Honors Program Description

The Department of Political Science Honors Program, leading to a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with an Honors Concentration, emphasizes the ideals of a superior liberal education and provides students a more rigorous and intensive preparation in political science. Admission to the Department of Political Science Honors Program is selective.

Requirements

The Honors Concentration (henceforth HC) consists of thirty-four (34) hours of political science course credit beyond the two major prerequisite courses, Political Science 101 (or Political Science 107, the honors version of Political Science 101), and Political Science 102. These thirty-four (34) hours must include four courses numbered at the 200-level, which must be completed with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. An HC major must have a minimum GPA of 3.3 in political science, a minimum overall GPA of 3.25, and at least 12 hours of university-designated honors courses (POLS 487 and POLS 488 count toward this total, as do hours earned in POLS 107, and any hours earned through honors by contract).

All HC majors must take Political Science 101 (or Political Science 107, the honors version of Political Science 101), and Political Science 102. Here are the requirements beyond these courses:

1. Each HC major must take three of the following courses in our Foundations of Political Science series:

• POLS 200 – Introduction to Political Philosophy
• POLS 215 – Tennessee Government and Politics
• POLS 240 – Introduction to Public Administration and Public Policy
• POLS 249 – Introduction to Comparative Politics
• POLS 265 – Introduction to International Relations

2. Each HC major also must take the following course:

• POLS 301 – Research Methods (Note: This course should be taken before a student enrolls in POLS 487 his/her senior year)

3. As a senior, each HC major must take the following two courses (the Senior Honors sequence):

• POLS 487 – Senior Honors: Thesis and Seminar I (fall; the student will develop a thesis topic)
• POLS 488 – Senior Honors: Thesis and Seminar II (spring; the student will complete an honors thesis)

4. Each HC major must earn an additional fifteen (15) hours of upper-division political science course credit.

5. Each HC major must take our Capstone Course, POLS 480.

Note: (1) At least nine (9) hours in the major must be earned at UTK.

The Thesis

As a senior, each HC major takes POLS 487 and POLS 488, our two Senior Honors Thesis and Seminar courses. During the senior year, while enrolled in these courses, the HC major investigates a topic of his/her choice, and presents the results in an Honors Thesis (due at the end of the spring semester). Each student’s thesis project develops with the assistance and supervision of the Honors Program Director and (if necessary) other members of the Department of Political Science faculty.

For further details about the Honors Thesis, contact Dr. Anthony Nownes, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Honors Program Director, Department of Political Science, 1001 McClung Tower, UTK.

Honors Courses in Political Science

POLS 107 Honors: United States Government and Politics (3)
Analysis and exploration of the American political system for students with superior ability. 3.25 GPA required for current students; 29 ACT composite or 1250 SAT composite required for incoming students. This course is highly recommended, but not required, for students considering applying for admission to the Department of Political Science Honors Program.

POLS 487 Senior Honors Thesis and Seminar I (3)
Required of students in honors concentration; admission with consent of department. To meet the requirements of the Political Science 487, HC students must faithfully attend and participate in seminar meetings, and submit a thesis prospectus (at the end of the semester).

POLS 488 Senior Honors Thesis and Seminar II (3)
Required of students in honors concentration; admission with consent of department. To meet the requirements of Political Science 488, HC students must complete an Honors Thesis. The typical Honors Thesis is between 50 and 100 pages long.

Applying to the Program

The number of students in the Department of Political Science Honors Program is small. Admission to the program is selective, and by application. Generally, the Department of Political Science Honors Program admits only those majors who have completed more than forty (40) hours of college course credit with a minimum GPA of 3.0. A student’s GPA, however, does not automatically qualify or disqualify him/her from admission to the Department of Political Science Honors Program. A student must apply for and be admitted to the Department of Political Science Honors Program by the Honors Program Director in the Department of Political Science.

The Department of Political Science accepts applications to its Honors Program on a rolling basis, but we encourage students to apply during the sophomore or junior year.

To apply for admission to the Department of Political Science Honors Program:

1. Complete the application form found below.
2. On a separate sheet of paper write a brief (1-2 page) essay in which you indicate: (a) your general academic and/or career objectives; (b) why the Honors Program appeals to you, and how it might help you meet your career and/or academic objectives; and (c) your principal academic strengths. Submit this essay along with your application form and your academic history (see #1 above).
3. Have two (2) UTK instructors (any instructional faculty are eligible to write letters, including graduate teaching assistants and graduate teaching associates) complete a recommendation form (which you will find below) and submit the form to Dr. Anthony Nownes, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Honors Program Director, Department of Political Science, 1001 McClung Tower.

Application Form