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Independent Study

There may be occasions where students’ academic, professional, and personal development goals are best served by pursuing independent work for a more customized opportunity to learn and grow.

MBA students have the chance to pursue an independent study in three ways for academic credit with guidance and approval from faculty and the MBA Program Office:

Academic independent study;research independent study;applied independent study

Current Students: Visit the MBA Project Consulting & Experiential Learning Canvas site in the electives section for detailed guidelines on establishing and executing an Independent Study, including the link to submit an application!

Academic Independent Study

At times, students may be interested in pursuing a traditional academic course that is not offered at the University of Washington. Under these circumstances, students may secure a syllabus from an existing course at another university, complete the work outlined on the syllabus, and author a paper that critically evaluates the content domain of the course.

Research Independent Study

Students can explore a related topic of interest to a level of depth that suits their academic or professional objectives, creating a Harvard-style teaching case to illustrate the findings and propositions resulting from the research. The case can be based on a concept or a real organization.

Applied Independent Study

Students may engage a company or organization outside UW to address a real-world challenge or opportunity, applying their skills, experience, and critical thinking to execute the project through an interdisciplinary approach. Alternatively, students may execute design and implementation activities for their own startup company (e.g. business plan, go-to-market strategy, target operating model, etc.), using research, analysis, and critical thinking.

Direct your questions to [email protected]