Directed Research & Independent Study

What is Directed Research and Independent Study?

The College of Science encourages all of its students to take advantage of the University of Arizona’s research-1 (R1) status and get involved with a research experience during their undergraduate career. The best way to reinforce the concepts that you are learning in the classroom is to use them in a lab or field setting. A directed research or independent study experience allows you to work directly with faculty in their labs and learn what it means to be a research scientist. Independent study (ECOL 399/499) and Directed Research (ECOL 392/492) allow you to receive college credit for the contributions you are making to a lab. An additional option is the capstone course (ECOL 498).

Any of the courses above can be taken for honors credit as well.

*Notes:

1) You can apply up to 6 units of directed research units in your upper division major elective requirement. They must be directed research as the pass/fail grades in Independent Study will not count towards your degree plan. Pass/Fail courses may be used to count as total credits, but NOT to fulfill a requirement for the degree.

2) Students with a Major GPA below a 2.0 will not be allowed to register for directed research or honor's independent study to receive a grade. Directed Research may not be counted toward the major GPA when removal of that grade would result in the major GPA dropping below a 2.0

3) Directed Research under the guidance of non-EEB faculty members must be approved by the Associate Dept. Head for EEB. A maximum of 3 units will be given per semester/session. The form for approval should be turned in at BioSciences West 310.

4) Students must complete 45 hours of work per credit. This requirement is from both the University and the Board of Regents. Advisors can work with a student to determine how this breaks down per week/per credit. A typical situation would be 9 hours a week for a semester in a lab equals 3 credits of research.

Is there a difference between Directed Research and Independent study?

If you are new to a lab, chances are you will start off getting independent study credit for your experience. Independent study is for students that perform basic lab duties. Collecting data, analyzing data, maintaining and running experiments and participating in field research are all types of acceptable work for independent study credits. Remedial duties such as stocking shelves and washing glassware are not acceptable for independent study credit. Keep in mind that you can only receive independent study units if you are not receiving monetary compensation for your work. The grades available for Independent Study include S, P, C, D, E, I, and W. As defined in the University's general catalog, grades of S (Superior) and P (Pass) are special grades that replace A and B grades. S, P, I, and W grades are not factored into the grade point average, while grades of A, B, C, D, and E are factored into the grade point average.

If you have worked for the same faculty member for several semesters on the same project and have advanced to performing complex lab duties, then you may be eligible for directed research credit. Directed research is reserved for students that have shown commitment to a project and are providing an intellectual contribution to the research being conducted. The grades available for directed research units are A, B, C, D, E, I, and W. Unlike independent study units, you can receive an A or B for your experience and have those grades factored into both your major and cumulative GPA.

If you are unsure if your experience can be counted as independent study or directed research units, contact your major advisor at (520) 621-1588. Please have a discussion with the professor leading the research to go over the type of work you are doing prior to meeting with the advisor.

Do I have to get credit if I work in lab?

No! You are more than welcome to volunteer your time to one or more research labs during your undergraduate career. Many students begin as volunteers in a lab and progress to get independent study or directed research units. Many labs also offer paid, part-time student positions that allow you to gain research experience while earning extra cash on the side! Remember, if you are getting paid for a research experience, you can not receive college credit.

How do I get started in a research lab?

It is never too early to start looking for research experiences. Below are basic steps to get you started on your search.

1) Identify a faculty member or research scientist at the U of A that you would like to work with. The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) houses several faculty members that welcome students of all levels into their labs. You can learn more about each EEB faculty member’s research interests on our faculty bios page. Even though you are a student in the EEB department, don’t feel obligated to conduct research with our faculty. There are faculty members all over campus in a variety of fields that could potentially have a position for you. Search on other department websites or the U of A research database to find a research opportunity that interests you. You can also look into specific programs designed to partner you with faculty members like The Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP), the Minorities Access to Research Careers (MARC) Program, the Undergraduate Research Experience in Conservation Biology Program or the UA/NASA Space Grant Program. These programs are usually very competitive and have specific application requirements. Check with these program offices for more information.

2) After you have identified a faculty member to work with, contact them to discuss the potential of working in their lab. A phone call, email or personal appointment during their office hours is a good way to express interest in their lab. Remember that talking to a faculty member about working in their research lab is like interviewing for a job. You want to be professional and convince them that you would be a valuable asset to their lab. Make sure that you discuss with them any previous experience you may have in that area (including lab courses that you have taken) and whether or not you are looking for volunteer, college credit or paid experiences.

3) If a faculty member agrees to take you into their lab, stop by the EEB advising office in Biological Sciences West, room 310 to pick up a proposal form. Fill out this form accurately and thoroughly and have the faculty member sign and date the form. Make sure to include a short written description of the duties that you will be performing with your approval form.

4) Finally, submit the completed application to your academic advisor to officially add the units to your schedule. Your faculty research advisor will be contacted at the end of the semester in which you are registered for the units about a final grade.

Off-Site Internship Credit

Working with a faculty member in a research lab isn’t the only way that you can gain hands-on experience in the biological field. If you are interested in pursuing a career in one of the many biological fields outside of a research lab, then it may be valuable to find an internship or apprenticeship experience. There are several government and private agencies that offer both paid and unpaid internships. Undergraduates in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology have participated in highly competitive internship opportunities locally at:

• The Desert Museum
• Reid Park Zoo
• Arizona Game and Fish Department
• The Arizona Department of Agriculture
• The Bureau of Land Management

EEB students have also worked abroad with many national organizations. If you have been invited to participate in an internship opportunity and are not receiving monetary compensation for your experience, you may be eligible to receive college credit. If you are interested in receiving credit, download and fill out the Off-site Internship Approval Form and make an appointment with your academic advisor by calling 520-621-1588 or email the advisors at eebadvsr@email.arizona.edu to be sure that you are eligible to receive credit.

Updated on 12/18/2007

Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology | The University of Arizona

BioSciences West 310 | 1041 E. Lowell St.| P.O. Box 210088 | Tucson, AZ 85721-0088 | 520.621.1588

© Copyright 2007 The University of Arizona. All rights reserved.