Political Science Honors Degree FAQ's
- Senior Research Seminar Requirement (5810) and the Honors Thesis
- Department Honors Advisor
- Honors Supervisory Faculty Member
- Honors Thesis Quality: Common Pitfalls
- Honors Thesis Deadlines
- Information Available Through the Honors Program
HONORS THESIS ADVISING
Prior to beginning work on the Honors thesis - at least a year before graduation - students must schedule a pre-thesis interview with the Associate Director in the Honors Program. Completed Honors theses are available for viewing at the Marriott Library, Fifth Floor, Special Collections. Students are also encouraged to present their work at the Undergraduate Research Symposium held every spring semester.
Complete information concerning the requirements of the Honors Program at the University of Utah can be found through the Honors Program website: http://www.honors.utah.edu/index.html
senior seminar requirement (Pols 5810) and the honors thesis
Political science majors must complete a senior seminar paper in the POL S 5810 section of their choice. This requirement is distinct from the Honors thesis. It is possible, and often desirable, for students to take the topic and the paper from their senior seminar and develop it substantially for the honors thesis. Indeed, following this process mimics the scholarly process in which research is conducted and presented at conferences and then later revised and refined.
Even if students chose not to pursue the topic from their senior seminar, completion of the senior seminar prior to beginning the honors thesis is desirable. Senior seminars require the completion of a major research project and thus ensure that students have a substantial research and writing experience that prepares them for the Honors thesis process.
With approval of the Honors Advisor, Honors students may take their senior seminar one semester earlier than other political science majors, after completing approximately 75 hours of coursework.
Department Honors Advisor
The current Honors Advisor is Professor Mark Button. To request additional information, contact him at mark.button@poli-sci.utah.edu or 585-7987. The Honors advisor reads the student’s thesis after the Honors supervisor has approved it. Remember that there may be more than one honors thesis being completed during any term so take that into account when planning for deadlines.
Honors Supervisory Faculty Member
After consulting with the Honors Advisor, students need to find an eligible faculty member willing to supervise their Honors thesis; teaching assistants, graduate instructors, and most adjunct professors are not eligible to supervise a thesis. The supervisor will give the grade for the required Pol S 4999 when the thesis is formally completed.
Though it is ideal to have had a class from the professor, it is not necessary particularly if the professor has an interest and expertise in the general area of the thesis topic. Having a completed senior seminar paper to demonstrate one's research and writing experience can be very useful in getting a professor to sign on as a supervisor. In either case, it is critical to consult with the supervisor early in the process so that there is mutual agreement on the topic, specific research question, and general approach. Students should not expect that a first draft, particularly if handed in close to the deadline, will pass muster. Make sure to consult with the supervisor on preferred citation style
From the perspective of faculty, the ideal honors student has the ability to work independently and responds enthusiastically to constructive criticism of drafts. It is also ideal if the student has, or can develop, a passionate interest in his or her substantive topic.
Honors Thesis Quality: Common Pitfalls
One role of the Honors Advisor is "quality control." An honors thesis will not be approved if it: (1) is poorly written; (2) does not meet the norms of the political science profession; or (3) has insufficient analytical content.
Poorly written. It goes without saying that a student must be able to write grammatically correct sentences to complete the thesis. The more common problem is lack of organization. Completing a thirty to fifty-page thesis requires an organizing framework that will sustain the argument of the paper even as it develops details and supplies supporting evidence. Lack of organization often reflects a lack of focus, that is, the lack of a clear research question or argument.
Norms of the political science profession. Whether the thesis concerns international organizations, American political campaigns, feminist political thought, local government administration, contemporary democratic theory, or politics in Argentina, writing a quality thesis involves "reason giving." Arguments must be supported analytically (with logic) and, where appropriate, with empirical evidence which can range from primary and secondary sources to evidence gathered by the student in the form of interviews, surveys, or other means. The precise form and combination of support depends on the research question.
Insufficient analytical content. A purely descriptive paper is not acceptable. This problem is common with drafts that review considerable secondary literature, say on the history of the Middle East conflict or on debates within the field of international relations. Honors students must be able to state an interesting research question; identify and defend the significance of the question at issue; and make and defend an independent argument in relation to that problem area.
Drafts rejected for these reasons by the Honors Advisor can often be improved by more work. Students must realize, however, that supervising faculty have other obligations so further work may mean delay in graduation if faculty schedules mean that thesis deadlines cannot be met.
Honors Thesis Deadlines:
- Fall semester: November 15
- Spring semester: March 31
- Summer session: July 15
The deadlines above are the deadlines of the honors program. As the Honors Program "Senior Honors Thesis: Guidelines and Procedures" handout explains, Honors Supervisors and Honors Advisors need a minimum of two weeks to respond to a draft. A common problem is that students do not allow sufficient time for working through drafts with their Honors Supervisor, for the Honors Advisor's final reading, or for the gathering of signatures.
Information Available Through the Honors Program
Admission Requirements
Honors Program Application
Student Advising
It is the student's responsibility to obtain signatures on the signature pages, walk the pages over to the Honors office, and to verify the Honors Supervisor and the Honors Advisor have submitted a grade for POL S 4999.