Honors Senior Essay

Guidelines and Requirements

As part of the requirements for the Political Science major at Yale, all seniors are required to complete a Political Science (PLSC) seminar during their final year. The essay produced in this seminar will be recognized as the senior essay.

However, students accepted into the Honors Program are required to enroll in the Senior Colloquium and complete a more formalized and in-depth senior essay. PLSC Honors students can choose to write a one–semester senior essay in PLSC 4900 or a two–semester essay, which is done in PLSC 4900/4901.

The student is responsible for becoming familiar with the Department guidelines and requirements for the senior essay. More information is available here.

Intensive Majors

The Intensive Major writes a year-long senior essay in PLSC 4900/4901. If a student chooses to complete the essay in three semesters, the third seminar is PLSC 4903.
Juniors wishing to pursue an Intensive Major must submit an application.

Intensive Majors must also submit a Yearlong Senior Essay Prospectus. All forms and deadlines are available online.

Forms & Deadlines

Seniors planning to write an honors senior essay must complete the following two forms in order to be admitted into senior essay seminars:

Junior Application

Juniors wishing to write a two–semester essay in their senior year in PLSC 4900/4901 must submit the Yearlong Senior Essay form. The form must be signed by a faculty adviser who has agreed to supervise the student’s essay. It should be accompanied by a 1–2-page statement of the research project and an up–to–date, unofficial transcript.

Deadlines for applications
Senior Essay Prospectus Forms

Rev. 09-04-25