Opportunities and Funding
As a political science major, you have the opportunity to engage in research through internships, study abroad and away programs, or through our Honors Program, including independent work under the direction of a faculty member.
Below, learn more about research and funding opportunities and our student award winners鈥� projects.
Honors Program
Political science majors with outstanding academic records may apply to the departmental honors program in spring of their junior year. Students who join the honors program work closely with a professor to create a thesis on a topic of their choice and participate in the honors colloquium by presenting a chapter of their thesis and commenting on other students鈥� thesis chapters.
- Aaron Dorshow: 鈥淟aw and Power: The Future of Personal Data Protection in China鈥� (2021)
- Mahi Taban: 鈥淔rom Kabul to Peshawar: The Politicized Lives and Lyrics of Pashtun Women鈥� (2021)
- Curan VanDerWielen: 鈥淚dentifying Challenges to Effective Global Climate Governance鈥� (2021)
- Andrew Vontzalides: 鈥淟ocal Demographic Change and Anti-Migrant Political Party Support in France, the UK, and Sweden鈥� (2021)
- Jos茅 Castillo: 鈥淭he Political Determinants for Effective Regional Economic Integration鈥� (2019)
- Padmini Dey: 鈥淭he Securitization of Undocumented Immigration: An Exploration of Discourse and Technology in the Trump Era鈥� (2019)
- Juliet Michaelsen: 鈥淎bsolutely MAD or Just Plain NUTS? How Adversarial Relationships and Conventional Capabilities Affect Nuclear Strategic Doctrine鈥� (2019)
- Brandon Mooney: 鈥淲hat Makes a Man? A Content Analysis of Chinese Politics鈥� Effect Upon Perceptions of Masculinity鈥� (2019)
- Maia Nikoladze: 鈥淓nergy Dependence and Foreign Policy: Analyzing Small States of the Former Soviet Union鈥� (2019)
- Salma Muna-Faysal Shawa: 鈥淚nternational Human Rights Norms: Universal Rights or Hegemonic Righteousness?鈥� (2019)
- Jessica Macey: 鈥淒ynamic Disputes: Causes of Change in Press-government Conflicts鈥� (2018)
- Katherine Alexander: 鈥淔rom Trials and Truth to Amnesty and Amnesia: Transitional Justice in Argentina and Spain鈥� (2017)
- Sam Biasi: 鈥淗oliday in Syria: Hizbullah’s Rise to Proto-statehood鈥� (2017)
- Yukio: 鈥淭he Blind Man of Eurasia: Russia’s Strategic Mishandling of the Ukraine Crisis and Its Negative Repercussions on Russia Foreign Policy鈥� (2017)
- Garrett Lynch: 鈥淭he Blind Man of Eurasia: Russia’s Strategic Mishandling of the Ukraine Crisis and Its Negative Repercussions on Russian Foreign Policy鈥� (2016)
- Kallie McLoughlin: 鈥淚s Everybody Doing It? Sex Education in the United States: A Comparison of Five States鈥� (2016)
- Katherine Bogen: 鈥淩eproductive Rights in Latin America: Authoritarianism, Identity Framing, Religious ‘Morality,’ and Sexual Health in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile since 1970鈥� (2015)
- Patrick Burchat: 鈥淎nti-American Propaganda in Cuba: Stability through Fear鈥� (2015)
- Kimi Ko: 鈥淭heravada Buddhism’s Political Significance under the Military Junta (1992鈥�2011) and President Thein Sein’s Democratizing Government (2011鈥� ) in Mayanmar鈥� (2015)
- Chelsea Salmonsen: 鈥淭he Inside Account: The Future of the Massachusetts Republican Politics According to Massachusetts Republican State Legislators鈥� (2013)
Harrington Public Affairs Fellowship
The Harrington Public Affairs Fellowship funds students鈥� summer research on politics and public policy. Several awards of up to $2,500 are open to political science majors and minors with a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA.
- Morufat Ayoola Bellos 鈥�20: Summer Non-Profit Internship Fellow through Laney Makin, associate director at Forest Foundation, Boxford, Mass.
- Zoe Brammer 鈥�21: Research assistant in in Washington, D.C., with Jake Sullivan, a Senior Fellow in the Geo-economics and Strategy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Valerie Chavez 鈥�21: Internship involving idesign and execution of digital campaigns at the Peruvian Embassy, Washington, D.C.
- Yasmeen El-Gerbi 鈥�20: Internship in Jim McGovern鈥檚 Office, Washington, D.C.
- Mariela Alicia Esteva 鈥�21: Internship as special adviser at the Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations in New York
- Priyanka K. Naithani 鈥�21: Internship as a market research, primary care research, and social media correspondent with the Harvard Medical School, Center for Primary Care through the Forest Foundation, Boston
- Julie Reed 鈥�21: Research project on the effect of terror attacks on campaign rhetoric regarding immigration and immigration rights, with research conducted during her study abroad in Paris
- Miranda Hotham 鈥�19: Internship at the Worcester Division of Public Health
- David Sullivan 鈥�20: Internship in the office of Massachusetts State Representative James Kelcourse
- Sara Conroy 鈥�20: Internship at the U.S. House of Representatives with Congressman Paul Tonko
- Tanzeem Lodi 鈥�19: Internship at the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh, United Nations
- Jose Castillo 聽Montenegro 鈥�19: Internship at the Permanent Mission of Chile, United Nations
- Maia Nikoladze 鈥�19: Internship at the Permanent Mission of Georgia, United Nations
- Maha Akbar 鈥�20: Internship at the Permanent Mission of Pakistan, United Nations
Jeremy R. Hastings 鈥�01 Award in Political Science
The Jeremy R. Hastings 鈥�01 Award in Political Science聽provides funding to support students carrying out an independent research project or doing an unpaid internship. 聽The internship or research project could take place over the course of one semester or over the summer. 聽Awards range from $500 to $5000.
The application can be found聽here.
Applications for Awards to support Summer or Fall Semester internships or projects are due by聽noon on April 15.
Applications should be submitted to the Political Science Department Managerial Secretary, Judith Barton at jbarton@clarku.edu and to your faculty sponsor at their 顶级国产视频 email address.
You may also email the Political Science Department Chair if you have any questions.
Zenovia Sochor Memorial Award
The Zenovia Sochor Memorial Award is presented each fall to political science majors or minors studying abroad in spring, preferably in an Eastern European country.
Alumni, friends, and colleagues created the award in memory of Professor Zenovia Sochor, who taught comparative politics courses at 顶级国产视频 for almost two decades before her untimely death in 1998. She was known by students and colleagues as a gifted scholar, a valued friend, and a caring mentor. The $500 Sochor award is given to a student each year.
- Ana Margarita 鈥淕eri鈥� De Ramos
- Priyanka Naithani
- Alexander Azar
- Alexis Marston
June Patron 鈥�65 Endowed Internship Award
This $500 award is given annually by the Political Science Department to a student who has secured an unpaid summer internship in Washington, D.C., or with an organization that interacts with the U.S. government, such as a lobbying group or think tank.
- 2019: Benjamin Gessel and Jamie Smith
- 2018: Joshua Merchat
Fall Fest and Academic Spree Day
Once you鈥檝e conducted your research, practice how to present it to others. Held annually, 顶级国产视频鈥檚 Fall Fest in October and Academic Spree Day in April celebrate undergraduate research. Many political science majors participate in these events and present their research.
Fall Fest 2019
- Experiences in a Massachusetts Representative鈥檚 Office. Deanna D鈥橧nnocenzo 鈥�21. (Sponsor: Robin Huntley)
- Harrington Public Affairs Fellowship: International Institute of New England Internship. Morufat Bello 鈥�20. (Sponsor: Professor Robert Boatright)
- Harrington Public Affairs Fellowship: An Internship with the Peruvian Embassy鈥檚 Press Department. Valeria Chavez 鈥�21. (Sponsor: Professor Robert Boatright)
- Harrington Public Affairs Fellowship: A summer internship with Congressman Jim McGovern in Washington, D.C. Yasmeen El-Gerbi 鈥�20. (Sponsor: Professor Mark Miller)
- Harrington Public Affairs Fellowship: Summer Internship at the Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations. Mariela Esteva 鈥�21. (Sponsor: Professor Robert Boatright)
- Harrington Public Affairs Fellowship: The Politics of Human Rights. Julie Reed 鈥�20. (Sponsor: Professor Michael Butler)