Course Description: MM&I 699 – Directed Study (1-3 credits)
A directed study project completed under the direction of a member of the Medical Microbiology & Immunology Department faculty; recommended for juniors and seniors majoring in a biological science- or microbiology-focused degree program.
A “MM&I 699 Project” form must be completed, signed and submitted to the MM&I office before the student will be authorized for enrollment in 699. NOTE: A “MM&I 699 Project” form is required for each semester in which a student enrolls in 699.
MM&I 699 guides students through the conduct of research and process of thinking in a scientific and analytical manner. Depending on the scope of the project, students will enroll for 1, 2 or 3 credits. Each credit hour corresponds to 3-4 hours of research per week.
Project Topic: The specific topic for the directed study project is determined in consultation with the MM&I faculty advisor prior to enrolling in MM&I 699. The student is expected to consult appropriate research literature, texts and data sources, and may be expected to conduct laboratory experiments, depending on the chosen topic.
Grading: A letter grade will be given upon completion of the course. Successful course completion will be based on:
- Attendance
- Quality of work
- Ability to carry out the work independently
- Creativity in applying coursework knowledge to the project
- Presentation of project results to the advisor and others (as agreed by the student and advisor at the start of the project) in a timely manner
If the student anticipates needing additional time to complete the work, s/he must discuss this with his/her advisor well before the semester ends. If additional time is granted, the student will receive a grade of Incomplete for MM&I 699. If the student is graduating and needs the 699 credits for graduation, official graduation will be delayed until the project is approved and the incomplete is removed.
If the student chooses to take an incomplete in MM&I 699, the project must be presented to the advisor no later than the end of the first week of the next semester for which the student registers. If the student needs an extension past this deadline, s/he must request, and be granted, an extended incomplete from his/her advisor. Failing to do this will result in the incomplete lapsing into an F.