Policies on Credit for Directed Studies

Credit for Directed Studies

The university policy on directed studies was approved effective August 2006. Auburn University offers directed studies courses, also referred to as special problems courses, directed readings or independent studies, in accordance with this established policy.

Directed studies courses allow in-depth study of a particular subject by a student who is well into her or his major and, in extraordinary circumstances, accommodate scheduling issues when no other remedy is available.

Directed studies courses should not normally be used as replacements for required courses or as a solution to routine scheduling problems.

Eligibility—To be eligible to take a directed studies course a student must be at junior level or above, and the course must be taken for credit toward the student’s major or minor; exceptions may be approved as follows:

• Exceptions concerning junior standing or higher, or concerning credit toward the student’s major or minor, must be approved by the instructor and the offering department head/chair (or dean, if the instructor serves as department head/ chair or associate dean), and by the dean of the college in which student is enrolled, if different from the offering college.
• A student must have the approval of her/his dean and the provost to take more than 9 hours of directed readings coursework for credit over the course of her/his degree program.
• The Provost's Guidelines on Directed Studies provides guidance the necessary approval process for the offering of directed studies courses for credit: https://www.auburn.edu/academic/provost/policies-guidelines/#guidelines.