Department of Political Science Honors Policy

The Political Science Department encourages students with major project interests to consult with faculty members and upon that advice possibly apply to the Department Chair for Senior Honors. This includes students who are majors and in exceptional cases students who are majoring in other programs but for whom a Senior Honors Thesis supervised by a Political Science faculty member might be appropriate. This consultation should take place in their sixth semester, no later than the spring of their junior year. Juniors who are studying away may enter into these consultations early in September of their senior year. While the Department encourages qualified students to consider this opportunity, it is within an understanding that suitable preparation is required and that an Honors Thesis project is a substantial intellectual and time commitment.

We recommend discussion with relevant faculty members as soon as possible.

General eligibility guidelines (same as for Pi Sigma Alpha)

• Well advanced into the major (having taken or are taking their sixth course)

• Cumulative GPA : 3.3

• Department GPA: 3.5

The application for a Senior Honors Thesis should have at least the follow inclusions when it is submitted to the Department Chair:

Preliminary Title

Proposed Department Advisor (following conversations with her/him)

Possible Readers/Examiner (both within and outside the Department)

A short statement situating the proposed project in the applicant's academic, intellectual, and personal autobiography:

A one page description of the proposed project and research and development/work plan.

A short bibliography indicating that the applicant has some sense of the relevant literature at this point.

The Department Chair will circulate the proposals and the entire Department will meet in May (and again in late September if necessary) to evaluate their suitability and feasibility.

The Department Chair will report the Honors candidates' list to the Dean of Academic Affairs on 1 October.

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It is possible for a Senior in the Honors Program to enroll for up to eight credits of Independent Study (POL 96). Senior Honors Thesis credits can count in the major and as the "capstone " requirement.

Honors students will participate in the Political Science Department Honors Colloquium, which will meet monthly each semester.

The students and the Thesis Supervisor will file project status reports with the Department Chair on 1 December.

Honors students ordinarily will enroll for 2 Thesis credits January.

The Chair will consult with the Faculty Advisor to assess the situation and prospects of each Thesis project by the end of January. There will be a mutual decision on a recommendation to terminate or continue the project.

The Department Chair will report the continuing Honors candidates list to the Dean of Academic Affairs on 1 February.

The Faculty Thesis Supervisor and the student are responsible for assembling the panel of reader/examiners, scheduling the oral examination. Ordinarily the panel consists of at least three persons---two from the Political Science Faculty and one from outside the department (possibly off---campus).

The Faculty and Panel of examiner/readers will provide the student with written text based comments and recommendations as well as engaging in a discussion with the student at the Honors Conference.

Approval of the project for official submittal and listing as a Senior Honors Thesis will be made by the Panel on criteria appropriate to the context of each project but meeting the standards of exceptional research effort, distinctive analyses and interpretation, and effective writing qualities.

The final editing and preparation of the Senior Honor Thesis to be submitted to the Honors Program Office should reflect the recommendations of the Honors Panel and meet the format and copy standards of professional social science.