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Honors
in Political Economy
To graduate with honors in Political Economy requires the following.
1. A minimum of 3.5 in courses counting toward the major at the end of
the senior year, and a 3.5 at the end of the junior year in order to
apply.
2. A minimum thesis grade of 3.5 for "Honors" and 3.75 for
"Highest Honors." This thesis grade is the mean of the grades
submitted by the thesis committee, composed of two advisors and a third
reader. Moreover, to merit highest honors, two of the three readers
must give the thesis a grade of 3.75 or higher.
3. Theses are due the last day of Winter Study period.
4. Candidates make a public presentation and defense of their thesis
soon after spring break.
The thesis course in Political Economy, POEC 493-W031, runs through the
fall semester and Winter Study period. Students who anticipate pursuing
honors should also take a course during the junior year that gives them
the necessary background for the thesis topic. For example, in
preparation for a thesis on welfare reform in Massachusetts, the
student would complete PSCI 209, Poverty in America or ECON 237, The
Economics of Inequality and Poverty; a thesis on forest conservation in
Costa Rica would follow ECON 212, Sustainable Development, PSCI 308,
Environmental Policy, or ECON 377, Environmental Policy and Natural
Resource Management. A summer internship might also provide adequate
grounding.
Your application (4 pages tops) should include a brief description of
the proposed thesis. Include the topic, how you will investigate it,
what kind of materials you think will collect when doing so, and your
preparation (prior courses and experiences) for undertaking the
project. A short bibliography will help us see your orientation and
suggest additional sources. Name your proposed advisors, ordinarily,
one for Economics and one from Political Science--after ascertaining
that they are willing and available to serve.
Beyond the formal requirements, your most important concern should be
that your chosen topic interests you enough to motivate your
consistent, self-initiated effort. In general, the sooner you focus on
the purpose of the inquiry and the theoretical aim of the thesis, the
better. An early and strong working relationship with the advisors is
very helpful here. In judging the final product of these labors, the
work will be judged by the following criteria.
1. It should make a case. It states a thesis (an argument, a
theoretical statement, a hypothesis, a critique) that is then developed
and defended according to the best standards of the particular area of
the thesis topic. It should be more than just a description or
compilation, no matter how thorough, of research in the field. Such
material will form part of the thesis, but as background and evidence
for the argument.
2. On some topics, your own empirical research will be a big part of
the evidence.
3. In its independence, creativity, curiosity, or synthesis, it should
show your personal involvement. This is part of what distinguishes a
thesis from a term paper. While this does not mean you have to do
graduate-level work, it does mean that if you do not look forward to
this as an opportunity to do your own thinking, maybe you should not
undertake it.
4. The topic should be concerned with political economy. Narrative
history, literary critique, or microeconomic analysis would be more
appropriate for another department.
5. The conclusion should show what the thesis has done and what its
contribution is. It should be able to stand on its own.
6. The work should be double-spaced (except footnotes and indented
material), in 10 or 12 point type, between 50 and 70 pages long.
7. It should have a bibliography showing that you consulted the most
important literature on the topic.
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