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Welcome to the Government and Politics Honors Program. This site is designed
as an informational resource for both prospective members and students currently
enrolled in the program.
The aim of the Government and Politics Honors Program is to encourage students
with outstanding abilities to accelerate their development and intellectual growth
under the conditions of greater freedom, greater responsibility, and more individual
supervision from their instructors. The program also seeks to provide a community
within which students can meet one another and further develop their interests
in political science and public affairs.
Students entering the University through the Honors College
and who plan on majoring in Government and Politics will be admitted to the program
by the request of the student. This information is usually collected during GVPT100H.
Students not in the Honors College may apply for admission to the GVPT Honors
Program by filling out an application outlining their previous GVPT coursework,
possible thesis topics, and career interests. Students who are not in the University
Honors College must wait until the Spring of their sophomore year to apply to
the program and their admission is contingent upon high performance records in
both GVPT courses and other University courses. It is at the discretion of the
Director to admit non-University Honors students, and decisions are made on a
case-by-case basis. Students also provide an unofficial transcript, as well as
their SAT/ACT scores. Students should have a 3.6 GPA in GVPT coursework and at
least a 3.2 in all other coursework.
As a member of the Government & Politics Honors Program,
you will enjoy the following privileges:
- You may take Honors courses, which are seminars
containing a maximum of 20 students.
- Seniors in the program, with the consent of the
Director of the Honors Program and the instructor of the course, may register
in graduate level courses for undergraduate credit.
- You will have ample opportunity for discussion
and personal relationships with professors and other motivated Honors students.
In addition, after successful completion of the Honors
Program, the student will receive, upon recommendation of the Director of the
Honors Program, the Bachelor's Degree with "Honors" or "High Honors" in
Government & Politics.
In addition to meeting the requirements of the University and the department
in which you are enrolled, the Honors student must complete the following:
- The normal requirements of the Department of Government and Politics, subject
to the advantages listed above.
- A substantial portion of Honors work within the
major, including no fewer than three 3-credit Honors level courses, and two 3-credit
Honors thesis courses, all offered by the Department of Government and Politics.
- H-level courses must be completed with a "B" or higher.
- A senior thesis, to be completed under the guidance
of a faculty member from GVPT. Ordinarily, a thesis will begin with enrollment
in GVPT 396 "Introduction
to Honors Research," followed by GVPT 397 "Honors Research." This
will be independently guided research and writing with a thesis advisor, agreed
upon by the Director of the Honors Program and the student. The thesis must be
submitted at least thirty days before the end of the student's last semester,
at which time an oral examination of the thesis will be scheduled. This exam
will be conducted before a three-member committee usually composed of the thesis
advisor and two other faculty members agreed upon by the student and the thesis
advisor.
The Honors student may withdraw from the program at any
time. Though a student may withdraw from the program, he/she will not graduate
with Honors in Government and Politics, even if he/she has already completed
some program requirements. Program completion is contingent upon 3 H-level courses
and successful completion and defense of a thesis. He or she may, however, be
required to withdraw from the program at the end of any semester upon determination
of the Director of the Honors Program that his or her performance has been less
than satisfactory. Ordinarily, the student will be dropped from the program if
his or her overall GPA falls below 3.2 or if his or her GPA in Government and
Politics coursework falls below 3.6. Should the student drop out of the program
or be dropped, he or she may be required to meet any departmental requirements
that were waived.
The recommendation of the Bachelor's degree with "Honors" or "High
Honors" in Government and Politics will depend upon the quality of the senior
thesis and its defense in the oral examination. Unsatisfactory performance in
either of these will result in the degree being awarded without honors for the
departmental major.
Students interested in the Government and Politics Honors Program should contact
the following individuals:
- Professor Frances Lee, Director. 3140N Tydings
Hall, flee1 at umd•edu,
or 301-405-4117.
- Janelle Asiedu, GVPT Honors Assistant. jasiedu at terpmail•umd•edu.
