Political Science Senior Honors Program

Students have much to gain from the experience of writing a thesis, beyond the possibility of graduating with departmental honors.

• First, the courses tied to the Senior Honors Seminar – POLI 191A (Fall) and POLI 191B (Winter) – can be used to count for the Political Science major requirements in the Elective category as long as students earn a C- or better.
• Second, the seminar provides a rare opportunity for students to define and develop an independent research project. Students begin in the fall with a research question or thesis which they refine in collaboration with a faculty advisor. The seminar coordinators and other members of the faculty are available to help students with suggestions on bibliography and case selection or data banks. 
• Third, the seminar allows students to work closely with a faculty member. Students meet regularly with the thesis advisor in mini-tutorial sessions. These meetings encourage students to pursue theoretical and empirical questions further than is possible in lecture courses. 
• Finally, students who hope to go on to graduate school often acquire essential research and writing skills and self-disciplined work habits which are an enormous advantage in graduate school. Many past participants in the seminar have found that writing a thesis was very useful in helping them to evaluate graduate school options.

If you will qualify to enroll in the seminar in the Fall, we encourage you to consider this opportunity carefully. The program is a demanding challenge, but worth the effort it requires from students. Think about a thesis topic and a possible advisor. Try to define a topic that builds on your interests, strengths, and course background. Discuss your topic with several faculty people from whom you have taken courses to assess the feasibility of the topic, the availability of sources, and the interest of faculty in advising such a thesis.

To be considered for the honors seminar, students must submit a substantial piece of writing to a member of the faculty. The department defines "substantial" as a paper in which the student has carefully developed an argument and systematically mustered evidence in support of it. This written work is intended to give students practice so that the 40-100-page thesis does not loom as an intimidating prospect. These papers may develop out of any of our upper-division courses that require papers, any departmental seminar, or in conjunction with coursework completed on EAP or OAP.

If the faculty member feels that the student is adequately prepared for the seminar, they will sign the Senior Honors Seminar Recommendation Form stating they are willing to advise the student during the course of the seminar. When submitting the recommendation form and piece of writing to the faculty member, students must provide a copy of their academic history from TritonLink. For ease of reading, select the "sort by subject" link when printing the academic history to print in subject order rather than quarter by quarter.

Below are frequently asked questions about the Senior Honors Seminar Program, and their corresponding answers. 

1. What are the requirements to participate in the Senior Honors Program?

   a. To be admitted to the seminar, a student must have:

   • Senior standing in the first quarter of the seminar
   • Minimum GPA of 3.6 in political science (this includes lower division courses at UCSD, courses taken through University of California Education Abroad Program [UCEAP], and Summer Session courses taken at UCSD)
   • Completed ALL lower-division requirements including POLI 30(D) - Political Inquiry
   • Completed at least five upper-division Political Science courses
   • A faculty advisor from the list of Core Faculty in the Department. 
   • Completed and submitted the Senior Honors Seminar Recommendation Form 
     • Students may submit the form electronically via email to the Undergraduate Advisor, Natalie Ikker (nbikker@ucsd.edu) and must CC their Faculty Advisor in the email as well. 

   Final eligibility is evaluated after Summer Session 2 grades have been submitted; this means that students may take courses to complete the criteria above during the summer session(s) prior to the Fall quarter in which the Senior Honors Program begins.

2. Are there exceptions made to these requirements?
   1. There are no exceptions to the requirements.
3. What if my major GPA is 3.599?
   1. Students must have at least a 3.600 Political Science Major GPA; there are no exceptions.
4. What if I have all "A"s in my classes but am missing one lower-division course for the major?
   1. Students must complete all lower-division courses for their Political Science major prior to the start of the Fall quarter in which the Senior Honors Seminar Program would commence. 
5. If I am not eligible to participate in the Senior Honors program, is there another similar program in the Department where I could work closely with a faculty member? 
   1. Yes, the Department offers Independent Study (POLI 199). Students can also get involved with research through the Research Apprenticeship Program.
6. Who can I ask to be my thesis advisor?
   1. Eligible faculty that can serve as a thesis advisor are those determined to be Core Faculty. 
7. Who can I not ask to be my thesis advisor?
   1. The co-instructors for the Senior Honors Seminar Program may not serve as thesis advisors. Graduate students, faculty from other Departments, adjunct faculty, and those not specifically listed on the Core Faculty page are not eligible to serve as thesis advisors.
8. Can I change my thesis advisor at some point if I want to?
   1. Though rare, sometimes a student and their faculty advisor may find that another eligible and willing faculty member can serve as the student’s thesis advisor. If that is the case, the Undergraduate Student Affairs Advisor must be notified via email immediately of the change by the student, who will also include both faculty members (previous advisor and new advisor) in the email conversation for transparency. 
9. When is the deadline to apply?
   1. The deadline to apply for the program is usually the Monday on the week prior to the Week 0. For example, in 2021 the deadline is Monday, September 13th. 
10. What if I drop the program after the Fall term?
    1. Students can drop the Program after Fall quarter, as long as it is before the Winter quarter add deadline for courses. They will not be required to turn in a thesis, and will not be eligible to earn honors. 
11. Do I need to participate in both Fall and Winter quarters?  What if I want to study abroad or participate in UCDC or UC Sacramento in either the Fall or Winter quarter of my Senior year?
    1. Yes, students need to participate in both the Fall and Winter quarters for the Senior Honors Seminar Program. If you hope to participate in programs such as UCDC, UC Center Sacramento, and/or Study Abroad, it is highly recommend that you connect with advisors in your Department (Political Science), College, and the respective spaces of those programs as soon as possible to see how your academic plan can be organized in a way that allows you to take advantage of possible opportunities. 
12. Can I participate in the program before my Senior year?
    1. Students must be entering their final year at UCSD to participate in the program. Please speak to the Undergraduate Advisor about your specific situation. 
13. What are the requirements in order to earn honors?
    1. The award of honors level (Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors) is by vote of the political science faculty. The award of honors will be based on the average of (1) the student's departmental grade point average at the end of the second quarter of the honors seminar (50%), and (2) the point score assigned the honors thesis by the readers (50%).
14. When will I hear back if I earned honors?
    1. Students hear back about their level of honors via email around Mid-May, after faculty have convened to discuss the final scores and possible awards. 
15. Are there awards for the best theses?
    1. Yes, there are three separate awards - outside of honors level distinction - that a student may earn. Each award has a different focus. 
16. Who will read my thesis?
    1. A minimum of two Core faculty are assigned to independently read and assess a student's thesis.
17. Does my thesis need to be posted online if I earn honors but do not want it to be posted?
    1. It is not required. If you earn a level of “Honors”, “High Honors”, or “Highest Honors” on your Senior Honors thesis and do not want it posted on the Department webpage for the program, please contact the Undergraduate Student Affairs Advisor and they will ensure it is not uploaded/is removed. 
18. How do I publish my thesis?
    1. Students’ theses are not published in any official journal or site, though we do upload all theses that earned a level of “Honors”, “High Honors”, and “Highest Honors” every cycle on our Department webpage for the program. Many students find that - with some edits and consultation with their thesis advisor - it may be possible to seek avenues for publishing their thesis. 
19. How many students generally participate in the honors program each year?
    1. The number of students admitted into the program varies from year to year; some years it has been as low as six or seven and as high as 22!
20. What happens if I do not earn honors in the program?
    1. There is no impact on one’s GPA if honors are not earned. Simply, a student does not earn Department Honors distinction. 
21. How often do students participating in the program not earn honors?
    1. The majority of students who participate in the program fully (enroll and complete POLI 191A and POLI 191B, and submit a thesis) do earn some level of honors. Those who do not earn Honors tend to be students who may have a lower Political Science major GPA (e.g. closer to 3.6) before the start of the program, earn lower GPAs in the subsequent quarters, and submit a thesis that is not up the the expected standards of a student who completes the Senior Honors Program.
22.  How do I best prepare for the Senior Honors program?
    1. It's best to prepare for the program as early as possible. The following are some suggestions:
       1. Speak with an Undergraduate Advisor about your interest in the program so your academic plan can be developed with the opportunity in mind.
       2. Keep grades in your Political Science courses strong to ensure you meet the minimum major GPA.
       3. Complete all required courses prior to the Fall of your final year.
       4. Watch the recorded Student Experience Panel - Senior Honors Seminar Program on our YouTube page.
       5. Read previous theses that have earned honors or higher so you get an understanding of what the writing expectations are.
       6. Speak to faculty who you may want as a faculty advisor about your interest in participating in the program.
       7. Consider what topic(s) you would want to explore and do some initial research. 
       8. Think about participating in the Research Apprenticeship Program the year prior to see what the research experience is like for you. Reminder: Participation in the Research Apprenticeship Program is NOT required for acceptance into the Senior Honors Seminar Program.

Each thesis will be read by two members of the department faculty; both of whom will assign the thesis a point score. The standard of evaluation will be that normally used by each faculty member to grade seminar papers of graduating seniors. Grades, point scores, and their honors equivalent are as follows:

If the point scores assigned by two readers differ by more than two tenths of a point (e.g., 3.5 versus 3.8), the thesis will be read by a third reader. Beginning 2013/14, in the honors calculation involving a third reader, the median score will be used.

To graduate with honors in political science, a student must have received an average point score of 3.5 or higher on the honors thesis and maintained a GPA of 3.5 or above in the major through the end of the second quarter of the honors seminar.

The award of honors level (Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors) is by vote of the political science faculty. The award of honors will be based on the average of (1) the student's departmental grade point average at the end of the second quarter of the honors seminar (50%), and (2) the point score assigned the honors thesis by the readers (50%) .

Pre-Senior Year:

Meet with the Department's Undergraduate Advisor to determine if the Senior Honors Seminar Program is a good fit for you academically:

• Verify eligibility requirements
• Review application materials needed for program eligibility
• Review your POLI GPA
• Review remaining courses needed for your Political Science Major

Academic Year Before Desired Participation: 

Fall Quarter through Summer Session II: Students continue to take courses needed to be eligible for the Senior Honors Seminar Program. The Political Science GPA is determined AFTER Summer Session II grades have been posted. 

Winter Quarter through end of Spring Quarter: Students planning to apply for the program should be seeking out and confirming their Faculty Advisor. The Faculty Advisor MUST be a current Core Faculty member in the Department of Political Science.

Spring Quarter through Summer Session II: Students can begin to submit all required application materials to the Department's Undergraduate Advisor. 

Monday prior to Week 0 of Fall Quarter: Deadline for the submission of all application materials.

Week prior to Week 0 of Fall Quarter: Application materials and student eligibility are reviewed; students accepted to the Senior Honors Seminar Program are notified via email and VAC, and they are preauthorized to enroll in POLI 191A for Fall Quarter.

Fall Quarter

Week 0 - Friday of Week 2: Student accepted to the Senior Honors Seminar Program enroll in POLI 191A before the add deadline.

Finals Week: Faculty Advisors are contacted by the Department's Undergraduate Advisor regarding student's grades in POLI 191A. 

Post-Finals Week: Department's Undergraduate Advisor preauthorizes eligible students to enroll in POLI 191B for Winter Quarter.

Winter Quarter

Week 0 - Friday of Week 2: Student eligible to continue with the Senior Honors Seminar Program enroll in POLI 191B before the add deadline.

Finals Week: Faculty Advisors are contacted by the Department's Undergraduate Advisor regarding student's grades in POLI 191B. 

Post-Finals Week/Spring Break: Students begin to submit their completed thesis online and three (3) bound, hard copies of their completed thesis to the Department's Undergraduate Advisor.

Spring Quarter

Monday of Week 1 by 2:00pm: Deadline for students to submit their completed thesis online and three (3) bound, hard copies of their completed thesis to the Department's Undergraduate Advisor.

Early April - Early May: Department of Political Science Faculty read and evaluate theses. Decisions are made regarding level of honors for each student. 

Mid-May: Results of honors are sent to students via email. Those who have earned a level of honors are invited to attend the Senior Honors Reception in mid-June.

Political Science students heard from six students who participated in the Senior Honors Seminar Program this year (2020-2021) and their experiences, focusing on why they pursued the program, the challenges and benefits of the program, what they have learned from partaking in the program, the steps they took to prepare for the program, and their post-graduation goals.

Many students interested in the Senior Honors Seminar Program ask about the benefits of the program and how they are impacted through participation. Below is some anonymous feedback we received from students about these aspects!

What were the benefits you experienced by participating in the Senior Honors Seminar Program?

Learning about the research process.

Getting to pursue research in an area of personal interest, which allowed me to express values of creativity that I hadn’t previously had the opportunity to take part in.

I learned R, became a much better researcher, and have a better perspective on the type of work I want to do.

I think I became a better writer and thinker, and I learned how to develop an argument fully. Additionally, I feel that I’ve developed a great relationship with my thesis advisor.

I got way better at writing and it helped me prep for graduate school.

How has participating in the Senior Honors Seminar Program impacted your future academic and non-academic plans?

I think the program has definitely played a role in helping me out during law school interviews. I was able to draw on the significance of the work I did and the process of the writing to communicate my academic abilities.

I got into graduate school and I think that this definitely helped and made my application stronger.

I have decided not to pursue political science in graduate school and focus on my other STEM major in college a long time ago. But non-academically, I learned how to manage my time better when it comes to future research, and I think in the future, I want to take on more opportunities to do research as well!