Information for Graduating Seniors in Public Policy Studies

Three specialization courses are required by the public policy studies degree program. While students may decide to change their selection of specialization courses, don’t wait until the spring quarter of your senior year to try changing your specialization couress. Once the degree program is approved for your graduation (some time around 3rd week of spring quarter) no changes to your selection of specialization courses can be made. For more information on specialization courses see Areas of Specialization on the Public Policy web site or click on the link below.

Areas of Specialization

Senior Paper FAQ’s

Who can serve as a faculty reader for the public policy BA paper?

1. all University of Chicago Faculty
2. Harper Fellows
3. University of Chicago Assistant Professors
4. University of Chicago Lecturers
5. University of Chicago Graduate Students (approved on a case by case basis)
6. Faculty from other colleges or universities (approved on a case by case basis)

How does my preceptor and reader evaluate my BA paper?

Your BA paper is read by your preceptor and 2nd reader and the evaluation sent to the department on the BA evaluation form. The form is sent directly to your preceptor and reader with instructions. They return the completed form to the department.

How do we let the public policy program know that we want to pursue honors for our BA thesis?
Around the middle of winter quarter, all seniors pursuing honors for their BA papers are required to complete the form “Declaration of Intent to Pursue Honors in Public Policy Studies.”  <Declaration of Intention to Pursue Honors-1.doc>

Using the information included in the declaration form, the public policy program contacts all faculty readers of student BA papers and sends them a cover letter (along with BA evaluation deadlines and contact information) and an evaluation form to use to evaluate the student’s BA paper.

For this reason, it if you plan to pursue honors, it is VERY IMPORTANT to complete the honors declaration form and turn it in to your BA preceptor in a timely manner. 

If we decide to not pursue honors, can we change our minds and get a faculty reader and still get honors?
Yes, but deciding late provides less time for your faculty reader to review and recommend changes to your paper. This, in turn gives you less time to revise and submit your final draft for evaluation.  While it is possible to do this and still meet the Convocation deadlines, it's best to leave as many options open for yourself. In other words, if you qualify for honors, go for it; you can always change your mind later. Doing the opposite may be more difficult.

Some General Guidelines for Public Policy Senior Papers

Senior papers can be undertaken either as standard or as honors papers. More information that is specific to papers submitted for honors appears in the section below on Honors Papers & Honors Eligibility.

Senior papers (also called senior theses or BA papers/theses) should be more comprehensive in both information gathering and analysis than a term paper. You may use secondary sources, analyze existing data sets, or collect your own data or information. The emphasis is on developing a good policy question, settling on an appropriate methodology and utilizing analytical tools to answer the policy question. All public policy majors are required to take PBPL 29800, the BA writing seminar, in the fall quarter of their final year. A student who is writing a BA in two majors may petition to waive the 29800 requirement, provided that he or she is taking the equivalent class in the other major and stays in contact with a Public Policy preceptor to ensure that our deadlines and paper requirements are met. A preceptor is one of the instructors who lead the 29800 classes, and who guide students on BA papers throughout the academic year.

During autumn quarter, seniors attend their preceptor’s weekly BA seminar and also meet individually with their preceptor during office hours. Meetings and deadlines continue up to the submission of the final version of the BA paper. The grade for the autumn quarter PBPL 29800 course is not submitted until the winter quarter, as the grade is in part based on an initial complete draft of the senior paper for which the deadline is in mid-February.

Besides PBPL 29800, students can sign up for up to two quarters (typically the winter and spring quarters in the final year) of PBPL 29900, an independent study course taken under the direction of a faculty member that is designed to provide time and resources for students to progress on their BA theses. Generally the faculty member directing the 29900 class would be the student’s preceptor or advisor. (Note: faculty members are not required to serve as 29900 instructors: they may turn down your request to have them direct a PBPL 29900 course, or any independent study.) The precise requirements and grading standards of a PBPL 29900 course are agreed upon between the student and the participating faculty member. See the section below, reading and research courses for registration information for these courses.

Standard (that is, not for honors) senior papers have only one reader (or grader) -- the public policy preceptor. Nevertheless, a student writing a standard paper might want to seek advice or direction from other University of Chicago faculty members. Papers submitted for honors have two readers, a preceptor and (typically) another faculty member.

Standard BA papers must be handed in to your preceptor AND to the program office by the beginning of 7th week of the quarter in which you wish to graduate. Papers to be considered for honors are due a week earlier (the beginning of 6th week), with a third copy submitted to the faculty reader.

Every senior paper should have:

1. The title page of your B.A. paper must include the date submitted and the name(s) of your reader(s).
2. BA Paper Checklist and Formatting

In general, a senior paper should be more comprehensive in both information gathering and analysis than a term paper. You may use secondary sources, analyze existing data sets, or collect your own data or information. The emphasis is on developing a good policy question, settling on an appropriate methodology and utilizing analytical tools to answer the policy question. No B.A. paper is complete without a title page, the check list items and a conclusion that addresses the initial policy question. 

Honors Papers & Honors Eligibility

To be eligible for honors, students must satisfy 3 requirements:

1. Have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher [*to be considered eligible for special honors initially]
2. Have a GPA in the major of 3.25 or higher [*to be considered eligible for special honors initially]
3. Complete a BA thesis judged acceptable (grade of A or A-) with an honors recommendation

*Final special honors is determined by the final convocation GPA calculations

Honors papers must be submitted to your preceptor, your faculty reader and to the program office by 6th week of the quarter in which you plan to graduate.    Both readers (the preceptor & the faculty reader) must agree that the paper submitted is of honors quality. Disagreements between your readers regarding the quality or your paper will be adjudicated by the Director.

The interdisciplinary nature of public policy, and the wide array of topics and methodologies that fall within its rubric, make it difficult to provide general rules about what constitutes honors-quality work (or for that matter, even acceptable standard theses). Nevertheless, an honors paper should go beyond a standard BA thesis in providing original research and new knowledge. This objective might be reached by various forms of data collection, such as a survey or key informant interviews, compilation of an appropriate data set from disparate sources, or by analyzing existing information in a creative or freshly informative way.

Eventually, whether a paper merits honors is decided by your preceptor and faculty reader, both of whom will have read many theses and developed a feel for what constitutes outstanding work. An eligible paper is awarded honors if both readers agree that the thesis is of honors quality. Disagreements between your readers regarding the quality or your paper will be adjudicated by the Director. It should be noted that it is not unusual for a student pursuing honors to have his or her BA thesis accepted, but not awarded honors.

It is the student’s responsibility to find a second reader for an honors paper. You might want to talk with your preceptor or other faculty members for suggestions of possible readers; faculty whom you have already gotten to know frequently are willing to serve as readers. Any University of Chicago faculty members are eligible to serve as BA thesis readers. Advanced graduate students, faculty members at other schools, and others can be approved on a case-by-case basis to serve as readers.

The identification of a second reader must take place by the middle of the Winter quarter – your preceptor can provide precise deadlines. Nevertheless, it is best if students approach faculty much earlier, so that the faculty members can provide input at an early stage. The minimal duties of a second reader are to read the final version of your thesis and to provide a written evaluation, including a recommendation for (or against) honors. Readers who so choose, however, are encouraged to provide guidance and feedback at earlier stages, as well as the final evaluation.

If you want to pursue honors, you must complete the form “Declaration of Intent to Pursue Honors in Public Policy Studies.” <Declaration of Intention to Pursue Honors-1.doc> This form is due in the middle of the Winter quarter. Using the information included in the declaration form, the public policy program contacts all faculty readers of student BA papers and sends them a cover letter (along with BA evaluation deadlines and contact information) and an evaluation form. Here is a copy of the evaluation form that your readers will use: Declaration of Intention to Pursue Honors in Public Policy

Again, if you plan to pursue honors, it is VERY IMPORTANT to complete the honors declaration form and turn it in to your BA preceptor in a timely manner. 

If you are unsure whether to pursue honors, you should know that it is easier to change your mind later if you first decide to pursue honors, than if you decide not to. Late decisions to pursue honors are possible, but they provide less time for your faculty reader to review and recommend changes to your paper. This, in turn, gives you less time to revise and submit your final draft for evaluation. While it is possible to delay somewhat and still meet the Convocation deadlines, it's best to leave options open. In other words, if you qualify for honors, go for it; you can always change your mind later. Doing the opposite will be more difficult.

Public Policy's Reading and Research Courses

Public Policy has 3 reading courses PBPL 29600, PBPL 29700 and PBPL 29900.

Reading courses, or independent study courses provide students with academic course credit for work completed conducting thesis research (PBPL 29900), for completing an internship (PBPL 29600) or for working on a paper or research project not related to your public policy BA thesis or an internship.(PBPL 29700)

PBPL 29700 – non-BA-related independent study; letter grade required; completion of the college reading and research course form required

PBPL 29700 – independent study related to an approved internship; P/F grade required; completion of the college reading and research course required; an

PBPL 29900 – independent study related to BA thesis research

You can't register for these courses on line. Instead, to register, you must complete the College Reading and Research Course Form. The Public Policy Studies Program Office does not have the Reading and Research course forms. College Advisors distribute the R&R forms. Reading and Research forms also required the program director's signature as well as the signature of your BA paper advisor or preceptor. Once all the required signatures are obtained, take the form to the Registrars Office--and you will be registered for your reading course.

Please make sure that your R & R form lists PBPL 29900 if it will be used for independent study related to your BA thesis.