• Students submit an application in the spring of junior year or 6th semester. Mid-year graduates apply one semester early, in their 5th semester at Brown. (This enables mid-year graduates to fulfill the Fall IAPA 1816A- Spring 1817A sequence and present their research in the Honors Conference in May of their 7th semester.)
• Class of 2026 applications DUE Friday, April 11, 2025 by 5 p.m.
• Applications are reviewed by the faculty committee and students are notified of their status by mid-May. Only students with approved thesis applications will be admitted to the senior thesis seminar in the fall.

1. Completion of required courses. Have completed by the end of the 6^th 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. 
   NOTE students graduating AFTER 2026 will not be permitted to substitute language instruction for one of the research methods courses. However, members of the Class of 2027 may request an exception by submitting the methods requirement exception form no later than September 3, 2025. Exception requests received after this date will not be considered.
   
   We strongly recommend that honors students take both qualitative and quantitative methods courses to have a full toolkit of skills as they start their theses. Students who are conducting research in another language should also, of course, achieve proficiency in that language before starting their research.
   
   We also strongly recommend that students take at least one elective related to their proposed thesis topic before senior year.
    
2. Two-thirds “quality grades” in the concentration. A “quality grade” is defined as a grade of “A” or a grade of “S” accompanied by a designation of “with distinction”.
    
3. A complete application form. The application includes: the signature of the primary thesis advisor (first reader), and an essay describing the research question, significance, research design, preliminary hypothesis, and research preparation, along with a preliminary bibliography. 

Who can be a Thesis Advisor/First Reader? 

Any member of the Watson faculty, associated faculty, or faculty members with a PhD from any of the five core affiliated departments (Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, History, or Economics) who is interested and knowledgeable about your topic and who is in residence at Brown for both semesters of your senior year. You must have acquired a First Reader in order to apply to the Honors Program.

Who can be a Second Reader? 

Any member of Brown's teaching faculty or a PhD student who is interested, knowledgeable, and willing to serve. Second Readers must be acquired no later than mid-September senior year. 

How often should I meet with my First Reader? 

At least once every two weeks, and perhaps once a week, beginning at the start of the fall term. It is imperative that you establish a regular meeting time early in September. It may not always be necessary to meet in person—emails and Zoom are often helpful—but it is always good to have a time set aside when you KNOW you can talk with your First Reader. Use these meetings wisely. Some advisors require students submit something in writing beforehand to guide progress. In any case, be prepared with a prioritized list of questions or points to discuss. 

How often should I meet with my Second Reader? 

Usually, much less often than with your First Reader. The First Reader is your primary advisor; the Second Reader MAY choose to be more involved, or you may invite such involvement, but the Second Reader is generally consulted much less regularly. The Second Reader may have expertise in a particular aspect of the thesis and may be particularly helpful early in the project in guiding you to sources, during your research on a particular chapter, and in the final draft. We recommend meeting with your Second Reader once in the fall, and once again in the spring.

Receiving Honors

Requirements for Honors in IAPA

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 (of 80-120 pages in length) 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.

Does everyone who writes a thesis get Honors? 

While the great majority of submitted theses do receive Honors, not all of them do. A thesis that is not based on original research or is not rigorous according to the standards and conventions of academic thesis writing will not receive honors. While all students who complete a thesis will receive a grade for their work, only theses with a grade of A are considered for an Honors degree. Theses submitted late are ineligible to receive honors. 

The Thesis

How long is an IAPA thesis? 

There is no page requirement. Most IAPA theses, however, are organized around 5 or 6 chapters and have 80 to 120 pages. Students are strongly encouraged to read theses from previous years. Thesis abstracts and presentation slides from recent years are available on the IAPA website and will give students a sense of the broad range of topics, research questions, and approaches.

What if I want to do a thesis in an unorthodox format, such as a documentary or a website, or coauthor a project with a friend?

A thesis is an individual research project that follows a set of conventions that make it a thesis. Therefore, students must follow standard research and formal writing protocols for thesis work. Only thesis work is eligible for Honors in IAPA. Alternative projects may be undertaken as an Independent Study or as one of the one semester capstone projects, but not as a thesis.

Can I use the senior thesis I am writing for my other concentration for IAPA honors?
No. The IAPA Honors Program does not accept a thesis submitted for another concentration. Likewise, an IAPA thesis may not be used as a senior thesis in another department.

Honors concentrators in IAPA can apply for summer thesis funding. Deadline for summer research is May 16th, 2025.

Books and Worksheets

Harvard Thesis Writing Guides (Harvard Writing Project) 

How to Write a BA Thesis (Lipson)

The Art of Writing Proposals (Przeworski)

The Craft of Research (Booth)

Worksheets for Senior Thesis Writers (Reindle, Harvard)

Forms and Handouts

Authorization to Lend and Reproduce

Final Submission Checklist

Signature Page

Statement of Academic Integrity

Summer Checklist

2024 Watson Honors Conference

2024 Conference Schedule

2024 Conference Recording (Day 1) 

2024 Conference Recording (Day 2)

2023 Watson Honors Conference

2023 Conference Schedule

2023 Conference Recording (Day 1)

2023 Conference Recording (Day 2)

Thesis Titles 2021-2024