To enroll in an Independent Study as part of the Honors Program at Penn State Greater Allegheny, follow these guidelines:

Enrollment Process

  • Honors Option Form: Work with your course instructor to complete the Honors Option Form for the Independent Study.

  • Deadline: The usual deadline for submission is three weeks into the semester. Exceptions may be approved by the instructor and coordinator on a case-by-case basis.

  • Contact: For any inquiries regarding the Honors Independent Study or Research, contact the Honors Coordinator at our campus.

Instructions

  • Depth and Rigor: An Honors course should delve deeper into methodology, structure, theory, and address more sophisticated questions compared to standard courses. Increasing the workload alone does not qualify a course as Honors; the quality and character of the work should be enhanced, while the time commitment remains appropriate for the credits assigned.

  • Regular Meetings: A successful Honors experience involves planned, regular meetings between the instructor and student to review, discuss, and revise the project as it develops. Specific deadlines should be established whenever possible.

  • Faculty Role: Faculty members are encouraged to provide clarifications, suggest modifications, or propose alternatives to student proposals. They may reject proposals lacking serious preliminary thought about projects worthy of Honors recognition.

  • Form Completion: The Honors Independent Study form must be completed by the student in consultation with the instructor.

  • Presentation Requirement: To earn Honors credits, students must present the results of their work in the form of a poster at the Student Research and Creativity Conference. Students presenting posters must submit an abstract and an electronic copy of their poster or presentation in Canvas. Failure to submit and present the poster will result in the removal of the Honors designation from the transcript.

  • Commitment: Filing an Honors Option signifies a commitment from both student and instructor to complete the project. The course cannot revert to non-Honors status without the instructor's permission. The Office of Academic Affairs must receive written notification of any changes, no later than the end of the sixth week of the semester.