Political Science Honors General Information And Application Forms
Program Description The Department s Honors program, leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree is designed to emphasize the ideals of a superior liberal education and to give students a more rigorous and intensive preparation in Political Science. Admission is selective. The Honors concentration is normally a two year program. Political Science 101 (United States Government & Politics) or 107 (Honors United States Government & Politics) and 102 (Introduction to Political Science) are prerequisites to the major. To receive Honors in Political Science students must: 1. Apply for and be admitted to the program by the Honors Director; Students are encouraged to apply for the program during the Spring Semester (by mid-march) before their Junior Year. 2. Maintain a minimum 3.3 GPA in Political Science and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for all university coursework; 3. Complete 27- hours of credit in Political Science courses numbered 300 or above. Included within these 27-hours a student must complete at least one course in each of the four areas of political science: (A) American/Public Administration; (B) International Relations; (C) Comparative Government; (D) Political Philosophy), and 4. Complete 6-hours of Honors Seminar work (387 and 388) and 6-hours of Honors Thesis work (487 and 488). Political Science 387 and 388 may be used to satisfy the area requirement.
Honors Courses Political Science 107 Honors: United States Government and Politics (3) Analysis and exploration of the American political system for students with superior ability. Admission by permission of the department for students with at least a B average; entering freshmen accepted on basis of strong placement scores and high school record. This course is highly recommended, but not required, for students considering applying for the departmental Honors Program. Political Science 387 and 388 Junior Honors Seminar (3, 3) Required of honors majors; admission with consent of department. The topic for each seminar changes from semester to semester. Political Science 487 Senior Seminar (3) and 488 Senior Thesis Required of honors majors; admission with consent of department. To meet the requirements of the 487 Senior Seminar, students must: (A) Faithfully attend and participate in seminar meetings; (B) Submit a thesis prospectus to the Honors Director at midterm; (C) Submit a draft of the first chapter of the thesis to their thesis director at the end of the semester. To meet the requirements of Political Science 488 Senior Thesis Seminar students must: (A) submit a complete draft of the thesis to their faculty director no later than four weeks before the end of the semester and (B) Submit the final thesis manuscript for the evaluation of their faculty director at the end of the semester. The faculty director evaluates the quality of the thesis and then notifies the Honors Director of the letter grade to be recorded.
HONORS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE APPLICATION Name E-mail Address Campus Address Home Address On a separate sheet of paper indicate: (A) your general academic or career objectives; (B) why the honors program appeals to you and how it might help to meet your objectives; and (C) your principle academic strengths Have two faculty members familiar with your recent academic work send a recommendation on the forms attached. Submit this application attached to a current copy of your academic history (available at the Registrar s Office) to Dr. Michael R. Fitzgerald, Honors Program Director, Department of Political Science, 1001 McClung Tower.
HONORS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE RECOMMENDATION FORM is applying for admission to the Honors program in Political Science. Please give us your candid evaluation of the intellectual potential, commitment to high academic standards, and suitability of this applicant for the Honors program. A letter of recommendation will be treated as a non-confidential letter unless it is accompanied by the applicant s signed statement waiving his or her right of access to the letter. OPTIONAL WAIVER: Under the terms of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, I hereby waive my right of access to this letter of recommendation. Applicant s Signature Date Signature Date Name of recommender Title Department Institution Please return to: Dr. Michael R. Fitzgerald, Honors Director Department of Political Science 1001 McClung Tower The University of Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-0410
HONORS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE RECOMMENDATION FORM is applying for admission to the Honors program in Political Science. Please give us your candid evaluation of the intellectual potential, commitment to high academic standards, and suitability of this applicant for the Honors program. A letter of recommendation will be treated as a non-confidential letter unless it is accompanied by the applicant s signed statement waiving his or her right of access to the letter. OPTIONAL WAIVER: Under the terms of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, I hereby waive my right of access to this letter of recommendation. Applicant s Signature Date Signature Date Name of recommender Title Department Institution Please return to: Dr. Michael R. Fitzgerald, Honors Director Department of Political Science 1001 McClung Tower The University of Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-0410