ROOM & TIME: 12:15-1:30, TuTh, PET 117

OFFICE HOURS & CONTACT INFO: MWF 8:55-9:55, 10:55-12:25 (and appointment) in Petrocelli 324. To contact me, text me at 978-660-5968 or email me at cohenf@franklinpierce.edu. In ALL emails, leave a contact phone number.

Bookmark this course on your smartphone, laptop/desktop, tablet, etc. Get in the habit of checking the calendar, for new news, and for assignments every day. Ignorance (e.g., "I didn't know there was something due.) of deadlines is no excuse, as checking for these things is as easy as one click on your device.

This course serves as the capstone to your work as a Political Science major. Your research activities (thus, the "research' in the course title), not my selections, are the generator of the course's content. The first part of the course is spent reviewing contemporary, scholarly trends in the sub-fields of American government, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory (i.e., areas of your survey-level and advanced coursework). Students take the lead in selecting literature, making presentations and leading discussions on each reading selection. The second part of the course is devoted to your capstone scholarly research project, which builds upon academic interests you have developed and scholarly work you have created in the course of being a major. Very different from what you are accustomed to with me, as your research activity in both parts of the course is what generates the content of the course.  Learning outcomes: SS, IA, AEL.

See "Gradebook" for weights, grading scale and grades on all assessed work. Also, check it for your continuously updated course grade.

I. Scholarly Literature of Subfields (50%).

Literature searches, summaries, presentations, discussion/summary quizzes.

II. Capstone Research (50%).

You will develop an area of specialization (AoS): compile annotated bibliography, entertain research questions, devise and refine hypotheses, develop a literature review, verify hypotheses using qualitative and quantitative data, present research. 

(See 2/24 addendum below. It cancels out III for the time being.)

III. Extra Credit

Extra credit is awarded to students for posting their notes on the class session in Class Session Notes. (I suggest you take notes in Word and then copy and paste them in Class Session Notes. Best way not to lose your work.) These posted notes are a good for studying for class session quizzes, especially for absent students. Other opportunities (events/speakers on campus, additional assignments) for extra credit will be made available to you by the instructor. 

3/22 change on "Class Session Notes": See "Assignments and News" 

Absence policy: 10 points from the total in "Scholarly Literature" will be deducted for absences.