Special Permission
Special permission to take courses outside of the ones listed on this website and with affiliates can be found on the Social Science Academic Counselling site.
If you have questions about the eligibility of a course listed with an affiliate or not on this website contact the IR Director.
Indepdent Study and Thesis Courses
The major difference between an Independent Study and Thesis course is that the Independent Study is a 0.5 course, usually with a significant paper due at the end of the course. The thesis course is a 1.0 course with a even more significant paper (thesis) submitted at the end. The Independent Study does not require a second reader whereas a thesis course does and the student's mark is then the average of Reader 1 and Reader 2.
Students need to find an advisor for Independent Study and Thesis before they can be enrolled. Once a supervisor is found they can e-mail the undergraduate advisor of the respective department (for Political Science click here, for History click here) and request a confirmation email be sent from their the advisor before enrollment. Students wanting to complete an Independent Study course also need to fill out a form with their advisor that details why the course is needed (how the topic is not covered by an existing courses), along with the intended method of evaluation.
Students cannot be enrolled before their enrollment date from the Registrar's Office (typically late June, early July) and they have until the add deadline in September to be enrolled in either course.
Both options require a modular average of 80% or higher the previous year.
For more information please consult the academic calendar here: Independent Study and Thesis Courses (Political Science) Directed Readings and Thesis Courses (History).
