Bachelor of Independent Studies

A Bachelor of Independent Studies is an undergraduate academic degree. Its program of studies is unique to each student, and the individual curricula are largely determined by each student. It may focus in any field, and generally has two phases: a pre-thesis phase, in which the student takes courses or reading courses, and a thesis phase, in which the student completes a substantial thesis.

While it is an undergraduate degree, it is far more akin in structure to a graduate degree. In Canada, only the University of Waterloo offers the BIS degree. In the United States, the degree is becoming an option in more and more settings. The state of Florida has developed an external degree program for the BIS degree; Florida International University, Florida State University, the University of Florida, the University of North Florida, and the University of South Florida all participate. In Kentucky, Murray State University now offers a BIS program as well. Several other colleges are beginning to offer degrees that are very similar to or identical with the BIS program, such as the University of Northern Iowa and its Bachelor of Liberal Studies program, or Brigham Young University's Bachelor of General Studies program.

List of institutions awarding Bachelor of Independent Studies degrees

* University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
* James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia
* Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky
* University of South Florida, Tampa Bay, Florida

External links

* [http://is.uwaterloo.ca/ Independent Studies at the University of Waterloo]
* [http://ceao.murraystate.edu/BIS/bis.htm Center for Academic Outreach's BIS division at Murray State University]
* [http://www.cas.usf.edu/bis/home.htm The administrative hub of Florida's statewide BIS program]