Senior Capstone Experience
Each senior at Washington College is required to complete a "Senior Capstone Experience." For political science majors, this takes the form of a research paper on a specific topic selected by the student in the spring semester of the junior year in consultation with a member of the Department.
Recent senior theses have dealt with such topics as "The North Korean Nuclear Threat," "Electronic Communications and the Law," "The Reorganization of Federal Drug-Law Enforcement," "Constitutional Perspectives of the Ban Against Gays and Lesbians in the U.S. Armed Forces," "Third Parties in Presidential Elections," "Congressional Reapportionment and Redistricting: A Purely Political Process," "The Irish Republican Army: Twenty-Five Years of Terror, 1969-1994," and "Poltics and the Pulpit: A Study of the Political Power of the Black Church."
In completing this project, students gain a sense of mastery of an important issue and a sense of confidence in their ability to manage the tasks they will face in further education and professional employment.