OMIS 495 Independent Study in Operations and Information Management (1-3 credit hours)
OMIS 604 Independent Study in Operations Management (3 credit hours, may be repeated to 6 credit hours)
OMIS 605 Independent Study in Information Systems (3 credit hours, may be repeated to 6 credit hours)
An independent
study is typically an in-depth, individual research project conducted by a
student under the
supervision of a faculty member with expertise or interest in the particular
area being studied. (Note: Although
Dr. Russo appears as the instructor-of-record, she does not generally supervise
independent studies.)
The topic of the independent study is selected by the student. The independent study should allow the
student
to obtain in-depth knowledge on some topic of personal or professional
interest. Very often the project
extends the student's knowledge in a particular subject area that was introduced
in class.
Independent study classes require that the student be able to work “independently”
with limited interaction
with the supervising professor. An
independent study is not “taught.” The student and professor might
meet on a regular basis to discuss the status of the project, or they might
meet only 2-3 times throughout
the semester.
The output of the
project should be a substantial research paper. For a 3 credit-hour independent study,
the student should expect to spend an average of 3-5 hours per week on the
project. The ideal project
results in paper than can be published jointly with the supervising professor.
Your first step
should be to think about particular topics you would like to study in more
detail.
Then talk to the professors in those subject areas to see if one will agree to
supervise your independent study.
Once that is established, there is a proposal form that must be filled
out and questions that have to be answered.
The proposal describes your project topic, data collection methods, and
deliverables.
You cannot register for an independent study course through TRACS.
After choosing a topic, getting agreement from a professor
to supervise your study,
and completing the proposal and proposal form, bring the approved proposal and
form to the OMIS office, 328 Barsema Hall.
The advisor for your degree (Sue Goad
or Phyllis Zerull) will then officially enroll you in the course.
Forms are available in the OMIS Office, 328 Barsema
Hall. If you are unable to
pick up a form on campus, telephone the office at 815-753-1286 to have one
mailed
to you.
It is not always easy to find a professor willing to supervise an independent study.
It is therefore in your best interest to have a good
relationship with your professors
and to have a solid idea before approaching potential supervisors. Typically a student
identifies potential sponsors based on the topic of the independent study. You can
find out professors’ interests and expertise by looking at their web pages
(available via the
College of Business directory at www.cob.niu.edu).
Last revised: 8/1/02