Junior Qual
Junior year requirements for Political Science consist of the junior qualifying examination in Political Science (“qual”) and taking a Junior Seminar. The qual is a research design turned in at the end of the semester. Typically, the qual is the product of the Junior Seminar, which is taught every spring. Students may take the qual separately from the Junior Seminar if they are abroad or taking the qual during a semester in which the course is not taught. The qual may be taken prior to the second semester of the junior year as long as the two empirical introductory courses and one 300- or 400-level course have been completed or are in progress. Students going abroad are responsible for making arrangements to complete both the Junior Seminar and the qual. If possible, students who plan to be abroad in their second semester of their junior year should take Junior Seminar prior to departing. A limited number of courses have in the past been approved by the department as a substitute for a junior seminar (a list is appended to the bottom of this page).* These courses are not guaranteed to be taught in any year, and so in most cases the Junior Seminar should be taken before going abroad.
In the qual research design, students propose a research question, discussing its significance; briefly review the relevant literature; generate one or more researchable propositions from that review; identify data sources and propose a methodology to be used in researching the topic; and present a short bibliography of relevant secondary works and/or primary sources. The research design is 4–5 pages (1000–1250 words), not including the bibliography. It is due Monday of finals week at 9 AM, and is turned in to the Political Science Junior Research Seminar Moodle (Spring semester) or the Political Science Junior Qualifying Examination Moodle (Fall semester). If you are taking the qual in a semester when you are not signed up for the Political Science Junior Research Seminar, email the department administrator for access. Junior Qual Samples are available on the Junior Qual Moodle. The includes sources for locating and borrowing books and journal articles, databases and indexes for scholarly literature and current news, tools for locating background information, government documents, policies, and statistical data, as well as information related to the .
The junior qual is not a research paper on a topic. In the brief literature review, you are cataloging what there is that has been written about a topic. Your review should have the capacity to identify various materials (books, articles, etc.) using various approaches, theses, or methodologies that you then use to formulate your own proposal. In the research design, you are proposing a paper, not writing it. Your research design should be something you can complete within a year. Your qual tests your ability to frame a project of the sort your thesis will be like. One common error is to propose surveys and studies that would take a portion of a lifetime or a multi-million dollar grant to complete. If you sense that this is the case with the strategy or question you are using, then you need to either rethink your strategy or refine your question.
Normally, evaluation of examinations will be made by the department as a whole. Our priority will be with dealing with the senior orals and grades, but we will attempt to get back to you by the end of the final examination period. The examination is understood to be largely diagnostic in nature – an opportunity for the faculty to assess both the progress of individual students and the overall quality of the educational program in political science, as well as an opportunity for students to assess themselves. It is possible to fail this examination, but historically failures have been extremely rare. The faculty fully expects all students to pass, though “conditional passes” in which students are asked to rewrite a portion of the exam have not been unusual. This means that the submitted document lacks in some respect and the department places some conditions that you must perform to pass fully. This may include simply providing missing material, rewriting certain elements of the design, and so forth.
Do not use AI bots such as ChatGPT or “learning support” platforms (e.g., Chegg, CourseHero) for any part of the qual process whatsoever unless specifically authorized by the qual czar; unauthorized use can result in failing the qual.
*Courses from other institutions that have been approved in the past:
- University of Sydney: GOVT 2991 Political Research Methods
- Amsterdam University College: 900212 Advanced Reesearch Writing
- American University of Paris: PO 2050 Political Analysis
- London School of Economics: GV249 Research Design in Political Science
- Trinity College Dublin: POU 33011 Research Methods for Political Science A