Directed Independent Research (4912)
Are you conducting research with a faculty mentor (dealing with data, working with primary sources, working a lab, helping with filming, etc.)? Would you like those experiences to count for course credit or just to show up on your transcript, where graduate programs and future employers can see them?
Directed Independent Research (XXX 4912) is a course for students who are working closely with a faculty member on a research or creative project. It is available in most majors to document and formalize independent research activities for undergraduates. You enroll in 4912 by signing a form with your research mentor.
Enrolling in 4912 credit ensures that your research experience shows up on your transcript; this is a very good thing for students applying to graduate and professional schools
There are three ways to enroll in 4912:
- For 1+ credits: This option can, in some cases, fulfill upper-level elective requirements for your major (Please check with an advisor prior to enrolling for these credits). You and your mentor should discuss the grading scale when enrolling for credit. You and your mentor will have the option to choose either an A-F grading scale (contributes to your GPA) or an S/U grading scale (does not contribute).
- For zero credit: This option is no-cost (tuition is waived if you are enrolled in other credit-bearing courses). It does not contribute (positively or negatively) toward your GPA as it is graded S/U in most cases but is still listed in your course-load on your transcript.
- Variable Semester (7 Week Term): If you start a new project in the first half of a semester or miss the Add deadline, you can still sign up for a variable semester 4912 course. This term begins on the 7th week of Fall and Spring semesters. It is always zero credit and S/U grade.
Please note, if you are a university volunteer you are not eligible to enroll in 4912.
The process is done through your academic advisors, not through MyUCF. We strongly encourage starting this process the semester beforehand (some departments and college’s deadlines for registration are earlier than the Add deadline). You will need your faculty mentor’s assistance.
1. Check with your academic advisor to determine how many credit hours you should enroll in:
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- 0 Credit Hour Option: best for students in a full-load or who do not have the option to take 4912 as an upper-division elective.
- 1+ Credits: should only be done if it fits into your academic plan as it may contribute to excess hours
2. Contact your advising office to get a copy of the 4912 enrollment form. (This is often an Undergraduate Registration Agreement or IS form, but some departments use different terminology.) You will need to register with your mentor’s department/college: so if you are a political science student doing independent research with a History professor, you’ll need the College of Arts and Humanities’ form, not the College of Sciences’ form.
There are some sample forms at the link, but check with the relevant academic advising offices to make sure you have the latest version.
3. Meet with your faculty mentor to discuss the expectations for this course. You will need to agree on at least two deadlines for your work and other factors. Your faculty mentor may, in some cases, create a (brief) syllabus built around your project
These are the last days to enroll: make sure you get this process started in good time, however!
Summer A or C 2023
- Full semester: Sunday, May 14th
Summer B 2023
- Full semester: Sunday, June 25th
Fall 2023:
- Full semester: Friday, August 25th
- Variable semester: Friday, October 20th
Spring 2024:
- Full semester: Friday, January 12th
- Variable semester: begins Monday, February 26th (enroll by Friday, February 23)
Need help? If you have trouble with this process, feel free to contact OUR (our@ucf.edu).
Honors Undergraduate Thesis Program
HUT is an undergraduate research program that provides eligible students from all majors the opportunity to engage in independent and original research. It is modeled after the Master’s degree level thesis, in which students develop their own research question, conduct research, and then write and defend their thesis with the help of a faculty committee.
This program requires that students enroll in at least two courses: Directed Readings I (4903H) and Thesis I (4970H). Upon successful completion of the program, students earn the Honors in the Major distinction on their diplomas and transcripts.
Note: These courses typically count as upper-division electives, but make sure to consult your degree plan and catalog. For more information about this program, visit The Burnett Honors College. Please note, if you are a registered as a university volunteer while conducting your research, you can not enroll in a course for it.
Research Intensive Courses
Even before you have conducted research with a mentor, you can take Research Intensive Courses. As part of these courses, you’ll conduct research on unanswered questions and produce a research deliverable (paper, presentation, creative piece, prototype, etc).
Taught by experts in their fields, these courses are approved by a faculty committee to ensure that the students in these courses participate in High Impact Practices are given genuine research experience.
In Research Intensive courses, students will complete at least four of the following:
- Gather and analyze data or sources
- Engage with pre-existing scholarship
- Formulate an original research question
- Design and/or implement research methodologies
- Present their findings to their peers or professionals.
A list of currently designated courses can be found at the link.
How do you enroll?
You enroll in a Research-Intensive course the same way you’d enroll in any other course. In the course catalog, you can even search for the Research-Intensive courses that will be available in a given semester: go to “Special Course Group” and select “HIP – Research Intensive” from the drop-down menu.