptures.

The instructor and I met once every other week to critique and discuss what I was working on and that I would be creating next. Each time we met, the discussions and lesson became more and more in-depth, challenging me to look in different directions and finding new inspirations and references for my work.

From the experience of working with the instructor, I took away learning a process and developing work into something that I truly wanted to represent and express in a manner that gave a well-thought-out and developed piece.