Special Reading Courses

A Special Reading Course (SRC) allows a student to work with a consortium instructor on a topic that is not available via the regular course schedule or to upgrade a lower level course to a higher level course with additional work required. The student and the instructor must agree on the details of the course or upgrade (meeting times, readings, papers, projects, exams, etc.). The student should be aware that the instructor receives no additional compensation for offering a SRC. Therefore, a student should not ask a professor to offer a SRC for a class that is offered regularly, and while core faculty are not obligated to offer SRCs, those who choose to do so are advised to take on no more than two SRCs per semester.

Special reading courses (SRCs) can be arranged between an individual student and a core doctoral faculty person at any of the GTU member schools. In general, PSR does not approve SRCs where the proposed instructor is an adjunct faculty person. A core course required for a degree program may not be fulfilled by a SRC. All SRCs are counted as elective credits, unless you obtain special approval from your instructor, advisor, and dean.

For any exceptions to the above policies that must be approved by the Academic Dean, it is recommended that a student obtain written permission and confirmation regarding these exceptions (example: using and SRC to fulfill a requirement, having an adjunct faculty person teach your SRC, etc.) prior to enrollment in an SRC. Academic Dean approval on the SRC form does not constitute approval for fulfillment of a core course requirement.

Enrollment in a SRC is a two-step process:

  1. Special Reading Course Form — The student contacts the proposed instructor to make the necessary arrangements and obtains a SRC form either online or in front of Holbrook 135. The student must complete all sections of the SRC form, obtain signatures of the faculty and advisor and submit the form to the PSR Registrar by the close of registration.
  2. Registration — The student registers online during either Early, General, or Late Registration periods for the reading course units using course number SRC-9999-01. If enrolling for multiple SRCs, the student enters the total number of units for all SRCs on one enrollment line.

Failure to submit a completed form and to register for the units online before the end of the late registration period may result in change in enrollment fees, no credit, and no grade. Successfully completed SRCs will appear on your transcript as SRC-9999-[two letters] and then the name you and instructor agreed on for your course.