Types of Courses

In addition to traditional lecture-style courses, the University offers a variety of alternative course types. 

Acadeum

Manhattanville belongs to the Acadeum College Consortium, through which students can take online courses offered by other private institutions in the Council for Independent Colleges (CIC) as if they were Manhattanville courses. That is, these courses appear on the Manhattanville transcript and impact GPAs just as if they were taken at Manhattanville. Tuition is billed at the regular rate and applicable financial aid can be awarded.

Manhattanville will facilitate the enrollment and billing process for Acadeum courses. However, students enrolled in Acadeum courses become students at the partnering institution for the duration of the course and are subject to that institution's policies, procedures and deadlines.

For information on Acadeum courses, students should consult their advisor.

Audit

Individuals may audit courses on a space-available basis and with permission of the instructor. Auditors may register for lecture style courses (i.e. History, English, Philosophy). Auditors may not register for courses that require lab or class participation (i.e. Art, Dance, Foreign Languages).

Audit courses are recorded on a transcript but receive no grade or credit and may not be applied to any degree. Auditors may register only after the regular add/drop period for the term has passed. Auditors are required to pay an audit fee listed in the schedule of fees. Senior citizens (age 62 and older) may have this fee waived upon presentation of proof of age at the time of registration.

Independent Study

The independent study offers selected students an opportunity to work with considerable autonomy in areas not covered in the regular curriculum, under the guidance of an appropriate full-time faculty member. (In rare cases part-time faculty may, with the approval of the division chair and the dean, oversee independent studies.) In order to ensure sufficient planning, students should obtain a faculty supervisor and register for the Independent Study in the semester preceding the one in which it will be taken: i.e., during pre-registration. The standard deadlines regarding add/drop apply to independent study courses. The proposal for Independent Study work must be approved by the faculty supervisor and the Dean, and should focus on at least one of these options:

Special Readings: The student sets up and works through a reading list approved by the faculty supervisor. A substantial piece of written research is often produced.

Research Project and Field Work: In consultation with a faculty member qualified in the chosen area, the student prepares a proposal for a research project, which is carried out under faculty supervision either in an academic setting or in the field and culminates in a formal paper. After completing the project, the student submits a written report to the faculty supervisor, along with an appraisal by the fieldwork supervisor.

Internship

The Manhattanville Internship Program offers students an important link between the academic and professional worlds. The University's location in southern Westchester County, near New York City and Fairfield County, Connecticut, offers easy access to many nearby corporate, governmental, and not-for-profit organizations, where students gain valuable experience in internships that complement their course work. The Center for Career Development assists students as they identify and apply for internship opportunities.

Working with their faculty advisor, students identify learning objectives and formulate an academic project related to the internship. The Center for Career Development also supports students in a variety of ways during their internship course and acts as a liaison between student, employer and faculty. In addition, the employer evaluates the student's work.