A student must be in good standing to take an initial one (1) or two (2) credit Directed Study. To take a three (3) or four (4) credit Direct Study or a second Directed Study: i) a student must maintain a class rank at or above the 25th Percentile, and ii) the student must obtain the professor's approval in writing confirming the directed study merits the number of credits desired before obtaining approval from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. A student may not earn more than four (4) credit hours of Directed Study.
Students must submit to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs the Directed Study Approval Form, as well as a research proposal signed by the supervising professor. The research proposal should be not less than 500 words, and include a summary that reflects the student’s initial research into the topic. Such research should include, but is not limited to, reviewing the scholarship for preclusion, identifying circuit splits in decided cases, and surveying existing scholarship on the subject. The proposal should also include a research plan outlining the timeline for completing the paper.
The following are accepted guidelines for directed studies:
The directed study form is available online.
Amended: April 17, 2019
Updated: July 2, 2019