Three-Year General
Students must successfully complete a minimum of 15 academic course units for the Three-Year General Bachelor of Independent Studies (BIS), of which five academic course units must be the designated IS thesis project course units. A minimum of ten academic course units are to be completed in the Pre-Thesis phase.
Four-Year Honours
Students must successfully complete a minimum of 20 academic course units for the Four-Year Honours BIS, of which five academic course units must be the designated IS honours thesis project course units. A minimum of 15 academic course units are to be completed in the Pre-Thesis phase including IS 100, IS 200, and IS 330. Students must be in satisfactory standing to apply for the Thesis Project phase.
To graduate from the Three-Year General or the Four-Year Honours academic plan, a student must submit a completed thesis project, a description of studies, letters of evaluation from thesis project supervisors to the Independent Studies Academic Board, and satisfy the English Language Proficiency Requirement.
Both the Three-Year General and the Four-Year Honours Independent Studies academic plans are divided into two phases: the Pre-Thesis phase and the Thesis Project phase.
Pre-Thesis Phase
Students develop term plans with the assistance of IS academic advisors. The term plan focuses on expectations and academic objectives and identifies courses to be taken each term. Completing the term plan establishes the habit of setting specific goals, which provide structure for independent study. Each student during each Pre-Thesis phase term meets at least five times with an Independent Studies academic advisor to discuss their academic work.
The term plan is required of every student at the beginning of each term during the Pre-Thesis phase. A complete record of academic work accomplished during each term (term report) must be submitted at the end of each term. These documents of work completed in the Pre-Thesis phase provide the basis for review and evaluation.
Normally, students in the Three-Year General academic plan must complete at least five academic course units in this first phase if they have already successfully completed five academic course units of university level work, or at least ten academic course units if they have not previously attended university. For the Four-Year Honours academic plan, students will complete 15 academic course units in the Pre-Thesis phase. While students in the Pre-Thesis phase may take regular university courses, they are expected to engage in a significant amount of independent study and to develop an interdisciplinary perspective on their area of academic focus.
In exceptional cases, and with the approval of the Independent Studies Academic Board, students transferring into the Independent Studies degree program who are in excellent standing and who have already completed at least ten academic course units of university level work may receive credit for a maximum of ten academic course units. Students considering transfer to the Honours academic plan should note that IS 100, IS 200, and IS 330 are prerequisites for the Pre-Thesis phase.
Academic Standing rules for the Bachelor of Independent Studies can be viewed in the Academic Standing and Averages section of this Calendar.
Thesis Project Phase
The Thesis Project phase of the BIS is overseen by the Independent Studies Academic Board. The board is composed of faculty members from each of the faculties of the University of Waterloo's six faculties. The board is assisted in its assessment of each degree candidate by a committee of supervisors appointed by the board to advise and evaluate the work accomplished by students during the Thesis Project phase.
Students are required to apply to the Independent Studies Academic Board for entry into the Thesis Project phase of the program (five academic course units) after successfully completing Pre-Thesis phase requirements (normally a minimum of five academic course units in the Three-Year General academic plan or a minimum of ten academic course units in the Four-Year Honours academic plan). Applicants must submit, in writing, a thesis project proposal that details their post-secondary academic history, the proposed plan of research and study, and a timetable for completion of the thesis project. This document is prepared in consultation with the proposed thesis project supervisors and with advice from an Independent Studies academic advisor and a member of the Independent Studies Academic Board. Thesis project supervisors must approve the thesis project proposal before it is submitted to the Independent Studies Academic Board.
The decision to accept an applicant for Thesis Project phase is based on an assessment of (a) the applicant's general preparedness for completion of BIS degree-level studies and (b) the suitability of the thesis project studies proposal with respect to academic standards and the University's capability to support such studies and to examine the resulting work. In the case of the Four-Year Honours academic plan, the thesis project proposal must include clear evidence of plans for rigorous academic research and the student's academic performance should indicate good potential for further post-secondary studies. Proposals from students in the Three-Year General academic plan may be more empirical in nature and, while students must be in satisfactory standing to apply, clearly identified potential for further study is not required. Specific requirements for thesis proposals are provided in detail on the Independent Studies website.
On acceptance of a student's thesis project proposal, the board formally appoints two thesis supervisors including at least one member of the University of Waterloo's regular faculty. The student meets regularly with the supervisors to complete the approved thesis project. When the work is accomplished, the supervisors are required to submit written evaluations of the candidate's performance as a basis for recommending the awarding of the BIS degree and a member of the Independent Studies Academic Board must provide approval of the final completed thesis project.
Minors
Students enrolled in Independent Studies may elect to complete the requirements for a minor. The minor will be designated on a student's diploma and transcript upon graduation.
Further Information
Please consult the Independent Studies website for additional program details.