The paper must be analytical, not merely descriptive, and usually develops directly out of observations students have made during their internships. Papers can also address themes and issues in the literature of political science, perhaps derived from other course work in the major. Whatever particular contract is made between a POL 193 student and the faculty sponsor, it will not represent a mere continuation of the internship itself. The paper is an opportunity for reflection and analysis. It is advisable to begin work on the POL 193 paper in advance, while either one or the other of the internship courses is still under way.
Students are responsible for finding their own faculty sponsors.
Each member of the Political Science faculty is eligible to work with students and to negotiate the terms of an acceptable piece of work. Faculty members can be especially helpful in defining a topic and developing a set of useful references. The outlines of the process to be followed in completing the work, including advance submission of drafts and periodic meetings with the sponsor, are detailed on the approval form. The final paper is submitted to the faculty sponsor, who also assigns the final letter grade for the work.