EI Student Handbook 2022-2023

more than 6 may be required courses for an
emphasis or concentration.
Procedure for Arranging an Independent Study
The first step for a student in thinking about an
independent study is to consider what is lacking in
his or her program that an independent study could
address. For some students, it might be a certain
elective course that is offered infrequently; for
others, it might be a specific area of theological
inquiry, perhaps arising out of a particular course,
that the student would like to explore in depth under
the supervision of a faculty member who has some
expertise in that area. A student may seek guidance
about possible subjects and faculty guides from his
or her advisor or from the Dean or Associate Dean.
This step normally includes getting initial, tentative
approval for the subject and professor from the Dean
or Associate Dean. Then a faculty member is
contacted to ask him or her to guide the study.
No faculty member is required to agree to an
independent study proposal by a student. If the
professor agrees, both the professor and the student
agree upon and complete an “Independent Study
Contract,” which may be obtained in the E.I. office
or on the E.I. website. “Completing” this form
means that clear goals and objectives must be
delineated; the number of sessions and their length
are indicated; the books or articles that will be
required are listed; and any written assignments that
will be expected are noted. Failure to completely fill
out the form will result in the form being returned to
the student, with subsequent possible delay in
beginning the independent study. The form must be
signed by both professor and student. When both
signatures are present, the form is given to the Dean
for approval. Only when the Dean’s signature is
present can the student be registered for the
independent study.
Guidelines for Independent Study Workloads and
Student-Faculty Meetings
As a basic guideline, the quantity of work required
for independent study should exceed that of a
normal course with respect to required reading
and/or required writing (or other, comparable,
academic work). This means:
• Significant reading (more than 1,000 pages)
is expected for all independent studies.
• The student must meet with the professor at
least four or five times, spaced at regular
intervals, in the course of the semester to
discuss the readings, often in connection
with a short paper each session.
• The student should normally prepare
approximately three critical responses (3-5
pages each) to the reading.
• Normally, a substantive final research paper
(15-20 pages) is the main project of an
independent study.
• Other kinds of assignments at the discretion
of the instructor may be assigned.
Time Frame
The course must run for at least two calendar months
(60 days) and no more than six months from the date
it is approved. The course does not have to be
coterminous with an E.I. term.
Most students begin an independent study at the
beginning of a semester and complete it by the
semester’s end, although, under special
circumstances, an independent study can begin and
end at other times. Grades for independent study are
issued as part of the regular grade report at the end
of each term.
Financial Considerations
The tuition for any independent study is 1.5 times
the usual credit hour tuition.
Exceptions
Significant deviations from these guidelines require
the approval of the Dean.
Field Placements
Although generally no longer required, some
practical theology students engage in a 3-credit field
placement at a student’s own church, another
church, or a different site in the community. The
student “joins” an existing ministry so that the
student (a) can learn more about the practical aspects
of ministry and (b) can be evaluated with respect to
aptitude for ministry. A 3-credit field placement
(other than Ministry-in-Context) requires
approximately 90 hours of on-site work.
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