School of Political Science & International Studies

Identify Honours topic and supervisor

In order to gain entry into the Honours year, students need to develop a short research proposal and gain the agreement of an academic staff member within the School to act as supervisor of the project.

This can take some time, and students are advised to begin thinking about their area of interest and potential supervisors in the months before applications are due.

Recommended Steps

  • Identify your general area of interest or the political issue that you wish to explore in more depth. If you are having difficulty identifying a topic, think about the undergraduate courses, research assignments and lecturers that stood out to you. Many students also wish to pursue projects that overlap with their own work or political interests. Write down a few paragraphs about your chosen topic area and, ideally, what research questions interest you in that area.
  • Identify potential supervisors in the School of Political Science and International Studies. You can do this based on your existing contacts with staff in your undergraduate study, or by looking at the interests of our research staff. It is quite common to for students to approach supervisors without prior contact or an existing relationship, so do not let that discourage you. Be aware that some supervisors are in high demand, at full supervision capacity or going on research leave, so try to identify a few different possible supervisors.
  • Email your preferred supervisor directly, including your paragraphs about your research interests. Ask them if they will consider meeting with you to discuss the possibility of supervision. If they are not able to supervise you, ask for some suggestions about other suitable supervisors. If you need assistance in identifying an academic staff member to contact, or in determining your research topic, please contact the Honours Coordinator for advice.
  • After securing a supervisor and getting advice on your topic, you will write a 300-500 word research proposal as part of your application for entry to Honours.