General Information for Students

Your best source of information is the Department Student Services Portal found here.

This page is intended for use by all students. For academic advising information, click here. For information about the courses I teach, click here.

The Handbook for Students in the Dept. of Political Science can be downloaded here.

Independent Study Guidelines

Independent Study (PS4200--Problems in Government)

In order to complete an independent study under my supervision, you must meet the following criteria:

1. Have already completed at least 12 hours of Political Science coursework, which must include PS1010 and PS3210.
2. Have completed at least one upper division course with me.

Before I will agree to the creation of an independent study course for you, you must present a proposal to me which must include:

1. A detailed description of the research proposed,
2. A clear thesis,
3. An explanation of the methodology,
4. A timeline for completion of the project, and
5. A tentative bibliography.

Honors Thesis Guidelines

I advise honors theses under the following conditions (in addition to the requirements of the Honors College):

1. You must be an International Relations major writing on a topic pertinent to International Relations.
2. You must have completed PS3001 or an equivalent course if you plan to do data analysis (and it is likely you will need to do so).

You should approach me about thesis advising well in advance because I will not sign the thesis advising agreement until your proposal is complete. Therefore, we will need to discuss your topic. Then, once we agree on a topic, you will write the first draft of the proposal (following the Honors College guidelines and my requirements). Then, I will need two weeks to review the draft, after which you will be required to revise and resubmit the draft. This process will continue until you have a draft that I believe to be solid enough to be accepted by the Honors College Thesis Committee. Do not ask me to be your thesis advisor if you are not willing to endure the process above.

A note on the Summer Session: Generally speaking, I do not teach summer classes. University faculty are expected to be actively engaged in research, and I spend my summers working on my research projects. Therefore, my availability during the summer months can be limited. Therefore, waiting until the end of the Spring semester to approach me about a thesis or an independent study is not advisable.

Other Useful Information

Study abroad information

Guidelines for Political Science Internships