Overview
COMP 499: Independent Study II is designed to provide a means by which the student can focus on, elaborate, or broaden their understanding in an area of interest not covered in courses offered at Athabasca University. This independent study course can be initiated by either the student (to address their personal learning needs) or by a faculty member (to offer a select number of students an in-depth learning opportunity to study a topic beyond the scope of available AU courses). In both cases, the student will work with a faculty member to meet the learning outcomes of the customized course.
Eligibility
The student must be in a Bachelor of Science program at Athabasca University in order to register in COMP 499: Independent Study II. (Refer to Prerequisites information.)
Independent Study II will not be approved as a substitute for existing curricular offerings, even when scheduling conflicts occur. Independent Study II will also not be approved for a proposal that replicates knowledge or skills acquired in a previous course or for a project somewhat larger than one conducted by the student in a prior assignment. However, Independent Study II may be used to go beyond existing course content and/or to extend skills learned in a course already completed by the student.
Approval to register in this course is contingent on acceptability of the proposal and/or availability of an appropriate supervisor. A proposal that does not include all required information will not be considered.
The Independent Study II proposal must be signed off by the prospective supervisor prior to submitting to the Course Coordinator for approval. The approved independent study proposal becomes the contract for the Independent Study II credit. The faculty supervisor is responsible for providing marks in accordance with Marks and Grades in Athabasca University’s Undergraduate Calendar for work completed (or not completed) according to the contract.
Requirements
Students interested in registering in COMP 499: Independent Study II must submit a written course proposal to the Course Coordinator a minimum of one month before registering in the course.
Read the following submission details carefully. Proposals missing required information will not be considered. Contact the Course Coordinator with questions or for help preparing the proposal.
- The proposal must meet the following minimum standards:
- the work proposed must be demonstrably at the undergraduate 400 level;
- the magnitude of the work must be equivalent to that required by core and elective courses (e.g., approximately 150 hours of work; two to three products or evaluative activities); and
- the proposal must contain documentation and evidence that appropriate supervision and evaluation have been planned.
- The prospective supervisor must be identified and approve the proposal prior to submission. Contact the Course Coordinator to identify a supervisor for the independent study.
Note: The academic background and interests of faculty members may be helpful in planning independent study activity and supervision. Students are advised to review the SCIS faculty profiles on the Faculty of Science and Technology website.
- Compilation of proposal content varies depending on the type of independent study:
Student-Initiated Independent Study: The student must submit a one-page written proposal that includes the rationale for the course, five to ten learning outcomes, and a study plan. A proposed assessment structure (which includes a minimum of two assignments) must be outlined. The assessment structure must comply with the COMP 499 learning outcomes.
Faculty-Initiated Independent Study: When the Independent Study IIs initiated by a faculty member, the student must submit a written proposal using the content for the course (which includes the rationale for the course, learning outcomes, study plan, and assignment structure) as provided by the respective faculty member.
- The submission must include a cover page with the following information:
- student name
- student email address
- course number (COMP 499)
- proposed course title
- list of all successfully completed COMP courses in the Bachelor of Science program
Outline
COMP 499 is an asynchronous, individualized study course. There is no predetermined time when the student must log in to complete coursework. However, the student should complete the coursework within the time frame in which they are enrolled.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to
- apply theories appropriate to the topic domain;
- analyze problems, arguments, methods, and technologies appropriate to the topic domain;
- synthesize and connect concepts and models in the topic domain; and
- develop or design tools, procedures, or methods appropriate to the topic domain.
Evaluation
To receive credit for COMP 499, the student must achieve a cumulative course grade of D (50 percent) or better.
COMP 499: Independent Study II will be recorded on the student’s transcript using the course number (499), the number of credits (3), a numeric and alpha grade (e.g., 95% A+), and a title (as defined in the Independent Study II proposal).
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
This course either does not have a course package or the textbooks are open-source material and available to students at no cost. This course has a Course Administration and Technology Fee, but students are not charged the Course Materials Fee.
COMP 499 has no required course materials. It is expected that the student will consult reference materials—including textbooks, journals, and online resources—for information directly related to their learning proposal.