Guidelines

1. Approval: Special studies courses must be approved by the instructor before going to the Subcommittee on Student Honors and Independent Programs (SHIP) for review and approval. Until SHIP approval is received, students should remain registered and active in a full course load.

2. Credit hours and time commitment: Special studies can be taken for 1, 2, 3, or 4 credits. The total amount of time a student should spend on activities directly involved in the course, including meeting with the instructor, is determined by the federal definition of credit hour: 1 credit hour represents 3 hours per week of academically engaged time for the entire semester (i.e., 12 hours per week for a 4-credit course, as per the Smith Faculty Code).

3. Five College: Smith Students registering for a special studies at one of the Five Colleges must obtain the signature of the instructor at the host school and must also complete any required forms at the host school.

4. Deadline: The completed Special Studies application, with instructor signature, is due to the Registrar’s Office by the end of the first week of classes (fifth day of classes). The Registrar’s Office will provide application to SHIP for review.

5. S/U grading option: The S/U option must be declared with the change of grading option form before the S/U deadline.

Student: Please complete section 1 below. Arrange a meeting with the instructor to complete sections 2 and 3. You may attach a syllabus or other documentation to this form instead or in addition to using the text boxes.

Instructor: Please review course information for accuracy.