Summer is in full swing for University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma students. Summertime is filled with lake days, vacation trips, seasonal jobs, family and friend hangouts, and summer classes.
USAO is a trimester college meaning the academic year is divided into three terms. At USAO the fall term is normally from the last week of August to the first week of December. The spring term is from mid to late January to the last week of April. Once it’s time for the summer term, things get a bit different.
The official summer term is from June to the beginning of August, but the month of May is different. You might think it’s quiet on campus until June, but May is reserved for USAO students to experience Independent Study.
Adding an independent study course is a perfect way to be a full time student during the summer term without overloading your schedule. Each independent study is worth five credit hours and falls into two different categories. Category one is a group project generally proposed by a faculty member and by the Academic Council which students can enroll in. The other category of independent study is an individual project generally proposed by the student and then approved by a faculty member and the Academic Council.
Hayla Wilson, a third-year double major in communication and history, took advantage of obtaining five credits by doing an Independent Study. Their study fell into that first category of group project proposed by a faculty member. Wilson’s independent study was The Revolt of the Masses with Dr. Kevin Crow, Professor of History.
The Revolt of the Masses Independent Study was a five week class to read “The Revolt of the Masses” by Jorge Ortega Y Gaset, and explore the phenomenon of mass culture. Along with that, examine how mass culture influences and challenges modern day civilizations.
“I really enjoyed the book and structure of the class. We would read assigned sections and do a writing assignment over them and discuss important parts of the text assigned. I felt more confident reading the book and then having an in depth explanation and interactive discussion with Crow and the class,” Wilson said.
Now if you want to do something similar to the independent study Wilson did, or something along the lines of the Arts or Special Olympics, or even an Independent Study that aligns with your major next summer, be on the lookout for the independent study brochure for the summer 2026 which gets released around the month of April.
Cassie Srock is a second-year communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
