Nov 22, 2024
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2024-25

POLS 4505H - Honors Seminar


Seminar on selected topics in political science in preparation for writing an honors thesis. Students explore thinking and writing like a political scientist: they reflect on their own research interests and analyze what kinds of questions political scientists ask, how they answer them, and what the elements of academic writing are. Throughout the seminar, students iteratively work towards creating a viable thesis proposal and bibliography.

Requisites: Permission required and POLS major
Credit Hours: 3
OHIO BRICKS: Bridge: Learning and Doing
Repeat/Retake Information: May be retaken two times excluding withdrawals, but only last course taken counts.
Lecture/Lab Hours: 3.0 seminar
Grades: Eligible Grades: A-F,WP,WF,WN,FN,AU,I
Learning Outcomes:
  • Students will be able to connect previous Political Science coursework to the experience of conducting independent academic research.
  • Students will be able to use their voice, while listening to others, to constitute a Political Science research community that sees and makes connections in terms of subject matter and methodology across Political Science coursework.
  • Students will be able to adapt and apply skills, theories, and methodologies gained in this course and earlier Political Science courses to a new research topic of their choice.
  • Students will be able to identify and execute the elements of annotated bibliographies and thesis proposals that follow the disciplinary norms of Political Science.
  • Students will be able to demonstrate a developing sense of self as a Political Scientist by identifying their own research interests and generating a plan to investigate them, as well as identifying career opportunities in academia or public affairs.


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