FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Professor Stephen Elkin
Honors Program Director
1140E Tydings Hall
selkin@gvpt.umd.edu
301-405-4117

elcome to the 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 of 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.


[ Advantages | Requirements | Withdrawal | Final Evaluation | Contact Information ]



Advantages

As a member of the Government & Politics Honors Program, you will enjoy the following privileges:
  1. You may take Honors courses, which are seminars containing a maximum of 20 students.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.


Requirements

In addition to meeting the requirements of the University and the department in which you are enrolled, the Honors student must complete the following:
  1. The normal requirements of the Department of Government and Politics, subject to the advantages listed above.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 independent 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.


Withdrawal

The Honors student may withdraw from the program at any time. You 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 your performance has been less than satisfactory. Ordinarily, the student will be dropped from the program if his or her overall GPA falls below 3.0 or if his or her GPA in Government and Politics coursework falls below 3.5. Should you drop out of the program or be dropped, you may be required to meet any departmental requirements that were waived.


Final Evaluation

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.


Contact Information

Students interested in the Government and Politics Honors Program should contact the Director, Professor Stephen Elkin, at 1140E Tydings Hall, selkin@gvpt.umd.edu, or 301-405-4117.