Honors
The Honors Program
 Undergraduates may pursue work toward the B.A. with honors. The Honors
Program in International Relations offers highly qualified students, during
both semesters of their senior year, the opportunity to undertake in-depth
research and to write a thesis. Students work under the guidance of two
faculty advisors, ideally one of whom should be affiliated with the Watson Institute
for International Studies. The Honors Program involves two courses taken
during the student's senior year. Students enroll in INTL1910, the Honors Thesis Preparation Seminar, during the fall semester.
During the fall students begin to conduct their own research, conceptualize
their projects within the relevant scholarly literature, and plan their research design. Participants
enroll in INTL1920 in the spring semester, during which time they complete
the research and writing. Students submit the completed thesis
for evaluation in mid-April. At the end of the spring semester, students
present their research findings to the Brown faculty and community in
a public forum.
The rewards of writing a thesis are broad and far-reaching. Students
not only become experts on their subject, they also develop skills in
critical analysis, argumentation, and formal writing that are important
to academic and non-academic careers. In addition, students must demonstrate
innovative thinking and show they are able to conduct independent research
and meet deadlines. Finally, the thesis experience allows a student to
get to know, and work closely with, a faculty member. For most honors
students, the thesis in international relations is one of their most meaningful
experiences at Brown. It allows them to draw together and build upon
the knowledge, skills, and interests acquired during their undergraduate years.
The IR Honors Program is intellectually demanding and time-consuming;
students should be willing to devote a substantial part of their senior
year to the thesis. It is also expected that honors candidates will have taken a thoughtful, challenging, sequence of IR courses.
Requirements for a B.A. with Honors in IR are:
- Thesis Courses: Completion of two thesis preparation courses, INTL1910 and INTL1920. These courses are in addition to the eleven courses required for the IR concentration.
- Performance in IR: Two-thirds quality grades in the IR concentration. This means that seven of the eleven requirements must have a grade of A or S with a Course Performance Report indicating a grade of A. Courses with a grade of C do not count for honors concentration. Students who receive such a grade and want to continue in the honors program must complete an additional course with a grade better than a C to fulfill the IR requirement.
- Performance at Brown: Majority quality grades (As or S with a Course Performance Report indicating a grade of A) in all course work done for the B.A. at Brown.
- Thesis: An honors quality thesis submitted by the announced April deadline and approved by the student's two readers and the IR Faculty Executive Committee.
Honors is awarded by the College Curriculum Council based on a recommendation
by the IR Faculty Executive Committee. Honors is not awarded by the
College retroactively. Students who fail to complete their thesis by
the IR Program deadline will not receive honors, even if
they complete all requirements at a later time. If a thesis is turned
in late but before the end of the term, credit and a grade for the thesis
work may still be granted; however, the student will not receive honors.
What is an Honors Thesis?
 The IR honors thesis is not simply a long term paper. Unlike a term paper
written as a course assignment, the thesis is the product of an effort
equivalent to two courses taken over two semesters. The thesis also differs
from a term paper in its depth and breadth. It is an original work of
research and writing that is conceptualized within, and makes some contribution
to, scholarly and policy debates in international relations. As such,
the thesis deals with more complex ideas or problems, asks more probing
questions, presents more detailed evidence, and generates more insightful
conclusions than a typical term paper. Students must demonstrate mastery
of a comprehensive body of academic literature, formulate a significant
research problem, use research methods in an appropriate manner, analyze
evidence, and produce original conclusions. For most students, the thesis
is the first real attempt at scholarly research and writing. The length
of the thesis varies depending on the topic, but most IR honors theses
average 120 double-spaced pages using standard font (12 point)
and margins.
While there is no set criteria for judging honors, all theses must have
the following attributes:
- a clear and sustained thesis or argument
- a well-documented discussion of the project's intellectual context (i.e., theoretical, methodological, policy debates) and contribution
- primary sources
- be well-written, persuasive, and academically honest
- conform to standard academic presentation protocol (e.g., table of contents,
full and properly formatted notations, subheadings, tables, charts,
bibliography)
Note: An honors thesis done in IR may not be used as a senior thesis in another department or program, nor may a senior thesis written for another concentration be submitted as an IR thesis.
How to Apply
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Honors Program in IR, students must:
- be a fifth (mid-year graduate) or sixth semester IR concentrator
- have, at the time of application, two-thirds quality grades (As or an S with a Course Performance Report indicating a grade of A) in their IR courses taken on the Brown campus of which there must be at least four
- have completed POLS0400 prior to senior year and the research methods course no later than 7th semester
- have majority quality grades in their coursework done for the B.A. at Brown
- demonstrate evidence (through coursework at Brown and abroad) of sufficient preparation for undertaking the proposed thesis topic
- submit a completed application signed by the student's primary thesis advisor by the announced deadline. Students are strongly encouraged to obtain the signature of the second reader by the end of the spring junior semester. Students who do not have a 2nd reader by the middle of September, senior year, will not be able to continue in the program. See
Key Dates.
The Application Process
Qualified students should start thinking about their topic and thesis
committee well before the application deadline--early in their junior year. Because the thesis is the student's
individual research project and not one assigned by a faculty member for
a course, students should spend some time formulating a research topic
and research question prior to soliciting a thesis advisor. Interested students are also encouraged to discuss their ideas with the honors seminar instructor.
Applications are available
in the IR Program Office or by downloading the Microsoft Word file or the PDF. Late applications are not accepted.
The honors application consists of the following four parts:
- an application cover page including the student’s IR concentration
courses and grades, a tentative thesis title, and the name and signature
of the faculty member willing to serve as primary thesis advisor.
By signing this form the thesis advisor confirms your preparation and ability to write an honors thesis. Faculty advisors must be in residence on the Brown campus for both semesters of the student's senior year (i.e., not on sabbatical).
Note for students studying abroad: Students who are abroad during the Spring semester may submit their
application and a statement of commitment by the primary thesis advisor
by email or fax to the IR concentration advisor by the due date.
- a 5-6 page prospectus containing the following five subheadings:
- Research Question/Thesis: A concise statement of the major question or hypothesis
to be investigated in the thesis. To be accepted you must have a
specific and focused research problem clearly identified.
- Significance: A discussion of the study’s possible significance to broader
theoretical, conceptual, or practical issues in international relations. This entails a brief description of the key scholarly work already done on your topic.
- Research Design: A description of the research design and sources you plan to
use in writing your thesis, including the availability of resources at Brown.
An honors thesis must make use of original materials.
- Preparedness: An explanation of your background and preparedness, through reference to course work undertaken at Brown or abroad, for writing a thesis on the proposed topic, and how the thesis topic relates to your major
areas of academic interest and course work at Brown.
- Bibliography: A preliminary bibliography (1-2 pages).
- A graded writing sample, preferably a 15-20 page term paper from an IR-related course
at Brown that best demonstrates your research, writing, and analytic skills.
- A student copy of the Brown transcript that includes grades from your junior
fall semester.
Application Deadline and Acceptance
The application deadline applies to students on campus as well as to
students who are abroad the second semester of their junior year. Students
planning on being away for their entire junior year should start investigating
topics and identifying potential faculty advisors as soon as possible.
Students planning on being abroad only during the spring semester should
get started during the fall semester. Students often use their time abroad
to conduct thesis research, especially to locate original materials that
cannot be found at Brown. Therefore, students should plan ahead if they
expect to study abroad. For the current application deadline, see Key
Dates.
Students are notified of acceptance to the Honors Program spring
semester. The IR Honors Advisory Committee considers
the thesis prospectus and performance in the IR concentration along with the student’s
potential for independent work of high scholarly caliber. Acceptance into
the Honors Program, however, does not guarantee honors. For requirements
for graduation with honors, see The Honors Program.
In the fall of the senior year, accepted students must register for INTL1910: Thesis Preparation Seminar. Registration for INTL1910 requires a Banner override from the seminar instructor.
Thesis Preparation: INTL1910, INTL1920
Students receive credit for the honors thesis by registering for two
thesis preparation courses: INTL1910 and INTL1920. These courses do not count
toward the eleven courses required for the IR concentration. INTL1910 is
a mandatory thesis preparation seminar, typically offered in the evenings
during the fall semester. Its purpose is to provide structure, guidance,
and support for IR honors students in the conceptualization, writing, and
presentation of original research. The seminar focuses on common skills
of analysis such as problem-posing, logic of argumentation, assessing
the larger significance of one’s research, the use of evidence and
case selection, research ethics, and formal academic writing. The seminar’s
broadest goal is to help students write better theses and to prepare them
for future research by practicing the conventions of scholarly research. Through the presentation
of thesis work at key stages and peer review, students write their introductory
and theory chapters (chapters 1 and 2) by the end of the fall semester.
Time and location for INTL1910 are announced in Banner.
During INTL1920, in the spring semester, students must complete their research
and writing of the thesis under the guidance of their faculty advisors.
INTL1920 may also include several meetings with the thesis preparation instructor.
INTL1920 concludes with an honors thesis conference in which honors
candidates present their research findings to Brown faculty and students
in an public forum.
Note: INTL1910 and INTL1920 must be taken for a grade and are graded separately. The grade for INTL1910 is based on seminar performance and the chapters submitted in December. The grade for INTL1920 is based on the quality of the final thesis.
Thesis Advisors
Each honors candidate works with a thesis committee of two advisors preferably
from different departments at Brown. Ideally, one of the two advisors should be
affiliated with the Watson Institute for International Studies. The primary
thesis advisor must be a faculty member in residence at Brown for both semesters of the
student's senior year and should be someone sufficiently knowledgeable
about the topic of research to provide useful advice throughout the research
and writing process. The choice of a primary thesis advisor is an important
one, and each potential honors candidate may wish to discuss this with
the IR Program director, the assistant director, or the track advisors. Students
may also wish to consult the biography page of the Watson Institute web site. Students are encouraged to obtain a second reader by the end of their junior spring semester. Indeed, the senior thesis is
an unusual opportunity for students to work closely with a faculty member
on a one-to-one basis, so students are encouraged to be somewhat flexible
in their choice of topics in order to be able to establish a match with
the expertise of one of Brown’s faculty members. In the final analysis,
doing research on a topic of shared interest with a faculty member should
take priority over a student’s desire to work on a “favorite”
topic, especially if there is no one at Brown who has the necessary expertise
to advise the student on that topic. Students have until the end of the spring semester junior year to find a second reader.
Recent IR Honors Theses
2008
Daniel Altman: The Threat of Nuclear Terrorism and the Modern Form of Preventive War · View the abstract
Steven Butschi: Rejecting Europe? The 2005 French Referendum on the European Constitution · View the abstract
Katherine Campo: Taming the Dragon: The Evolution of Chinese Nonproliferation Policies · View the abstract
Amy Chang: Know Thy Enemy, Know Thyself: An Argument for the Importance of Regime Type in Counterterrorism · View the abstract
Kelly Dreher: Environment as 'High Politics'? Explaining Divergence in the United States and European Union's Hazardous Waste Export Policies · View the abstract
Kyle Evans: Regional Identities in Norm Formation: The Case of the Responsibility to Protect · View the abstract
Adrienne Healey: Migrants on the Margin: Chile's Narrow Media Representation of its Female Peruvian Population · View the abstract
Ann Kidder: Mobile Mobilization: A Study of Mobile Phone Activism and City Culture · View the abstract
Johnny Lin: Do Good, Do Well, and Do Good Well: Delineating Best Practices for Business Involvements in Peacebuilding · View the abstract
Jessica Majno: In Pursuit of a Durable Peace: Peacebuilding and the Development of Civil Society in Bosnia-Herzegovina · View the abstract
Patrick Molitoris: Approaching South Atlantic Resolution? The Principle of Self-Determination in the Falkland Islands · View the abstract
Nevena Radoynovska: Faces of Invisibility: Discursive Opportunity Structures, Protest, and Media Frames in Paris and Buenos Aires · View the abstract
Alyson Richards: 'No Cambio.' The European Union's Weak Influence on the Foreign Policies of its Member States · View the abstract
Kayleigh Scalzo: Made in the USA, Past and Present: Perceptions of Assimilation and Assimilability of Immigrants in the United States · View the abstract
Phoebe Sloane: Balancing the Global and the Local: Sesame Street and Foreign Aid in Egypt · View the abstract
Jane Smith: Choosing to Fail? A Comparative Study of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan · View the abstract
Jonah Stuart Brundage: A Culture of Modernity: The Everyday Practices of Diplomats and the Early Modern European States-System · View the abstract
Shyam Sundaram: The Weak as the Strong: Coalitions of Developing Countries in Multilateral Trade Negotiations · View the abstract
Dorothy Tegeler: Dismantling the Migrant-Refugee Dichotomy: The Case of Colombian Migration to Ecuador · View the abstract
Mark Tumiski: Wielding the 'Front Line Experience' as Securitizing Authority: The Japanese Self Defense Forces in Iraq 2004-2006 · View the abstract
2007
Mirza Refai Arefin: The Economics and Politics of Japanese Monetary Leadership in East Asia
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View the abstract
Kate E. Brandt: Political Memory, Economic Interdependence, and Rivalry: Sino-Japanese Relations — Past, Present, and Future
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View the abstract
Dan Fombonne: A New Form of Statecraft? EU Influence on Social Policy in Estonia, Poland, and the Czech Republic
·
View the abstract
Bethany Gerstein: Reconsidering Theories of Democratization and Ethnic Conflict: The Case of Rwanda · View the abstract
Shepherd Laughlin: Global China, Local Chinas: Modernization and Ethnic Identity in the People’s Republic
·
View the abstract
Owen McDougall: River Rivals: The Impact of Development Organizations on Ethnic Conflict over Water in the Senegal River and Aral Sea Basins
·
View the abstract
Zaineb Mohammed: Rendering Refugee Status:Factors Influencing Citizenship Policies in Jordan and Lebanon
·
View the abstract
Joanne Ji-eun Park: The Viability of Defensive States in the Post-Cold War: The US-Japan Alliance and Japan’s Approach to Military Normalization
·
View the abstract
Mia Psorn: Closing the Gender Gap? International Humanitarian Law and Sexual Violence in Bosnia-Herzegovina
·
View the abstract
Lydia Sizer: Implications of Blogging for Highly Divided, Developing Countries: More Clashes or Increased Understanding on an Individual Level?
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View the abstract
Ben Veater-Fuchs: Cops and Cartels: The Relationship between Policing and Drug-Related Violence in Mexico
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View the abstract
2006
Jessica Ashooh: The Cedar Revolution: A Critical Juncture? Consociationalism and Authoritarianism in Postwar Lebanon
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View the abstract
Alexandra Barsk: Challenges of Integration: The Case of Turkish Immigrants in Sweden
·
View the abstract
Matthew Beighley: The Governance Gap in the Global Financial Architecture: The Mexican and Argentine Cases
·
View the abstract
Lindsey Gurin: Prisoners of Their Own Minds: Explanatory Style as a Predictor of Foreign Policy Behavior
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View the abstract
Nayla Khoury: The Global Initiative to Eradicate Polio: Norm Acceptance at the Community Level in Kano, Nigeria
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View the abstract
Matt Lawrence: Civil-Military Relations in Overseas Basing: Base Camouflage and US Access to German Bases During the Second Iraq War ·
View the abstract
Kileken ole-MoiYoi: Integrating Principles of Sustainability with the Fight against Malaria: The Roll-Back Malaria Partnership in sub-Saharan Africa
·
View the abstract
Sienna Parulis-Cook: Great China and the Beijing Olympics: Identity, Image, and National Interest
·
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Michael Peart: Mediating the Middle Ground: How Discourse Ethics Resolves Conflict in Both the Theory and Practice of International Relations
·
View the abstract
Myra Wai-Jing Pong: Politics and Power in the Post-Cold War Era: Chinese Nationalism, September 11, and China's Road to Superpower Status
·
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Kate C. Roll: Welcoming the Corporate Warriors: Private Military Companies and the Crisis of Westphalian Legitimacy
·
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Zachary Rynar: Do As We Say But Not As We Do: Nuclear Non-Proliferation and the US Example
·
View the abstract
Adam Shapiro: Containing the Bomb: The Creation of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones
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Chelsea Sharon: Reconceptualizing Power: Society, Ideas, and Government Change in Chile and Argentina
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View the abstract
2005
Melissa Z. Barkin: Outside the Ivory Tower: Intellectual Contributions to Civil Society during Democratic Transition-Case Studies of Argentina and Chile
Mary Ann Bronson: Economic Reforms, EU Accession, and the Problem of Judicial Reform:Does the EU Export Good Governance?
Sarah Martine Buchwalter: Democratic Consolidation and Agenda Setting: Muslim Civil Society Organizations and the State in Senegal
Jennifer Jinhee Chung: Explaining Interstate Relations in East Asia: The Persistence of the Korean Comfort Women Issue
Ben Clark: Exporting Democracy: A Deontological Investigation of Legitimacy
Diana J. Dizon: Constructing the National Interest: The Case of the Philippines
Evan Gill: The Effects of Foreign Aid on the Causes of Civil Conflict: A Case Study of Uganda 1962-1986
Alexandra Hartman: A Veiled Threat: Ethno-Religious Mobilization and the Culture of Fear in France
Catherine Hay: Bermuda at the Threshold: The Meaning of Sovereignty for a Non-Self Governing Territory
Keiko Hayakawa: New Identities, New Needs: A Theoretical Analysis of Sino-Russian Military Relations
William P. Huntington: Seizing the Bomb: An Analysis of Non-State Actor Nuclear Weapon Acquisition Scenarios
Arjun Iyengar: An Assessment of Federalism and its Ability to Accommodate Ethnic Nationalism: A Case Study of Kashmir
Sushil Chacko N. Jacob: The Peaks of Power: Women and Development in Himachal Pradesh, India
Emily B. Kanstroom: Justifying Torture: Explaining Democratic States' Noncompliance with International Humanitarian Law
Anna Lamut: Elements of 'Brotherhood and Unity' Abroad: Ethnic Attachment and Amicable Relations amongst Immigrants of Different Former Yugoslav Ethnicities in the United States
Stephanie Morin: The Price of Peace: Sierra Leone's Transitional Justice Model on Trial
Amanda Nagai: Selective Memory: Post-Asia-Pacific War Conservative Japanese Identity as the Barrier to Japan-Asia Reconciliation and Apology
Tatiana M. Pulido: Agricultural Development and EU Integration: The Polish Case in Comparative Perspective
Christopher Roberts: International Responsibility: Global Normative Order and International Responses to Human Suffering
Louise B. Sherman: Compliance without Ratification? The United States, the European Union, and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
Anusha Venkataraman: Cosmopolitan Spaces, Cosmopolitan Selves: Hybrid Narratives of Territoriality in Nepal
Slavina V. Zlatkova: Democratic Deficit Proliferation: The EU vs. Bulgaria on Domestic Agenda-Setting
2004
Atteesh Chanda: Transitional Justice: The Case of East Timor
Samuel Hodges: Discourse and Foreign Policy Formation: Deterrence in Vietnam under Kennedy
Anna Johnson: Democracy in the Arab World: The Effect of Rentier Economies
Julian Jordan: The Rehumanization of Economic Globalization: A Case Study of the Mouride Network
Michael Katayama: Gaiatsu and Synergy in the Two-Level Game: The Effects of U.S. Pressure on Japanese Foreign Policy
Albert Liao: Courts and European Integration: Sovereignty Defined by Legal Precedents
Geoffrey Moore: The Limits of European Foreign Policy: A Study of the Iraq Conflict
George Murphy: Determining Global Coffee Trade Policies: How International Influences Impact the Modern Coffee Trade
Audrey Patten: Education and Democratization: Issues Confronting Public Education in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Crystal Pryor: Not-So-Foreign Policy-Public Opinion's Role in Domestic Coalition Building: The Case of Japan
Tara Ramchandani: The Link Between Microfinance and Gender Development Theory: The Bolivian Cases of BancoSol and ProMujer
Sarah Riley: Conflict or Cooperation: Which Future for the Transatlantic Alliance? A Study of Alliance Maintenance and Member State Preference
Ruth Siegel: The Greening of Guns? The U.S. Military and the Environment in Panama
Keith Stanski: Gendered Guerrillas: Re-Conceptualizing Women and Gender within Guerrilla Movements
Aiko Wakao: Immigration and Public Attitudes in the Global Era: The Case of "Homogenous" Japan
Margarita Warren: Economic Reforms and the Resurgence of Populism: A Comparative Analysis of Ecuador and Venezuela
Jyri Wilska: Foreign Policy Formation in Times of Systemic Change: Finland 1987-1995
2003
Aswini Anburajan: The Boundaries of Belonging: Constructing Ugandan Asian Identity
Dena Aufseeser: The Interplay of Poverty, Policy, and Culture: An In-depth Look at Street Children in the Andes
Christopher R. Banks: Greasing the "Axis of Evil"? An Analysis of President George W. Bush's Policy Approach to the Islamic Republic of Iran
Nicole Bennett: The Diplomatic-Social Partnership: NGO-Government Alliance for Mediation
Larisa Bowman: National Identity in Crisis: Evaluating the Current Situation in Argentina
Magdalen Chua: Physical Abuse, Female Employers, and Foreign Domestic Workers: The Case of Singapore
Bettina Dempsey: Imperially Constructed: Moro Identity and the Christian Philippines
Tenzin Dorjee: Waning Resistance 1980-2002: The Decline of the Nationalist Movement in Tibet
Alia El Senussi: Presenting Saudi Arabia: Public Relations and Diplomacy in the United States After September 11
Justin Fried: A Political Ecology Analysis of Sustainable Development: The Strategic Action Program for the Bermejo River
Yaniv Gelnik: Designing A Palestinian State: Considering Local Structures in a Modern State-Building Experiment
Sarah Gordon: Pressuring States to Behave: Israeli and Serbian Responses to Human Rights Norms
Brenna Hall: Actors and Interests in the Taiwan Straits: The Influence of Globalized Economics on International Bargaining Games
Christopher Hayes: Burning the Rings: The Effectiveness of the 1980 US Olympic Boycott as a Foreign Policy Initiative
Poonam Kumar: Third-Party Mediation of International Conflicts: The Crisis in Kashmir
Eugene Lim: The End of History, the Clash of Civilizations, and the Unity of Mankind: Examining New Global Realities Through the Philosophy of Hannah Arendt
Allison Miller: Domestic and International Factors in Australian Diplomatic Recognition of the People's Republic of China
Lea Mosena: Securitizing Aids: Implications for Ethnic Minorities
Katrina L. Ole-MoiYoi: Community Participation in the Planning and Management of Marine Protected Areas: A Study of Kenya and the Philippines
Kathleen Pullum: When Empathy Failed: Explaining the Soviet Intervention in Afghanistan and the US Response
Sava Savov: The Impact of the Eastern Enlargement on European Union Integration
Sumi Shane: Justice for Crimes Against Humanity: Lessons From the Comfort Women and Human Experimentation Atrocities
Jaideep Singh: Regulating Private Military Companies: Addressing an Accountability Gap
Jonathan Steinberg: Making it Global: An Individualistic Conceptualization of Justice, Legitimacy, and Sovereignty
Lillian Zhao: Transformation to Capitalism: The Rise of the Private Sector in China's Transitional Economy-A Conceptual Model
Yuri Zhukov: Crimean Autonomy: Conflict Management, Power Sharing, and Unintended Side Effects
Nick Zimmerman: Prospects for the International Criminal Court: Three Challenges to Universal Jurisdiction and International Human Rights Law
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