The Political Science Honors Program is particularly suited for those wishing to apply to Graduate School or Law School, or enter careers that require strong writing and critical thinking. Benefits include:
- An opportunity to pursue an independent research project, ultimately resulting in a thesis
- Working closely with faculty to improve research, writing, and critical thinking skills
- A notation indicating the successful completion of the program on your diploma and undergraduate transcript
Requirements:
In addition to the standard Political Science major requirements, students accepted to the Honors Program must complete POLI 175 (or an equivalent such as ECON 110, PSY 105, or COGS 105), and then enroll in POLI 194H (Honors Thesis Seminar) during the spring of their third or fourth year which will count toward the three non-subfield specific upper division courses that are required of all Political Science.
To graduate with Honors in Political Science, students must complete POLI 175 with a minimum grade of B- and POLI 194H with a minimum grade of A-, as well as maintaining a minimum overall GPA of 3.3 and a minimum GPA of 3.7 in the major.
Eligibility:
Applicants must be a declared Political Science major, and have a minimum overall GPA of 3.3 and a minimum GPA of 3.7 in the major. A student with a GPA in the major between 3.5 and 3.69 may request an exemption from the Political Science Undergraduate Chair. Please email the undergraduate chair (Prof. Hibbing: mhibbing@ucmerced.edu) for more information.
Updated 2023
