Independent Study (Humanities)

Independent Studies are voluntary agreements between individual full-time or part-time faculty members and individual students, in which students complete a course of study and assignment. Only juniors and seniors in good academic standing (defined as having earned a minimum of 3.0 GPA overall) are eligible for Independent Study. Faculty conduct Independent Studies with students who have already completed a class or other educational/research activity under their supervision. The course of study and assignment for 1 or 2 credit Independent Study typically consist of a reading list and workload comparable to that required for a 1 or 2 credit course. Independent Studies are intensive activities. Faculty members regard them as a significant commitment. Students can only participate in one Independent Study per semester.

If an HSS full-time or part-time faculty member is willing to supervise an Independent Study, the student should work with the faculty member to complete this form and submit the signed application to the HSS’s Dean’s Office no later than the end of the first week of semester for approval. LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. The work cannot begin unless the Independent Study is approved by the Dean’s Office. The major consideration in approving proposals for independent study is the educational value of the study project within the structure of degree requirements.

To learn more, please visit HSS Independent Study Policy.

Course Code: HUM 99

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.