Thesis Research Design Seminar
MIT's required seminar for Political Science majors planning a senior thesis. Students develop a research topic, review relevant scholarship, and frame a research question and argument for their project. The course walks through selecting an appropriate methodology, then guides students through drafting the introductory and methodology sections of a thesis. Seminar work culminates in a complete written prospectus ready to guide the thesis itself. Materials come from MIT OpenCourseWare and include the syllabus, assignments, and readings used in the actual MIT course. The focus stays practical throughout: turning a vague interest into a defined, researchable question and a workable plan for answering it, rather than covering political science content itself.