Awards & Grants

 

Barry Farrell Summer Experiential Learning Awards

Application due date: May 1. Applications are available through this link.

Each year the department provides financial support to allow sophomore or junior political science majors to engage in summer experiential learning that is related to their political science studies.  Experiences could include an internship or work with a non-profit public service organization. Support is not provided for undergraduate research (students should apply for a University Research Grant or a Ted and Cora Ginsberg Research Grant instead) or for professional development oriented work experiences.

Interested students should submit an application that includes a cover sheet, a description of the planned experience, and the student’s expectations for how the experience will complement their political science studies.  Students awarded a fellowship are expected to provide a letter verifying their planned work with an organization before the award is dispensed. 

Awards generally will not exceed $1500, and are usually in the $400-$800 range. Students’ financial need for the summer is taken into account in determining award amounts. At the end of the summer, awardees must create a poster presentation that describes their experience, including how the experience enhanced their understanding of politics. Posters will be displayed in the Department of Political Science.

 

Ted and Cora Ginsberg Undergraduate Research Grant

Application due date: April 15 for summer research and ongoing for academic year research. Applications are available through this link.

Ted and Cora Ginsberg grants support undergraduate political science research conducted in collaboration with a faculty member.  The project must be student initiated and conducted with the collaboration of a Political Science faculty member. The research can occur during the summer or during an academic year and need not be conducted for credit.  Interested students should approach a faculty member to discuss a potential project. Academic year funds can be used for travel to research venues and for expenses related to undertaking the research.  Summer funds can also be used to cover living expenses during the period of research.

The proposal should include a coversheet, an informal transcript, and a 3-5 page description of the project that includes the research topic, the proposed research methodology (e.g. analysis of secondary literature, archival visits, field research, experimental research etc), a brief description of your background preparation for the research, including how you expect the research to further your intellectual development and political science education, and a budget.

Honors students should consult the Director of Honors before submitting an application as a full proposal may not be required.

 

Kenneth Janda Prize for Best Undergraduate Honors Thesis

The Kenneth Janda Prize is awarded for the best undergraduate Honors thesis of the year.  The Honors committee selects a winner. The Janda Prize carries a small financial award and is presented at the undergraduate Reception event in June. Winners are added to a plaque in the department.  Prize-winning theses are bound and kept in the Department of Political Science for future Honors students.

 

McGovern Awards

Each year the department selects outstanding graduating political science majors for the McGovern Award.  The award is for excellence in scholarship, leadership, and University citizenship.  Students must be nominated by a Political Science faculty member.  The award carries a small financial prize, and students winning the award are asked to a luncheon with the Chair and the Director of Undergraduate Studies, generally held in May. The prize and award are presented at the undergraduate Reception event in June.

 

Department of Political Science
Certificate of Achievement in a Foreign Language

Mastery of a foreign language has become increasingly important to the understanding of politics, at home as well as abroad. To encourage students to become proficient in a foreign language, the Department of Political Science offers a certificate of achievement in a foreign language that may be earned either through coursework in political science conducted in a foreign language (two or more courses, usually completed during study abroad) or through the substantial use of foreign language materials in a thesis or other independent study (PS 399) type work. Faculty advisors can discuss options with students. The certificate must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. A certificate is presented at the undergraduate Reception event in June.

Applications are available on the department’s website.

 

Convocation Marshall/Leader

The department nominates one graduating senior to be the standard bearer at the WCAS convocation. The nominee is selected by the Director of Undergraduate Studies, and his or her name is put into a lottery from which the WCAS Commencement Marshall is chosen.

 

Departmental Honors

Outstanding Political Science Juniors with departmental and overall GPAs of 3.5 or above are invited to apply to the department’s Honors Program. Admission to the Honors Program is competitive. Applications include a two to three page topic proposal and a faculty recommendation. Acceptance into the Honors Program requires that a student attend regular meetings with his or her advisor throughout the fall and winter quarters until submission of the thesis and maintain the required 3.5 GPA for the duration of the program. Students also must enroll in and satisfactorily complete the Senior Thesis Tutorial (Political Science 398) during the fall and winter quarters of their senior year.

A student who participates in the program and then completes the thesis on time may submit it to the Departmental Honors Committee (DHC) for consideration for Departmental Honors. The DHC arranges for each thesis to be read by an additional faculty member not directly involved in advising the project. This reader and the faculty advisor submit written reports to the DHC, including a recommendation regarding Honors. If the DHC determines that the thesis qualifies for Honors, it forwards its recommendation to the Weinberg College Committee on Superior Students and Honors. This WCAS committee makes the final decision on Honors in light of the Department’s recommendation, the student’s academic record, and the work submitted. Students will be notified of the decision of the WCAS committee by mid-June.  For more information on the Honors Program, see the Department’s web page.

 

 

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