Independent Study

About Independent Study in Architecture: 

Independent Study provides an opportunity for students to work one-on-one with an architecture faculty member on directed research or projects. Typically, Independent Study is reserved for students at an advanced level within their major who have demonstrated initiative and serious engagement with the material in their previous coursework.

For the 2023-2024 academic year, the following faculty members are advising Independent Study students in Architecture:

Kadambari Baxi 
Karen Fairbanks
Ignacio Galan
Ralph Ghoche
Anooradha Iyer Siddiqi

Application Process: 

1. Faculty Approval: Meet with the faculty member you’d like to work with during the semester prior to when you plan to do your Independent Study project. You will be asked to develop your proposal and prepare the required information (abstract, schedule, bibliography) for the faculty member to review.

2. Submit Forms: After the faculty advisor has agreed to support your Independent Study, students must fill out the Architecture Department's Independent Study Application. When you submit that material you will be asked to confirm that the faculty member has seen these materials and has agreed to be your advisor for Independent Study.  

3. Join Waitlist: Join the online wait list for their faculty advisor's corresponding section of Independent Study (ARCH UN3997 or ARCH UN3998, depending on the semester).

4. Department Approval: Final approval for Independent Study is given by the Architecture Department Chair. Once approved, the faculty advisor will accept the student into their Independent Study course section. 

Notes: 

-Students are strongly encouraged to approach the faculty member they would like to work with as early as possible (a semester in advance) since many instructors limit the number of students they supervise in a given semester or year.  

-Seniors who wish to pursue an Independent Study project as one of their Senior Courses will be required to elect the 4-credit option, producing work comparable to that of a Senior Seminar or Advanced Architectural Research + Design, and ideally will have completed a Senior Seminar in the semester prior.