Undergraduate Independent Study
Undergraduate Students in the School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences are strongly encouraged to undertake at least two Independent Study experiences while enrolled in addition to the requirement of all SAFS Undergraduates to complete a Capstone Project in order to graduate.
Students have three types of Independent Study for which they may enroll:
Fish 498 (Internship), Fish 499 (Independent Research) and Fish 494-495 (Capstone Project). For more information, please see below:
FISH 498 Internship/Experiential Learning (1-15 credits, max. 15)
An Undergraduate Internship typically involves the student gaining practical experience in a setting either on- or off-campus. The student may participate in projects at regulatory agencies (city, county, state, federal), non-profit organizations, industry, etc. Internships are only available on a C/NC basis. The student, faculty sponsor, and workplace supervisor together will outline the learning objectives of the internship experience. Internship under Fish 498 may be undertaken by students who are not majors in the department, but they must have a SAFS faculty member as a sponsor to register for Fish 498.
The workplace supervisor must complete a Fish 498/499 evaluation of student performance and share it with the student and faculty sponsor before credit may be granted.
FISH 499 Undergraduate Research (1-15 credits, max. 15)
Undergraduate research typically involves the student examining a hypothesis, collecting data, and summarizing the results in a research paper. FISH 499 may be taken either C/NC or for a numerical grade, based on agreement between student and faculty sponsor. Research under Fish 499 may be undertaken by students who are not majors in the department, but they must have a SAFS faculty member as a sponsor to register for Fish 499.
The student must be given an evaluation by the worksite supervisor or faculty sponsor, or both, before being granted credit for the experience. This evaluation should be routed through the faculty sponsor and then turned in to Student Services in FSH 116.
FISH 494-495 Capstone I and II (3-9, 3 credits)
Additional Capstone Information and Forms
A Capstone Project is required for all SAFS Undergraduates in order to graduate. Only SAFS Majors may enroll in Fish 494-495. This project, typically a research project, is a minimum of 6 credits and 2 quarters (200 hours) and includes a paper and a presentation in a public forum. Students are not eligible to register for Capstone until they have Junior class standing, have completed all of their core courses, one flagship course and at least one additional Fish Course. Please proceed to the “Additional Capstone Information and Forms” page.
