Honors

Pi Sigma Alpha, Tau Gamma Chapter

Founded in 1920 as the national political science honor society, Pi Sigma Alpha receives into membership students of political science and related disciplines who attain high standards of scholarship and academic distinction. Eligibility requirements are: (1) six government which have been weighed in your GPA (2) a combined 3.5 GPA from all of these courses; and (3) a 3.25 cumulative grade-point average.

Members of Pi Sigma Alpha meet regularly during the year with the organization's faculty advisor, Professor Natalie Taylor, to discuss contemporary political issues, plan the initiation ceremonies that take place in the Spring of each year, and to organize events designed to raise political awareness on campus. Pi Sigma Alpha has been a chartered SGA club since 1999.

Department Honors

To be recommended for Honors in the department, a student must have received at least an A- on a senior thesis, have a 3.5 grade-point average in government courses, and a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average.

The senior thesis is a year-long project that requires students to follow a carefully sequenced period of reading, writing, and revision culminating in a paper of at least 40 pages (10,000 words) that utilizes both primary and secondary sources to defend a clearly stated thesis.

Students interested in writing a senior thesis must seek during the spring semester of their junior year a Government department faculty member to act as their thesis director. Once students have secured a thesis director, they then enroll in GO 374: Senior Thesis Prep for the fall semester of their senior year. Students complete their thesis work in the spring semester in GO 375: Senior Thesis. Students must then defend their thesis before a panel of faculty some time between April 12 and April 22.

Guidelines for completing a senior thesis can be obtained from the Government Department secretary and are posted on the department website.