The Honors Program in Political Science is designed for our top students who seek out additional intellectual challenges, including research and writing an honors thesis during their senior year. It is distinct from the University Honors Program, but political science majors may be admitted to both programs.

Admission

Students should apply for admission to the program during the winter or spring quarter of their junior year. To be eligible for the honors program, a student must be a political science major and have earned at least a 3.2 grade point average overall and a 3.5 GPA in their political science coursework.

Interested students should submit the following to the Department of Political Science by emailing polisci@pdx.edu:

• PSU and other college transcripts (unofficial transcripts will suffice).
• Letters of recommendation from two PSU political science faculty
• Statement of purpose (500 words or less) indicating your interest in the program, the area of research for your honors thesis, and the faculty member you would like to supervise your work

Course Requirements

Check the Course Offerings to determine which term the course requirements are taught in. You sign up for PS 403 through the By Arrangement System. Normally, 4 credits of PS 403 are taken each term of the student’s senior year.

The Department recommends this timeline for the thesis project:

• Fall term: preparation of research proposal and start of investigation
• Winter term: continuation of research and first draft of thesis
• Spring term: revision of thesis and defense

The student works closely with the faculty supervisor at all stages of thesis research and writing. At the start of Spring term, two additional faculty members are selected to join the supervisor as a thesis review committee. At the close of Spring term, the student presents and defends the thesis before the review committee and any others the student may wish to invite to the colloquium.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach out to the Chair of the Honors and Award Committee, Professor Richard Clucas.

Pi Sigma Alpha Honors Society

Outstanding juniors and seniors who have declared a major in political science are eligible to join Nu Pi, the Portland State University Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. To be eligible to join, students must meet certain credit and GPA requirements.

What is Pi Sigma Alpha? Pi Sigma Alpha is the National Political Science Honor Society.  Since 1919, the society has worked to encourage the study of government, to foster reforms in our governmental machinery, and to aid in the education of the electorate in problems of government. Today, there are more than 300,000 members nationwide, including former U.S. presidents, current and former members of Congress, former Supreme Court justices, as well as countless political scientists, attorneys, community organizers, nonprofit professionals, and more.

Benefits

The primary reason one would want to join Pi Sigma Alpha is to set yourself apart from other students. This can be particularly helpful if you intend to go to graduate or law school, or for some types of jobs. If you intend to earn an advanced degree, involvement in Pi Sigma Alpha conveys a stronger commitment to and understanding of the discipline than just taking course work. In addition, your membership is nationally recognized as a mark of excellence in political science, which can be helpful in applying for high level jobs.

There are some other, more tangible benefits. As a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, you earn the right to wear an honor cord and/or medallion during commencement. These symbols allow you to be recognized for your outstanding academic record. Membership in Pi Sigma Alpha entitles you to a higher civil service grade (i.e. a higher salary), should you decide to enter government service.

In addition to individual benefits, the national office of Pi Sigma Alpha offers chapter activity grants each fall of up to $2000 per chapter. Examples of this can include bringing in notable speakers for panels, holding voter registration drives, or hosting essay writing competitions. The national association also holds an annual undergraduate research conference for members to present research (with no registration fees), offers a number of scholarships and best paper prizes, and publishes a national undergraduate journal. 

Membership Criteria

Membership in Pi Sigma Alpha is open to undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in programs of political science in institutions where chapters are located.

Undergraduates must have completed at least one-half the credits required to earn a bachelor’s degree (90 credits). They must have completed at least 15 quarter-credits of work in political science including at least one upper-division course, with an average grade of B or higher in those courses; they must have achieved an overall GPA placing them in the top one-third of their whole class (e.g., junior or senior class). 

Graduate students must have completed 9 graduate credits in political science with no grade lower than a B. Undergraduate coursework does not count towards graduate student eligibility, and graduate students must be pursuing a degree in political science to qualify for membership.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit a letter of application to the PSU Nu Pi Advisor, along with an unofficial copy of your transcripts. The application letter needs to include your email address and student ID number.

If the Nu Pi Advisor determines that you are eligible, you will be notified of your eligibility. The Advisor will then submit your name and email address to the national office of Pi Sigma Alpha. The national office will then provide a link to you (via the advisor) for paying your initiation fee/lifetime dues ($35). When you pay the fee/dues online, you will also be able to order regalia for wearing at graduation. The national office will mail your certificate of membership to the Nu Pi advisor. It will mail the regalia directly to you.

Students may not join Pi Sigma Alpha directly through the national office. Students can only become members through their campus advisor.

Chapter Activities

The Political Science Department chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha is Nu Pi. In past years, the chapter has played an active role in the department, putting on panel discussions, inviting guest speakers to campus, hosting social events, and more. If you are interested in being involved with the Nu Pi, please tell the chapter advisor. If you are interested in taking on a leadership role, there are four officer positions in Nu Pi: president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary.

Contact Nu Pi

Professor Richard Clucas is the current advisor to Nu Pi. If you want to know more about the honor society and chapter activities, or if you want to apply for membership, contact him at hprc@pdx.edu.