University of New England

Honors Requirements in Political Science

For students to receive honors in political science they are required to satisfy requirements that are above just being a very good student with a high 3.7 or above GPA in the major.  They are held to higher standards of scholarly quality and represent a much more substantial effort and final product in their honors thesis and the composition of the examining panel.

1. GPA Requirements
For these honors a candidate must attain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5 on all credits earned at UNE and a grade-point average of at least 3.7 in the major.

2.  The proposal for honors thesis
The honors proposal will be evaluated by the department panel and outside faculty based on higher expectations of intellectual clarity, promise of the project, the amount of prior preparation for the project, and an assessment of the student’s capacity to carry out the project. It must 10-15 pages longer than the other seniors’ proposals of 5 pages.  Also, students applying for the honors program have to take an additional oral exam to discuss and evaluate their proposal at the end of the senior seminar.

3. Primary sources
Honors students are required to use primary sources, such as archival research and oral interviews, when applicable.

4. Length of the thesis
Honors thesis must be 50-60 pages long, much longer than the regular 25-35-page thesis expected from all seniors.

5. Examining Panel/External Faculty
Honors theses will be examined not only by the department panel, but also by an external faculty member from UNE or outside the University. The external examiner will provide both expertise and additional assessment of honors quality and standards.

6. The Oral Exam
The oral defense for honors will go beyond just the 30-minute defense of the senior thesis. Honors defense will include a formal (20-minute) oral presentation of the thesis followed by an oral examination by the honors panel. The entire oral defense lasts between 60 and 90 minutes.

More information

More general information about the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program, including an application, can be found at /financialaid/undergradhonors.asp.