The Research Intensive Bachelor’s Certificate (RIBC) in Political Science provides an opportunity for students to gain research skills and practical experience working in an academic research environment. The program targets high-performing students, including political science majors, other social science majors, and students in quantitative fields such as statistics, mathematics, or data science. Ideal candidates wish to (1) develop skills in quantitative social science research methods; (2) prepare for graduate study in political science or related social sciences; and/or (3) prepare for data science careers in industry.
Students admitted to the certificate program progress as a cohort through a sequence of intensive research methods classes and complete the program with a research internship supervised by faculty or Ph.D. students in the Department of Political Science. The research internships allow students to actively collaborate with faculty on cutting-edge academic research projects in a subfield of their choosing.
Admission to the RIBC program is competitive and is based on a departmental review of submitted materials, GPA, and fulfillment of prerequisite coursework. Sophomores are ideal candidates, though students at all levels are considered. Successful completion of certificate is recognized with a notation on the student’s transcript. Students must apply to the department directly and be admitted to the program before certificate credits can be accumulated. Enrollment is limited.
Admissions
We will begin reviewing applications each spring for admission to the program in the following fall. Please see the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy’s Undergraduate Certificate Page for additional details.
Admission to the program is competitive and is based on a review of submitted
materials, prior coursework, SAT or ACT scores, and GPA.
Enrollment is limited to 25 students, and decisions will be made on a rolling basis
until all available slots are filled. You can find the application portal below.
Applications are due to the department by February 15th.
Requirements
Fall I: POS3713 – Political Research and Analysis, Research Intensive
Spring I: POS3930 – Applied Research Design, Research Intensive
Summer I or Fall II: POS4941 – Research Internship
Summer I or Fall II: 3 Hours Electives from the following list:
- POS 4715 – Politics and the Theory of Games
- POS 4941 – Research Internship (additional hours beyond those required)
- ISS 3363 – Data and Society
- ISS 3300 – Computational Tools for Social Science Research
- ISS 3330 – Interdisciplinary Social Science Research
- ECO 3431 – Analysis of Economic Data
- Assorted Graduate Level Seminars (see Director of RIBC for approval)
- Directed Individual Study (see Director of RIBC for approval)
- Other courses approved by the director of the RIBC program towards the certificate
Note that the Research Intensive Bachelor’s Certificate Program courses count towards fulfilling the requirements of the major in Political Science and the major in Interdisciplinary Social Science. POS 3713-I can be taken as a designated Honors course.
Students who complete the research intensive courses may become eligible to take graduate level work prior to completing their Bachelor’s degree. However, admission into a graduate level course must be approved by the professor teaching the course and the Director of the Research Intensive Bachelor’s program. Graduate level course hours may be used towards fulfilling the hours for an undergraduate degree or a graduate degree, but not both.
The program is especially helpful to students planning to complete honors in the major and for those planning to pursue a graduate degree in political science, law, or international affairs. Students who successfully complete the program requirements will receive a letter of completion detailing the skills and experience gained from the program as well as a letter of recommendation suitable for applications to graduate programs. Once the requirements for the certificate are met, the certification appears on the student’s official transcript.
Frequently Asked Questions
We designed our program for intellectually curious students who are committed to
learning rigorous research methods.
The program is especially helpful for students with the following career goals:
- PhD programs in political science or social sciences
- Master’s programs in data science, statistics, or analytics
- Research positions in government, think tanks, or academia
- Data analyst/scientist careers in the private sector
The best time to apply is in the spring of your freshman year. If admitted, you will
start the program in the fall of your sophomore year.
Junior year is another great time to start. We occasionally allow students to start
the program in their senior year.
No. Each RIBC cohort starts the program by taking a specialized version of POS 3713
in the fall.
- Fall semester: POS 3713-I. This is a course on statistics, research design, and
computing taught especially for our RIBC students. - Spring semester: POS 3930. This is a course on applied research design to give
students experience designing and conducting original research. - The following Summer and/or Fall: POS 4941. A research internship with a faculty
member in political science. This internship is assigned by the Director of RIBC.
Yes. All RIBC courses count toward the major in Political Science and the major in
Interdisciplinary Social Science.
Yes, POS 3713-I can be taken as a designated Honors course.
Students are not responsible for finding their own internships.
The Director of RIBC is responsible for generating and communicating internship
opportunities for students. Students register for POS 4941 (usually in the summer or
fall after completing the two required courses) and the director generates a list of
faculty with suitable projects and assigns currently registered students to those
projects. If students are interested in working on particular projects or with
particular faculty, they can communicate those preferences to the Director, but
assignment to these projects or faculty is not guaranteed.
Yes, students who complete the research intensive courses sometimes take
graduate-level work prior to completing their Bachelor’s degree. However, admission
into a graduate-level course is not automatic. It must be recommended by the
Director of the RIBC program and must be approved by the professor teaching the
course.
Note that graduate-level course hours may be used towards fulfilling the hours for
an undergraduate degree or a graduate degree, but not both.
Students who successfully complete the program requirements will receive a letter of
completion detailing the skills and experience gained from the program as well as a
letter of recommendation suitable for applications to graduate programs. Once the
requirements for the certificate are met, the certification appears on the student’s
official transcript.
Program Administrators
Dr. Andrew Ballard
Director, Research Intensive Bachelor’s Certificate Program in Political Science
aoballard@fsu.edu
Dr. Amanda Driscoll
Director of Undergraduate Studies in Political Science
adriscoll@fsu.edu
Elisa Kuchvalek, M.S.Ed.
Academic Coordinator, Political Science
ekuchvalek@fsu.edu