Aerial view of campus with Williamsport, the Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Mountain as a backdrop

Independent Study

Students at Lycoming College have the option to add even more diversity and flexibility to their education by completing independent studies. Independent studies usually involve students studying a topic on their own, guided by frequent one-on-one meetings with a faculty member who supervises the student's project.

At Lycoming, the following independent study options are available:

  • Independent Study: students research a topic of interest to them that is not part of the regular course catalog, and discuss their progress with a professor. Recent Independent Studies have ranged from Machine Learning to Cameroonian Drumming.
  • For-credit Internships and Practica: Students are able to merge theory with practice, and gain credit for real-world experience in their chosen field while continuing to learn academic content closely related to their internship experience. In addition to the professional supervising their internship, students also have a faculty supervisor who helps track their academic progress.
  • Honors Projects and Haberberger Fellowships: Advanced students have the opportunity to carry out original research projects in their field of study, working closely with a faculty mentor. These projects have led to student-authored publications and presentations at regional, national, and even international conferences.
  • Independent Study of Catalog Courses: Occasionally, a student might not be able to take a required course in their major or minor when it is normally offered. To help all our students maintain their progress, some catalog courses may be taken as independent studies. Students cover the course content discussed in the catalog course and have regular one-on-one meetings with a professor.

Lycoming College is passionate about maintaining academic quality for every student, in every course, so all independent study projects are pre-approved by a faculty supervisor, by that faculty member's academic department, and by the college's independent study committee of professors in a wide variety of disciplines.