Individual Studies

Guidelines for Individual Studies in CDS

An Individual Study is self-directed course of study carried out under the supervision of a faculty advisor. In the Department of Communication and Digital Studies, students completing an individual study usually earn credit as COMM 491, DGST 491, or JOUR 491. Individual studies designated DGST 491 can fulfill the capstone requirement for the Minor in Digital Studies, JOUR 491 individual studies can fulfill a similar requirement for the Minor in Journalism, and any three-credit individual study can serve as an elective in the Communication & Digital Studies Major.

Like Internships for Academic Credit, an Individual Study must undergo a review process before it can be approved, so students cannot register directly for COMM 491, DGST 491, or JOUR 491. All Individual Studies must conform to the policies listed below, so interested students should make sure they are eligible and then proceed with the following steps.

Process

Step 1. Choose a Topic and an Advisor

Some time in the semester before the term intended for your Individual Study, choose a topic and meet with a faculty member to discuss advising the project. The faculty member can help narrow down your topic, ensure your eligibility, and provide guidance on preparing the proposal.

Step 2. Prepare the Project Description

The project description is a document that addresses each of the bullet points listed under item 4 in the policy. Think of this description like a proposal, and use those five bullet points as references for the document’s structure. We recommend creating a subheading for each of those points, and you are welcome to use this template as the starting point for your document.

Share drafts of this document with your faculty advisor and continue working on it until you are both satisfied that it meets all of the specified criteria. Project descriptions with missing or incomplete sections will be returned for revision.

Step 3a. Submit the Project Description to the Department Chair

By the end of the day on the first Wednesday of the term in which you plan to complete the individual study submit the project description document by email to the department chair, cc’ing your faculty advisor. The chair may request revisions to ensure that proposed project is consistent with department policy.

Step 3a. Submit the Individual Study Registration Form

At the same time as you submit the project description to the department chair, complete and submit the Individual Study Registration form, which is available on the Registrar’s website. On this form, you will need to specify the discipline, course number, credit hours, and title.

• The discipline will be Communication (COMM), Digital Studies (DGST), or Journalism (JOUR).
• The course number should be 491 in most cases. 492 is available in the rare cases where variable credit is warranted or the student is completing a second individual study 491 in that discipline.
• The credit hours should be 3 in most cases.
• The title of the individual study should be the actual title of your project. Often these need to be abbreviated to fit the 30-character constraint.

After the chair has reviewed the project description and approved the registration form, the Registrar’s Office will add the individual study to your schedule in Banner.

Recent Individual Studies in CDS

Spring 2025

Fall 2024

Fall 2024 Individual Studies

• COMM 491:
  “Strategies for Building a Brand,” Darryl Nyamedi
• COMM 492:
  “Social Media in Business,” Aanya Rai
• COMM 491:
  “Social Media Marketing,” Ty Wheaton
• DGST 491:
  “KPop Culture Clash: Korea vs US,” Alanah Cleare
• DGST 491:
  “The Plastic Purge,” Katie Reif
• DGST 491:
  “Human Creativity and AI: A survey of student attitudes about AI in the classroom,” Duncan Bowles

Policies for Individual Studies in CDS

1. Individual Studies are open only to juniors and seniors and are intended to allow more advanced or specialized work by well-prepared and highly motivated students. CDS majors must have taken COMM 340 and at least one upper-level course in the major. Non-CDS majors, Digital Studies minors, and Journalism minors must have taken at least three courses in Communication or Digital Studies, including two at the upper-level.
2. The subject area of the Individual Study should be appropriate for this department.
3. The Individual Study should not duplicate a course that is listed in the catalog or a special topics course that is offered in the same semester as the proposed Individual Study.
4. With advice from the sponsoring faculty, the student develops a description of the project, including a statement of objectives and list of activities that will fulfill these objectives. The work must merit 3 credits. The following information must be provided:
   • motivation and preparation for undertaking the Individual Study, including a description of previous course work that is relevant to the proposed area of study and that prepares the student to undertake the study;
   • a reading list of appropriate primary and/or secondary sources;
   • a schedule of conferences between student and faculty (at least once every two weeks), indicating anticipated subject of discussion and hence progress in the study;
   • a detailed listing of the substantial oral and/or written work to be performed by the student, with a focus toward a central project;
   • a weighting system for assignments.
5. Faculty undertake Individual Studies only in areas in which they feel appropriately qualified to guide and evaluate student work. Full-time faculty will undertake no more than three Individual Studies per semester, unless approved by the Department Chair. Adjunct faculty will not ordinarily take on Individual Studies and may not supervise more than one Individual Study student per year unless additional financial compensation is provided.
6. Completed individual study proposals should be emailed to the department chair by Wednesday of the first week of class. 
7. Individual study projects that have been approved, in final draft, by a CDS faculty sponsor will be approved, although changes or additions may be requested. Please do not sign up for an additional course unless you intend to keep both it and the individual study. The individual study form can be found on the Registrar’s website. 

Frequently Asked Questions