Sprott Undergraduate Directed Studies

The Sprott School of Business offers the following options for completing a Directed Studies course at the undergraduate level.  

Registration in these courses is restricted and requires an application that will only be granted with the approval of the Associate Dean. Each of these courses must be completed and evaluated within the normal academic term (including examination period). 

*BUSI 4904 M follows a separate application process with its own registration criteria. Please visit the Sprott Social Impact Hub page for more information. 

Any questions about these opportunities or the registration process can be directed to experientiallearning@cunet.carleton.ca. 

BUSI 4904 / BUSI 4905 / BUSI 4906

Directed Studies I, Directed Studies II, and Research Project for Business are open to students with 4th year standing in BCom, BIB or BAcc. Registration in these courses is reserved for the exceptional circumstance that the student has both strong prior research/project experience and the extensive support of a faculty supervisor. Students must prepare a project proposal and secure a faculty supervisor to be eligible to apply. 

Students with 3rd or 4th year standing in BCom, BIB, or BAcc may also apply to the Future Builders Campaign to earn course credit in BUSI 4904. This option has different criteria and follows a separate application process. To learn more, visit the Future Builders Campaign page!

BUSI 4904 & BUSI 4905

Directed Studies I and II provide students with the opportunity to carry out a project on a topic of interest. Students enrolled in BUSI 4904 (full credit major research project) or 4905 (half credit minor research project) will be evaluated based on a typed final report, as well as an open (oral) presentation. Exact evaluation criteria are to be determined between the student and their faculty advisors (supervisor and second reader), and approved by the Associate Dean. 

BUSI 4906

Students enrolled in Research Project for Business are given the opportunity to conduct research in their area of interest and present this research in an undergraduate thesis format. Research is conducted under the supervision of a faculty advisor from Sprott, with the specific deliverable determined by supervisor and student, and approved by the Associate Dean.  

Registration Instructions

1. Students must prepare a preliminary project proposal (2-3 pages) and contact a faculty member to request supervision.  

2. Once a supervisor is secured, the student prepares a formal project proposal including references (3-4 pages). The student and supervisor then identify another faculty member to be a second reader, who will assist with determining evaluation criteria and will participate in the evaluation process. 

3. Complete the Directed Studies – Supervisor Agreement Form. A copy of the formal proposal attached to the supervisor agreement form (signed by the student and supervisor) must be submitted through the submission form below to be approved by the Associate Dean.  

4. Following Associate Dean approval, the Sprott Undergraduate Student Services Office will contact the student and process registration.