What is an Independent Studies Course?
An Independent Studies Course is available to School of the Environment Major and Specialist students who would like to complete individualized research projects supervised by a School faculty member or affiliated faculty member. These courses are intended to provide advanced students with an opportunity to engage in highly specialized research topics that are not covered in regular courses. The student and supervisor construct a course proposal for successful completion of the course.
Independent Studies Courses are ineligible for the CR/NCR option.
Pre-requisites: ENV221H1/ENV222H1, completion of 14.0 credits, and enrolment in a School of the Environment Major or Specialist program.
How do I pursue an Independent Studies Course?
Students must propose a specific project to an individual faculty member. Once the student has obtained the faculty member's written approval of the project and agreement to supervise the student's project, the student and supervisor should fill in the form below and send it to the Undergraduate Administrator (ug.office.env@utoronto.ca). After receiving approval from the Undergraduate Office, the student will be enrolled in the course by the School. Students cannot enrol themselves in Independent Studies Courses on ACORN. Please keep your own copies of any documentation.
You must return the application form by the following deadlines:
- F (Fall) or Y (full-year) courses: By the end of the second week of September
- S (Winter) courses: By the end of the second week of January
- Summer: By the end of the first week of May
Course Information
Please make sure to read through the following information before submitting your form.
Note: There is no difference between choosing ENV492H1 and ENV493H1 - two separate course codes exist for students who take more than one Independent Studies Course.
Independent Studies Courses require independent self-directed work and study. The workload expectations of this course are similar to that of a 0.5 credit (F/S) or 1.0 credit (Y) course. Students interested in doing primary research that requires more work than a typical half course should apply for ENV491Y1.
The role of the course supervisor is to provide ongoing guidance on the research project to the student, beginning with the development of the course proposal. The supervisor is solely responsible for marking all assignments and providing feedback throughout the term.
Please note that independent studies courses can only be supervised by a School of the Environment faculty member or affiliated faculty member.
The student and course supervisor are required to submit information about their course proposal on the second page of the form, which must include:
- A project title/topic (this will be the subtitle of the course to appear on your transcript)
- An outline the purpose and goals of the project
- A brief description of suggested required research, including methodology
- A list of initial sources of information (including some initial specific references)
- The supervisor with a schedule of meeting times
- A list of assessments for the course, with marks and deadlines
No one assessment should have a value of more than 80% of the final grade.
Please keep in mind the sessional dates for when a portion of the mark is due. Of note, 10% of the overall mark of a F/S course and 20% of the overall mark of a Y course must be submitted before the drop date for the course.
Form
Please fill out the form below with your supervisor. When completed, please send a copy to the Undergraduate Administrator at ug.office.env@utoronto.ca, copying your supervisor.
Further Questions?
Please feel free to contact the Undergraduate Administrator at ug.office.env@utoronto.ca.