Honors Guidelines

Honors Thesis Option Available to Non-Honors POLS Majors

Honors Guidelines: Summary of key points

A. Students must have a minimum of 3.5 cumulative GPA

B. Students must take:

• 1 credit Honors thesis prep course (HONR 396) in the Spring of Junior Year,
• Departmental Senior Research Seminar in either Spring +or Fall semester of Senior Year (POLS 361-365)
• Honors thesis course (HONR 398) in the opposite semester of Senior Year

C. To receive Departmental distinction, a thesis must receive an "H".

The Political Science Department has defined an "H" as deserving of departmental distinction.

The department will not give any grade points for Honors thesis (i.e. Honors 398). In other words, the grade of "H" or "S" will receive four credits but will not be calculated into a student's GPA.

All work deserving of Honors will get H, and less than H will be marked S or U.

Those earning "H" will get department distinction and 4 credits
Those earning "S" will not get departmental distinction, but will earn 4 credits
Those earning "U" will not get departmental distinction and will not earn any credits

Honors Thesis grading for Honors Students who are also Political Science Majors:

D. Students who are participants of the Honors program and are also POLS majors, must also earn "H" to receive Departmental Distinction.

E. Those earning "H" will get department distinction and 4 credits
Those earning "S" will not get departmental distinction, but will earn 4 credits
Those earning "U" will not get departmental distinction and will not earn any credits

The grade of "B" could be earned instead of an "S" which would allow the student to get All College Honors, but not departmental distinction.

NOTE: Not all students who attempt to do an Honors thesis get awarded Departmental Distinction for their effort. The grade is to be determined by the final quality of their product.