What is the thesis option?
The thesis option (POST 4020D) is a double credit course that is designed for students who have a strong interest in investigating a topic in politics in greater depth than is possible in existing Honours year courses.
Students enrolled in the course pursue intensive research during the academic year and are required to submit a written thesis of approximately 15,000 words by the end of the spring term. Their research is guided by a thesis committee comprised of two faculty members. The "first reader" has primary responsibility for the student's work, while the "second reader" has secondary responsibility. Both are responsible for marking the student's work at the end of the year. Students are required to meet regularly (a minimum three times per term) with members of the thesis committee during the academic year to discuss their progress.
How do you register for a thesis?
As the calendar indicates, Department approval is required for a student to enroll in Politics 4020D. The Department expects that students applying for a thesis will have at least a B+ average in their courses to date. Click on the link to download the Honours Thesis Registration Form.
The thesis option requires that the student take the initiative to find members of faculty to supervise the project, bearing in mind that a clear rationale must be developed for going beyond or outside of existing course offerings. A student encountering difficulty in arranging supervision should discuss the situation with the Department Chair. Assuming that the student secures faculty agreement to serve on the thesis committee, the student must submit a formal 1-2 page written proposal to the Department for approval.
The proposal should include:
- A brief explanation of why the student wishes to pursue the thesis option
- An outline of the issue to be investigated
- The signed approval of the faculty members who have agreed to act as the first and second readers
- An outline of a schedule of meetings and breakdown of the grades to be assigned for different components of the project.
The Department will respond in a timely fashion to formal proposals.
Students should develop their proposals and seek approval for the thesis option during the spring term, at the time of early registration.
Political Studies Honors Thesis Registration Form
Preparation
Students are strongly encouraged to do preparatory reading for the thesis over the summer. Once spring approval has been granted for the thesis project, students should request the help of their thesis committee in drawing up a list of relevant summer readings.
Students should also be prepared to submit a 3-4 page proposal to their thesis committee by the end of the third week of the fall term. The proposal should include a more extended description of the issue to be investigated, the approach to be used, and the reference works to be consulted.