Undergraduate Honors
Honors
Students can add a distinguishing mark to their undergraduate record by graduating with honors. Completing honors communicates to graduate programs and future employers that a student not only has an excellent overall academic record, but is also capable of sustaining a demanding research project to conclusion. A student's official transcript will indicate that s/he has graduated with department honors.
To graduate with honors in political science a student must:- graduate with an overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, and a PSCI GPA of 3.5 or above
- complete either the Honors Seminar (PSCI 4900), the Seminar in International and Comparative Politics (PSCI 4500), National Public Policy (PSCI 4050), or Gender and the Law (PSCI 4210)
- complete a thesis and thesis defense
The department honors program is not the same as the program offered through the Lee Honors College. It is possible to complete department honors without being affiliated with the Honors College. Many students, however, complete both programs. A single thesis will serve for both department honors and Honors College requirements.
There is no formal admission process for department honors. A student must simply meet the requirements stated above. It is recommended that a student interested in honors discuss this with a department faculty member and the honors advisor, Dr. Ashlyn Kuersten.
An honors student, after consultation with a department faculty member, defines the thesis project. A three-person committee participates in the thesis project with the student, a principal advisor and two readers. It is suggested that once the thesis topic has been determined, the three-member committee should meet with the student to make sure that everyone is clear about the project and how it to be done. The principal advisor will be a member of the political science faculty; the other committee members need not be. Once the principal advisor is satisfied that a thesis project is close enough to conclusion, the full committee will conduct a thesis defense (oral examination on the thesis). Generally, one final revision of the thesis following the defense will bring the project to conclusion.
A thesis may be done on any topic acceptable to the thesis committee. There are many, many possible topics. To see what some WMU Political Science students have chosen as their research project, go to our student research page.
Applications to write Honors Thesis:Turn the application in to the Political Science department. Due date: the first semester of your senior year.