Eligible communication studies majors may complete up to 9 hours of course work through enrollment in COM 491 Directed Individual Study (DIS), with no more than 6 hours of DIS work outside the COM major.
DIS hours are logged as general electives and do not count toward required COM classes in the B.A. program. To qualify, a student must be a junior or senior (minimum of 59 semester hours completed), and have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA. Individual faculty members may enforce a higher GPA minimum at their discretion.
DIS projects are typically those that explore in greater depth one or more concepts studied in a completed COM class (or one in a related discipline). In some cases, a DIS may be a one-on-one rendition of a course that will not be offered again before a student graduates, or a course offered at another institution that is not a part of the general UNCW COM curriculum.
Whatever the scenario, a student should submit a written DIS project to a potential faculty sponsor. If a faculty member agrees to host a project, the student and faculty member refine the project proposal as they co-construct the experience, and the faculty member develops a related syllabus, for review and approval by the department chair and College of Arts & Science dean.
Students should recognize that Directed Individual Study projects are upper-level (400-level) work and, as such, represent a rigorous, in-depth academic challenge. DIS enrollments are not permitted to simply "fill hours."