Why study political science?

Because political science advances our understanding of politics, power, governance, and public policy in the United States and across the globe.  In the broadest sense, political science is the study of governments and governmental procedures.  Political Science is as old as civilization, because people always have been interested in their government and in their leaders.  But political science as it is thought today, as one of the social sciences, is a comparatively new discipline.  It developed in the United States during the last century as political scientists developed an ability to make increasingly scientific observations of government.  Political scientists are concerned with origins and sources of governmental organizations, their growth, and their decline, as well as with the processes and structure of government. 
Ask yourself, Am I interested in public affairs?  Am I a good analytical and critical thinker?  Am I curious about the world and it's workings?  Do I communicate well orally and in writing?  Do I want to be a knowledgeable citizen?  Am I interested in the relationship between government and the people?  Am I curious about how decisions and made and how conflicts are resolved?
 

A sample 4-year plan for the BA degree in Political Science can be found here: Political Science, or by using the left-side navigation.

A sample 4-year plan for the BGS degree in Political Science can be found here: Political Science, or by using the left-side navigation.

1.Eligibility:

Undergraduate majors in the department with senior standing, a minimum 3.5 GPA in Political Science and a minimum 3.25 overall GPA are eligible to enroll in departmental honors work.  These GPA levels also must be achieved at the end of the candidates's final semester for both in-residence and combined work. 

2.Procedures:

Majors wishing to pursue the honors program must file a declaration of intent form with the department's Undergraduate Studies Coordinator no later than at enrollment for the final semester of undergraduate study. Normally students will be expected to enroll at the beginning of their senior year of study, for two consecutive semesters.

Students pursuing honors will enroll in POLS 498, Honors Thesis , with an individual faculty member who has agreed to serve as thesis adviser, thus accepting responsibility for directing the honors research project. Enrollment for 3 hours for two consecutive semesters in POLS 498 is usually expected. In unusual cases students may enroll for 6 hours in one semester, doing all the thesis work in that period.

3.Requirements for graduation with honors:

Completion of a written research project which has been read and approved by a committee of at least three members of the College faculty (of whom at least two must be political science faculty, including thesis advisor). The committee will then certify successful completion of the honors thesis enrollment. Work considered by the project director to be less than "A" quality will not be considered for honors and will not be presented to the committee for approval. The written report is expected to be more than an extended term paper, while something less than a graduate-level thesis. It must reflect analysis and perceptive understanding of the subject matter being studied.

4.Research timetable:

It is strongly recommended that students follow a relatively strict schedule in completing their research studies, in order to avoid having the honors oral examination come very late in the final semester.  The following timetable is recommended:

1. A research design should be submitted by the middle of the first semester of enrollment.
   1. At the latest, the first draft of the written report should be completed approximately 2 months before the end of the semester in which honors are to be awarded (e.g., March 15, or October 15)
   2. At the latest, the final draft of the written report should be completed 1 month before the end of the semester in which honors are to be awarded.