DORNSIFE COLLEGE

APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION TO THE HONORS PROGRAM IN POLITICAL SCIENCE 2013-2014 The Political Science Department invites current sophomore and junior majors with excellent academic records to apply to for admission to our Honors Program, to be taught by Professor Dennis Chong (Professor and Chair, Department of Political Science). Students admitted to the program undertake Honors thesis research and writing on a political science topic of their choice during the academic year. Admitted students enroll in a two-semester honors thesis seminar, Political Science 391 (Fall Semester) and 392 (Spring Semester). Students who complete successfully the requirements of the program will graduate with Honors in Political Science, a distinction that will be designated on their transcripts. The best Honors theses will be considered for publication in the Departments Undergraduate Political Science Journal. During the first semester, students will participate in weekly meetings to discuss the elements of social science research and to develop their research proposals; during the second semester, students undertake their research, analysis, and writing of the honors paper. Students will present their papers to the seminar at the end of the Spring Semester. Admission to the program is based on a competitive application process. Your application must include a 1-2 page statement of purpose and a STARS report. Honors students must have a minimum college and departmental GPA of 3.5 to be admitted to the program, and they must maintain this GPA throughout their participation in the program. We encourage honors students to complete many of the courses required for the major before entering the honors program. To submit an application, send an electronic PDF or Word version of the three items in the list below to Ms. Aurora Ramirez (aurora@usc.edu), no later than March 25, 2013. Your file should match the order of the items listed below. 1. Honors Application Form (attached below): To calculate your Political Science GPA, use all and only Political Science courses. 2. A copy of your STARS Report: This must include grades through Fall Semester 2012. 3. A 1-2 page statement of purpose: The statement should explain why you wish to enroll in the Honors program. It should identify the topic or question that you are interested in studying and how you might undertake to answer the question. While we expect that your topic will undergo considerable development and revision in the honors program, we want to know your general area of research interest at this stage. In the proposal, please briefly discuss your preparation for this project, including relevant coursework (in political science and related fields). Please also include any formal, statistical, language, or research experience, and relevant experiences in internships, study abroad, or at other institutions that have prepared you for the Honors program.

Honors Application Form

Application for the 2013-2014 Political Science Honors Program

Name___________________________________________________________________

POSC GPA___________OVERALL GPA___________ Email _____________ Campus Phone________________________ Student ID#_________________ Campus mailing address_________________________________ Zip Code___________

Relevant coursework completed (list):

Name of Political Science Faculty reference: ___________________________________________

Subject area of the proposal: 2-3 sentence summary of your research question: