An Honors track is available in the Concentration in Public Health. Honors track students are required to enroll in PHP1980: Honors Thesis Preparation with their primary thesis advisor both semesters of their senior year. Students who wish to be considered a candidate for Honors should discuss their plans with their identified thesis advisors before submitting the required prospectus.
Of note:
- Classes of 2023 & beyond will take two semesters of PHP1980 in addition to PHP1915: Senior Seminar during fall of senior year.
To receive Honors, students must:
- Be in Good Academic Standing as defined by University rules.
- Demonstrate academic excellence. In addition to two semesters of PHP1980, the student must also successfully complete 11 courses for the concentration. The student must achieve a balance of A’s over B’s in all graded courses taken to fulfill concentration requirements. Remember that an S with distinction is equivalent to an A. However, since the S_Dist does not appear on the internal transcript, the student must inform us when they receive this grade. Students with questions regarding whether they qualify should contact the Honors Advisor.
- Submit a prospectus to the Honors Director by the first Friday in May (first Friday in December for .5ers) of the student's sixth semester. Students must identify a primary advisor for their thesis who signs off on the thesis prospectus. A second advisor must also be specified, but does not have to sign.
- Must complete two semesters of PHP 1980, which is an independent study during which their thesis work and guidance will take place. PHP1980 must be taken for a grade in both semesters of senior year, and cannot have a grade of INC in either semester; an INC disqualifies the student from Honors. Two writing assignments with feedback from the primary advisor will meet the WRIT criteria required for the first of the two PHP 1980 courses, and will be submitted to the Director of UG Studies.
- Submit an Honors Thesis judged to be of superior quality by each of the two advisors.
- Deliver an oral presentation, based on the Thesis, which is reviewed favorably by the Department faculty. For May graduates, Honors Thesis presentations occur in mid-April; for mid-years, presentations are in November.
For students graduating in May, the final copy of the thesis is due on or before May 1. For students who are finishing in mid-year, (as “.5ers”), the thesis is due on or before December 1. In order to meet the deadline, students should plan to submit a next-to-final draft of their project to their advisors at least one month before the end of classes.
Please refer to the guidelines below that outline the Honors Track as well as specify the expectations of the faculty who serve as honors advisors.
If you have any questions, please contact Professor Risica (patricia_risica@brown.edu).
