This is a 6-credit unit course which aims at guiding students to plan, design and accomplish an individual research project ("thesis") over the course of two semesters. Under close supervision of a PIA faculty member, students will work independently on identifying a research puzzle, defining research questions or hypotheses, and collecting data to answer these questions and/or solve the puzzle. The course will enhance students' intellectual capacity in conducting ethical and independent research, critically reviewing the scholarly literature, and identifying appropriate methods for the investigation of social, political or diplomatic issues, which is a crucial knowledge-discovering process. Enrolment is limited to students with a 3.0 GPA or higher.