Deadlines are included each term on the Academic Year Calendar. Please submit your materials on or before the deadline using the form found on this website under "Registration Related Forms." No late submissions will be accepted.
General Guidelines:
- Proposals for the independent study option must be submitted for approval by the Curriculum Committee on or before the noted deadline. The request form and all supporting documentation should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office prior to the above due date. The Registrar’s Office will coordinate the review process and notify you of the Committee decision prior to the first day of registration for the impacted term.
- Credits: If approved, this will count as a three-credit course. Students are limited to a maximum of two independent studies (no more than six total credits during the entire course of study) unless an exception is granted by the Curriculum Committee.
- An Independent Study cannot fulfill any of the required electives for History & Theory, Urban/Landscape, Tech and Practice or Visualization.
- Students planning to submit a proposal should meet with their proposed advisor at least once to review the proposal before submitting the request. It is required that you confirm that your intended advisor is available and willing to serve as your Independent Study Advisor.
- The number of students working jointly on an Independent Study will be limited to two students per faculty member for a design-based Independent Study and one student per faculty member for a library/research-based Independent Study. Each student in a collaborative Study must submit his/her Independent Study Request Form and supporting documentation.
- Resubmission of the request is not permitted after Curriculum Committee review unless specifically requested.
- Process: The Curriculum Committee will consider whether your submission is equal in detail and direction to that which would otherwise be provided by a Yale School of Architecture (YSOA) seminar. The Committee will only approve projects that address a significant and relevant issue, follow a rigorous, clearly defined process and schedule, and demonstrate their author’s qualifications and capacity to conduct independent work.
- In addition, your proposal must demonstrate that you have conducted advance preparation and research that will allow you to begin work immediately at the beginning of the term. The proposal should be edited with and approved by the advisor before submission.
- The primary advisor must be a YSOA faculty member with an active appointment during the requested term. Contact hours are at the discretion of the faculty member and should be included in your proposal. The primary advisor will submit the final grade.
Proposal Examples:
The proposal should include the following supporting documentation:
- Description of Study: a written description of the Independent Study, including background information on this subject that will be helpful in evaluating the study. The proposal must address subject matter related to architecture and the advisor’s expertise but not be fully covered by a seminar offered in the same academic year.;
- Bibliography/Research: a bibliography of readings and/or a list of research materials intended to be used in this study;
- Weekly Schedule: a weekly schedule, including proposed meeting dates, tasks to be performed, and research/readings expected to accomplish per week;
- Advisor(s) Meetings: projected schedule of all meetings with advisors and consultants throughout this study;
- Final Product: a detailed description of what will be produced as a final result of the study (formal paper, built piece, presentation boards, etc.);
- Final Evaluation: the format to use for evaluating the success of the study (formal paper, presentation with invited guests, exhibition, etc.)