Honors

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Honors

Students who demonstrate exceptional academic performance and scholarly achievement in the International and Public Affairs concentration have the opportunity to be recommended for graduation with honors.

To Be Considered for Honors, Students Must:

  1. Complete by the end of the 6th semester junior year: the Gateway course, the Track Foundational Course, the Junior Seminar, the two-course methodology requirement (or language study option and one methodology course), and at least three track electives.

    We strongly recommend that honors students complete a methods course that will teach them skills that they will use in their thesis.
  1. Have two-thirds “quality grades” in the concentration. A “quality grade” is defined as a grade of “A” or a grade of “S” accompanied either by a designation of “with distinction” or by a course performance report (CPR) indicating performance at the “A” standard.
  1. Complete the application form, including: the signature of the primary thesis advisor (first reader), the signature of the second reader, and an essay describing the research question, significance, research design, preliminary hypothesis, and research preparation, along with a preliminary bibliography. 

In 2024, honors applications will be due on Friday, April 26th by 5 p.m.

Application forms will be reviewed by the faculty committee and students will be notified of their status by mid-May. Only students with approved thesis applications will be admitted to the senior thesis seminar in the fall.

 

Thesis Funding

Honors concentrators in IAPA can apply for summer thesis funding. Deadlines are March 31st and June 1st for summer funding.

 

To Receive Honors, Students Must:

  1. Complete the senior thesis seminar in the fall of senior year and complete the independent study class with their primary thesis advisor (first reader) in the spring of senior year.
     
  2. Submit an honors quality thesis by the deadline, as judged by the student’s thesis committee – the primary thesis advisor and the second reader. Both readers must submit a written evaluation of the thesis. In the event of a lack of consensus, a member of the Faculty Committee will also evaluate the thesis.
     
  3. Complete an oral presentation on the thesis at the annual IAPA thesis conference in the spring of senior year.