Getting Registered

New Independent study form coming soon! Reach out to Jill Foster (jill dot foster at duke dot edu) with questions.

The first step is to identify a faculty member who will serve as your advisor. The departmental Undergraduate Studies Office cannot assign you to a lab nor make specific recommendations, however we do provide information and suggestions for finding a mentor. How you will enroll in the Independent Study depends solely on the Departmental affiliations of your Faculty Research Mentor. The Biology Department requires students, wherever possible, to enroll for Independent Study directly with their Research Mentor through the Mentor's Department.

Register for Independent Study with a Biology Department Faculty Member

1. Submit the online Independent Study Form at least one week before the drop/add deadline; the form includes the name and contact information of your research supervisor (faculty member), a brief description of the project, and information about your schedule in lab and grading basis. Once your research supervisor and the Biology Department has reviewed and approved your project, they will add your research supervisor to a section of Bio 293 or 493 in DukeHub as appropriate and you'll be sent a permission number for enrollment. You should register for the specific section number of BIOLOGY 293 (for first semester of a project) or 493 (for subsequent terms in the same lab) listed in DukeHub for your supervisor. Registration through DukeHub can be done any time until the end of Drop/Add.
2. For a Writing Intensive Independent Study, fill out the Request for Writing Code for Research Independent Study Course form, available through the Trinity Requirements. Discuss the specific writing expectations with your research supervisor. The form, signed by the student and the research supervisor, must be signed off by the Associate DUS and submitted to Trinity College by their deadline. More info on Writing Intensive Independent Study.

Register for Independent Study with a Faculty Member in Pratt or another Trinity Department or Program

1. Obtain a permission number from the Department of your Research Supervisor (Engineering, EvAnth, Psychology, Environ, Marine Science, Neuroscience, etc), and enroll for an Independent Study in that Department. Because Independent Study policies and procedures vary by Department, you will need to visit the appropriate Department's website or speak with the appropriate contact to determine their registration procedures. Registration through DukeHub can be done any time until the end of Drop/Add, though Departments may have earlier deadlines for receipt of forms/approvals.
2. Some Independent Study projects registered through Engineering and Trinity College Departments other than Biology are appropriate for use towards the Biology major, while others are not, so the DUS Office reviews those projects on a case by case basis to determine whether the project is sufficiently biological. Fill out the Independent Study form to have your project reviewed. If the Independent Study is approved for use towards the Biology major, your Stellic audit will be manually programmed to use the class as appropriate towards your Bio major requirements.

Register for Independent Study with a Duke Faculty Member in the Medical Center

If your research supervisor is not a member of the Biology faculty, you have two options for enrollment, both of which require completion of an online Independent Study Form. Students are strongly recommended to initiate the process no later than a full week prior to drop/add to allow sufficient time before the enrollment deadline for necessary approvals to receive a permission number.