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Special Academic Opportunities

Internships

An internship is a work-experience opportunity with the purpose of expanding education by applying accumulated knowledge in an academic field of study. This presupposes that a student has accumulated a background of knowledge in an applicable discipline. Therefore, the availability of internships is limited to upper-level students, normally seniors. Students are approved individually by the academic department that grants the credits for the work experience. With special permission, juniors may participate in the program.

A student may earn from one to six academic credits for the work experience, six being the maximum number of credits any student may earn while at Ave Maria University. These credits are based upon one semester credit per fifty or more hours of applicable work experience. Each department will be responsible for establishing the total number of hours required for their internship courses. The internship contractual agreement is to be signed by the student, the supervisor at the workplace, and the academic faculty advisor of the student. Each internship should include two site visits by the internship instructor. Internships are facilitated through the Career Planning and Placement Office, unless required and thus arranged by specific academic departments. They are conducted under the guidance of a faculty member. Internships must be approved before a student can begin the work experience for credit. The student must also register for the internship during the normal advanced scheduling and registration periods. Students interested in internships should talk with their academic advisers.

Independent Studies

Upper-level students may desire to develop their knowledge beyond that which is achieved in normal course work. To this end, students may pursue an in-depth study of a particular subject through an Independent Study Program and earn recognition by receiving academic credit.

An Independent Study can be taken in any department that gives faculty approval; the course numbers are always 431 and 432. The student will develop a Learning Contract in consultation with a full-time faculty member of the University. The student’s work will be guided by the faculty member using the tutorial method. A maximum of three credit hours may be earned through independent study. A fee of $100 per credit hour is charged in addition to regular tuition for the Independent Study.

A student must have the following qualifications to pursue an Independent Study:

1. Be pursuing an undergraduate degree at the University.
2. Be at the senior class level (have earned a minimum of ninety semester credit hours), unless special permission is obtained from the Academic Dean.
3. Have a 3.00 GPA for all prior course work. Students interested in the Independent Study Program should contact the chair of the department in which a student wishes to pursue independent study in which they wish to earn credit. A program of study must be approved by the professor, adviser, department chair and Academic Dean before a student registers for an independent study.

Course by Arrangement

A course by arrangement is restricted to a Catalog course that is not offered by the University during a given semester or cannot be scheduled by the student. The course might be offered to the student on a one-to-one basis. The option is limited to instances of extenuating circumstances. Approval of the professor, adviser, department chair, and Academic Dean is required.

Selected Topics Courses

Courses numbered 297, 298, 397, 398, 497, and 498 are entitled STUDIES IN SELECTED TOPICS and may be offered in any area whether or not they are listed in the course offerings section. The content of such courses is different from that of the regularly offered courses and can vary. The Academic Dean must authorize the offering of all such courses according to guidelines laid down by the Academic Affairs Committee. Some courses transferred from other colleges or universities may also be given this designation. Special Topics courses maintain the standard of academic excellence required of all regularly offered courses.