Independent Study provides the opportunity for an individual student or group of students, with the approval and under the direction of one or more faculty advisors, to study and to explore in greater depth an area of particular interest to the student and faculty member. An independent study may be used as a substitute for an existing WPI course, as an opportunity to study a topic not currently offered as a course at WPI, or to conduct directed undergraduate research.
Independent Study registration for terms A-E will be accepted up to the 10th day of the term (not including weekends) without penalty.
An independent study may be used to assign credit in a particular discipline only when at least one of the faculty advisors has an appointment in the department or program associated with the discipline or with the approval of the appropriate Department Head or Program Director. If disciplinary credit is not assigned to the independent study, the academic credit will be identified as Interdisciplinary (ID) and the credit will be assigned as free elective on the student’s transcript.