Overview
Public health is the art and science of promoting and protecting the health and well-being of populations. As a culmination of the undergraduate experience at the School of Public Health, the pursuit of honors in the concentration is an opportunity for intensive engagement with this discipline where you can work closely with faculty members through the process of designing, conducting, and reporting on an independent research project. This document is meant to serve as a reference for you and your advisers regarding the expectations of all parties involved in proposing, completing, and evaluating projects as part of this process.
Becoming a Candidate for Honors
Students are selected to become candidates for honors in the concentration based on several criteria, such as their academic standing, performance in courses associated with the concentration, and submission and approval of a proposed project. To be eligible to apply for candidacy, you must be in good academic standing and have completed at least eight courses as part of the concentration by the end of Semester 6, achieving a majority of grades of “A” or “Satisfactory, with Distinction” (“S*”) in these courses. These academic standards must be maintained throughout the period of candidacy for honors. Given the additional course requirements associated with candidacy for honors, study abroad during Semester 7 or Semester 8 is not permitted. To apply for candidacy, you must secure faculty members as your primary and secondary adviser, prepare a proposal in line with the guidelines included in this document using the template provided, and submit the proposal to the Director of Undergraduate Studies by the stated deadline.
After submission, proposals will be reviewed by the Undergraduate Studies Committee, with an eye towards assessing the appropriateness of the research question and methods that will be used to answer it. A proposal may be approved with or without revisions being requested or rejected based on these reviews. In their reviews, the Undergraduate Studies Committee will evaluate whether the thesis proposal concisely presents the research question being investigated; gives enough background to allow an understanding of the topic and where further research is needed; communicates the project’s relevance to the field of public health and beyond; clearly describes how the research will be conducted with a high degree of rigor; documents a research project that can be feasibly completed using available resources; and shows evidence of good scholarly writing, including citing appropriate sources.
Additional Degree Requirements for Honors Candidates
Once accepted as a candidate for honors in the concentration, you will pursue a course of study that goes beyond what is expected of the typical experience in the concentration. is includes enrollment in the honors section of the senior seminar (PHP 1915) during the fall semester and two consecutive semesters of independent study (PHP 1980) with the primary adviser during Semester 7 and Semester 8. A grade of “No Credit” (“NC”) or “Incomplete” (“INC”) for any of these courses will result in disqualification for honors. You should meet regularly with your primary adviser, turning in drafts at clearly established intervals to receive feedback. The fall semester offering of the independent study course is writing-designated, meaning that it is expected that you will receive meaningful feedback on at least two pieces of writing during the semester. To ensure compliance with the requirements, these two pieces and the associated feedback must be provided to the Director of Undergraduate Studies by the end of the fall semester.
Identifying an Advising Team
Each candidate for honors must identify a primary adviser and a secondary adviser who are faculty members at Brown University that serve as supervisors and mentors. Full-time faculty of any track or rank can serve in either of these roles. The Director of Undergraduate Studies must provide approval in advance for adjunct faculty to serve in either of these roles. You can use Researchers @ Brown to search for faculty whose areas of expertise align with your interests who may be willing to serve as advisers.
What does the primary adviser do?
The primary adviser is a faculty member in the School of Public Health who takes a major role in providing input and guidance throughout the project. You should plan to meet with your primary adviser at least twice per month while working on your thesis. While specific roles vary, all primary advisers:
- Work closely with you to develop and complete a well-defined independent research project
- Set a regular meeting schedule with you to provide oversight and feedback on the thesis
- Provide you with guidance on specific theories, concepts, or methods relevant to thesis
- Refer you to other faculty and staff with relevant expertise as needed in support of the thesis
- Evaluate progress of the research, providing you with direction and timely feedback on written drafts
- Assess the complete thesis to ensure you have met all requirements to be considered for honors
What does the secondary adviser do?
The secondary adviser is a faculty member in any department at Brown University who provides input and guidance but often in a smaller role than the primary adviser. You may meet less frequently or share drafts less frequently with your secondary adviser, but their feedback is no less important than that provided by your primary adviser. While specific roles vary, all secondary advisers:
- Provide you with guidance, particularly in areas where the primary adviser may not have expertise
- Set a regular meeting schedule with you to provide oversight and feedback on the thesis
- Provide you with guidance on specific theories, concepts, or methods relevant to thesis
- Evaluate progress of the research, providing you with direction and timely feedback on written drafts
- Assess the complete thesis to ensure you have met all requirements to be considered for honors Page 2 of 5
Types of Independent Research Projects
Original Research with Secondary Data Collection
The most common type of independent research project undertaken by candidates for honors in the concentration is one involving secondary data collection. Secondary data collection is the process of gathering and analyzing information that has already been collected for a different purpose, rather than collecting new, original data directly from study participants. In most cases, these types of projects are considered research involving human subjects, requiring review by the institutional review board (IRB) to ensure that all protocols are following best practices for ethical conduct of research involving human subjects, but this review is often less extensive than that required for primary data collection. In your proposal, you will need to document important details such as how any pre-existing data to be used in your research will be accessed, stored, and analyzed. Depending on how you will access these data, you may need to secure a data use agreement to establish how data may be used and how data will be protected.
Original Research via Review of Existing Literature
In addition to independent research projects involving secondary data collection, a literature review is the next most common type of project undertaken by candidates for honors in the concentration. A literature review is a comprehensive summary, synthesis, and critical evaluation of existing scholarly works on a specific topic. There are various types of literature reviews. Systematic reviews, for example, aim to collate all empirical evidence that fit pre-specified criteria to answer a specific research question using reproducible methods that are selected to minimize bias and produce reliable results. Other types of reviews are rapid or scoping reviews, which are more exploratory than systematic reviews, but nonetheless maintain high standards for the rigor of the methods used to identify and evaluate relevant scholarly works. In most cases, these types of projects are not considered research involving human subjects, but you should work with your primary adviser and secondary adviser to confirm this is the case. In your proposal, you will need to document important details such as how you will identify relevant scholarly works and what tools you will use to evaluate and synthesize the included scientific literature. Regardless of the type of literature review, you should work closely with a health sciences librarian to design and complete your project.
Original Research with Primary Data Collection
On occasion, candidates for honors in the concentration in public health will propose independent research projects involving primary data collection. Primary data collection is the process of gathering new, original information directly from study participants for a specific research purpose. This involves using methods like surveys, interviews, and focus groups to collect data tailored to a particular research question. In most cases, these types of projects are considered to be research involving human subjects, requiring review by the institutional review board (IRB) to ensure that all protocols are following best practices for ethical conduct of research involving human subjects. In your proposal, you will need to document important details such as who is to be considered eligible to participate in your research, how eligible persons with identified and recruited into your research, and what information will be collected from persons participating in your research. Participants must be compensated appropriately for their engagement in research, meaning you will need to secure financial support for these activities in advance.
Pursuing and Completing a Thesis
In addition to preparing a proposal, it is highly recommended that you work with your primary adviser and your secondary advisery to create a work plan with target dates for all major tasks involved in completing the proposed research. You should meet regularly with your advisers to review progress on those tasks. Though changes in these plans can and will occur once the research is underway, documenting these expectations and revisiting them regularly can provide accountability, prevent misunderstandings, and ensure timely progress on all aspects of the work. The work completed should closely follow what was described in the proposal. Any substantial deviated from what was proposed (including changes in advisers) must be approved in advance by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Requirement for Training in Ethical Conduct of Research with Human Subjects
You are expected to comply with Brown University’s policies regarding training on the ethical conduct of research involving human subjects. You are expected to complete an initial education course (“Group 1: Social-Behavioral-Educational Researchers and Key Personnel”) via the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program. You must provide a certificate of completion to the Director of Undergraduate Studies before the start of Semester 7. If you have previously completed this course as part of another research experience, you must provide a certificate that is valid through the end of Semester 8.
Format and Content of Thesis
There is no single required format for the thesis. You should work with your primary adviser to identify the format that is most appropriate for the goals of your research. In most cases, this is a manuscript suitable for submission for peer review in a scientific journal. The length of the manuscript will vary depending on the type of research being reported, but all theses should adhere to reporting guidelines from the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) Network.
Requirement for Public Presentation
Prior to the final submission of the thesis, you must also present your work in a public venue. Most students choose to present their work as part of Public Health Research Day, an annual celebration of student research hosted by the School of Public Health in early April. You may also choose to present your work at an external scientific meeting, such as the annual meeting of the Rhode Island Public Health Association. Students seeking to satisfy the requirement for public presentation via presentation at a scientific meeting should alert the Director of Undergraduate Studies when the work is accepted and when the presentation is scheduled.
Submission of Thesis for Evaluation
You must plan to submit a full draft of your thesis to both your primary adviser and your secondary adviser with appropriate time for substantive feedback and revision before submission of the final product to the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The advising team is responsible for providing an initial endorsement of the thesis as being worthy of honors in the concentration in public health by signing the cover page prior to the stated due date. With an initial endorsement by the primary adviser and secondary adviser secured, the thesis will then be reviewed by the Undergraduate Studies Committee with an eye towards confirm that the thesis represents high-quality original scholarship. Following this review, the Director of Undergraduate Page 4 of 5 Studies will notify all candidates of whether they have earned honors, with a list of students earning honors being provided to the Registrar in advance of all commencement exercises.
Important Due Dates
All due dates listed below are final, with no late submissions accepted.
If you are planning to complete your degree in May 2027
- Your complete proposal must be submitted by Friday, May 8, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
- Your complete thesis must be submitted by Friday, April 17, 2027 at 5:00 p.m.
If you are planning to complete your degree in December 2027
- Your complete proposal must be submitted by Friday, December 11, 2026 at 5:00pm
- Your complete thesis must be submitted by Friday, December 17, 2027 at 5:00pm
