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| Questions about Credit | ||
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Internship Credit Independent Study Credit Credit by Petition Transfer Credit Study Abroad |
Questions about Credit
Looking for credit? Check here for information on independent study credit, internship credit, credit by petition, transfer credit, and study abroad credit.
Internship Credit
OS does not give credit for simply completing an internship. However, students may create an independent study project that is related to the internship in some way and that is completed during the internship (or shortly after). Students can be awarded credit for the academic work of the independent study project.
See the "Independent Study Credit" section below for a step-by-step guide to this process.
You can also visit the OS website Curriculum section to obtain the Independent Study Guidelines that will give you more information. You are responsible for choosing an independent study topic, creating the first draft of your independent study proposal, and for finding a sponsor.
Karen Epstein, OS Faculty Advisor, can supervise your independent study, or help you find a faculty member who is willing to supervise you. You can email her at kepstein@umich.edu.
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Independent Study Credit
Visit the OS website for a copy of the Independent Study Guidelines. Here's a step-by-step guide to the process:
1) THINK ABOUT TOPICS AND SEARCH FOR A SUPERVISOR AND/OR SPONSOR
Think about topics that interest you, and seek out a GSI and/or faculty member that has some connection to your topic areas and who would be available and willing to work with you during the time frame you have in mind. You may use faculty or GSIs from any department.
The "supervisor" of your project is the person who will monitor your work throughout the project, and can be either a faculty member or a GSI. The "sponsor" for your project can have less day-to-day contact with your work, but must be a faculty member who will sign off on the final project proposal and the completed work. If a faculty member is willing to be both your supervisor and sponsor, then you only have to work with one person, but if you find a GSI to supervise, then you must find a separate faculty member as your sponsor (if you tell the faculty member you already have a GSI to supervise, they are more likely to agree!).
2) CHOOSE A TOPIC AND CREATE A DRAFT PROPOSAL
Narrow down your topic choices and choose a specific topic. Create a draft proposal of the project using the guidelines on the OS website. Put as much detail into the proposal as you can, but remember that your faculty/GSI supervisor can also help you revise and put more detail into the proposal (outside reading suggestions, etc.). If your independent study project is connected with an internship, your topic can be related to the day-to-day duties of your internship, but doesn't necessarily have to be. Some students choose a broader topic that has only a loose connection to their internship work.
3) FINALIZE PROPOSAL AND OBTAIN APPROVAL FROM SUPERVISOR/SPONSOR
Send the draft proposal to your supervisor and see if he/she is willing to work with you on the project. If so, work with your supervisor to create a final version of the proposal and a timeframe for the work. If you are not on campus while you are creating your proposal, you can send the proposal back and forth by fax, by email, or by regular mail. Once you and your supervisor have a final version, send it on to the sponsor for sign-off.
If your project is connected to an internship, you can start your internship without the proposal being finalized, but don't start any outside work on the project until your proposal is approved. If your project work needs to continue into the fall after the internship has ended, that's ok, as long as your supervisor and sponsor agree to the timeframe.
4) OBTAIN FINAL APPROVAL TO COUNT TOWARD OS DEGREE
Once the proposal is finalized, forward a copy to Dr. Price, again by fax or email. Dr. Price will be the final arbiter of whether the project can count for OS concentration credit, but he is likely to approve it as long as you have an appropriate faculty or GSI supervising, and the project has an organizational topic.
5) REGISTER FOR CREDIT
You may register under another department's independent study number, or you can use the OS independent study number (OS 499), even if your faculty member or GSI are from another department.
**Please note that your registration can be in a different term than when the project is actually completed. For example, if you complete the project during the summer, but wish to wait to register for credit until the fall (to save money), this is typically no problem, but you must get approval in advance from your supervisor and sponsor. The maximum delay allowed is one full term.**
To register using OS 499, email Bill Kerschbaum as soon as Dr. Price has approved your proposal for OS credit. Let Bill know you have an approved project and you wish to register for OS 499, and let him know which term you want to register for and the names of your supervisor and sponsor. Bill will enter data into the student database giving you permission to register for the course. Then, once he lets you know it is all set, you can go in through Wolverine Access on the web and add OS 499 to your schedule for the term that has been agreed upon. If you are using another department's independent study number, contact that department for instructions.
6) COMPLETE THE PROJECT
Complete the independent study project in the timeframe agreed to between you and your supervisor. Make sure your supervisor and sponsor understand that if you are delaying your registration to the next term, an official grade sheet will not come until the end of the next term.
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Credit by Petition for UM Courses
Occasionally, students may find UM courses that they wish to count toward their OS concentration but that are not part of the approved OS curriculum. Students may petition to make such substitutions in the curriculum.
To petition, email Cathy with the following information:
- Department, Number, and Title of the course, and the course description (can be copied from the course guide web site).
- Brief paragraph describing why you wish to take the course and how it fits in with your concentration pathway.
The course will be reviewed for inclusion in your program, and you will be notified of the outcome. This review can typically be done within a week.
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Transfer Credit
With advanced approval from the program, transfer credit may be used to fulfill either prerequisites or program requirements.
First, you should check with the UM credit evaluators (located in the Undergraduate Admissions Office in the SAB) to be sure that the course you wish to take will transfer to UM. The credit evaluators maintain a helpful website. If the course you wish to take is listed on that website, it will indicate how it transfers to UM. If the course is not listed, that means it has never been reviewed by the credit evaluators, and you should visit the admissions office to fill out the blue "credit transfer" form to determine if and how the course will transfer.
If the credit evaluators determine that the course transfers as "equivalent" to a specific UM course that is listed on the approved OS curriculum (Soc 4XX at EMU = Soc 460 at UM), then you can be assured that it will count toward OS in the cluster indicated. You should notify Cathy of your plans, but there is no need to do additional paperwork.
If "general" or "departmental" transfer credit is awarded for the course (Soc 4XX at EMU = Soc Dept at UM), you must petition to count the course in your OS curriculum. To petition, email Cathy with the following information:
- Institution, Department, Number, and Title of the course, and the course description.
- Brief paragraph describing why you wish to take the course and how it fits in with your concentration pathway.
The course will be reviewed for inclusion in your program, and you will be notified of the outcome. This review can typically be done within a week.
BE AWARE: A maximum of 60 transfer credits are allowed to count toward your LSA degree. Also be aware that once you reach junior status at UM (55 or more credits), you may not transfer credit from a community or junior college. Also, there is a limit of three transfer courses that may be used to fulfill concentration requirements (not including prerequisites).
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Study Abroad Credit
For most study abroad programs, it is possible to find one or two courses that can count toward an OS concentration. If you are planning to study abroad, it is suggested that you talk with Cathy as early as possible. OS is a long concentration, and if you will be off campus for a term, it is important to plan ahead!
If you are studying abroad on a UM program, then you can be assured that all credit will transfer back to UM, but you will need to check concerning whether the courses can count toward your OS major. Email or bring in to Cathy the course descriptions for the courses you plan to take abroad, and a review will be completed to determine which can count in what areas toward your OS concentration.
If you are studying abroad on a non-UM program, first check with the credit evaluators in the Undergraduate Admissions Office (SAB) to be sure your study abroad credits will be accepted at UM. Then bring or email the course descriptions and the credit evaluators' designations to Cathy, and the courses can be reviewed for possible inclusion in your OS concentration.
To determine if study abroad credit can count toward your distribution or other LSA requirements, you must check with your LSA advisor.
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