Students who attain a GPA of 3.7 of higher, both overall and in the major, are automatically eligible to enroll in the Honors Seminar (POLS 5800) in the Fall of their senior year and write an Honors Thesis (POLS 5810) in the Spring of their senior year. Other students may be invited to pursue Honors by the faculty. The Honors Seminar is a prerequisite for the Honors Thesis. Students who attain a grade of A- or higher for the Honors Thesis will graduate with Honors in Political Science and International Relations. Both the Honors Seminar and Honors Thesis count toward the 24 semester hours of upper division course work required of majors.
Recent Theses
This list of theses were written and presented by the Honors Thesis Class of 2026
Does Welfare Fare Well in a Changing Europe? Understanding the Influence of Religious Behavior and Theological Beliefs on Attitudes Towards Western European Welfare Systems
By Antoine Corbani
Beneath the Miracle - Public Attitudes Towards South Korean Chaebols
By Diego Luis
The Belly of the Boom Years: A Qualitative Study of the Winners and Losers, Success and Failure, and Impetus Behind Urban Megaprojects in Ethiopia
By Aida Yezalaleul
Trust, Place, and Resistance: The Impact of ICE Raids on Latino Political Behavior
By Kristal Salazar
Hidden Barriers: Enforcement Asymmetry and the Political Economy of U.S.–Mexico Food Trade and the Cattle Industry
By Sabina Prieto
Breaking the Gerontocracy: Conditions for Electing Young Officials in Local Politics
By Mia Ashlee Gutierrez
Beyond Skrmetti: A Constitutional Case for Gender-Affirming Care
By Mateo-Luis A. Planas
Silent Citizens: How Self-Censorship Impacts Political Behavior
By Logan Venhoff
Intellekt Dezinformatsia: Artificial Intelligence, Regime Type, and the Future of Information Warfare
By Tze Fung Kao
Anyone Can Pick Up a Microphone, But Can They Flip the Election? An Analysis of Podcasts in Terms of the 2024 Presidential Election
By Lily Pellillo
After Ashcroft: Prosecuting Artificially Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material in the AI Age
By Nora Smith
The 2024 Election and the Crisis of Gendered Political Ambition
By Makenzie Ganje
Money Talks, Democracy Walks: How Billionaires Are Reshaping U.S. Politics
By Amelie Favre
Red, Blue, and on the Move: The Political Implications of Interstate Migration in the US
By Edward Snyder