Honors Thesis

Owned by Suzanne Wenger
Jul 18, 2024
5 min read

Public health students choose one of 3 options to complete the Honors Thesis. The option you choose should be determined by April 30 of sophomore year in consultation with public health and Honors advisors. Honors projects span a minimum of 2 semesters of project or research activity, followed by a semester of report or thesis preparation and writing. Read below more information on each of these three options:

  • Option 1: Expanded PHP 422 Internship w/Honors Project Implementation & Assessment

  • Option 2: Independent Research Honors Project

  • Option 3: Expanded Study Abroad Research Project w/Honors Project Comparative Analysis (Global vs. U.S.)

Option 1: Expanded PHP 422 Internship w/Honors Project Implementation & Assessment

Revise and expand your PHP 422 internship capstone project. To pursue this option, students must be eligible to register for PHP 422 in the summer (ideally) between the junior and senior year or fall semester of the senior year. Early spring semester of the junior year, students need to have significant discussions about the planned internship experience with the public health internship coordinator and your public health academic advisor. Summer PHP 422 students: Fall semester, implement the extension of the PHP 422 capstone project, conduct a formal assessment of its effectiveness, and make recommendations in a final written report. Fall PHP 422 students: During Winterlude and January, implement the extension of the PHP 422 capstone project, conduct a formal assessment of its effectiveness, and make recommendations in a final written report. Students must consult with, and get feedback from a community partner organization about the assessment work. Include evidence of the internship capstone project and honors project (extension) in the capstone report (35-50 pages exclusive of cover page, reference page, and any appendices). What is produced must take the public health capstone project significantly beyond what you accomplished in PHP 422. Note: this option requires considerable advance planning and the timeline for completion is more compressed than the other options.

Project Advisor: Any public health faculty
Project Reader: Any public health faculty
Final format: 35-50 page report

Sophomore year

Brainstorm with public health faculty advisor and your Honors program advisor about the option(s) in which you are interested. By April 30, file a formal petition to your public health faculty advisor and public health undergraduate program director indicating the option selected for the Honors project.

Junior year

  • Enroll in HNR 309 Thesis Project Planning Seminar (1 credit) Meet milestones outlined in the Honors Junior Timeline

  • January/February: meet with the public health internship coordinator and public health faculty advisor to discuss potential internship experiences and options for extending the PHP 422 capstone project for the Honors Project

  • April/May: finalize your PHP 422 internship placement and nature of your PHP 422 capstone and Honors project

Senior year

  • Meet milestones outlined in the Honors Senior Timeline

  • Consider costs associated with your honors project, and apply for funding support from the Honors program

  • Summer or Fall: Enroll in PHP 422

  • Spring: Enroll in PHP 499

  • Winterlude/January: Implement and Assess your Honors Project

  • February: Write your Honors project report

  • Present at Honors Presentation Day

Option 2: Independent Research Honors Project

Participate in faculty-mentored public health research (to begin fall of junior year, or earlier and persisting minimally through fall senior year). Develop a traditional written honors research thesis (35 – 50 pages exclusive of cover page, reference page, and any appendices) that represents an independent contribution to the faculty advisor’s larger research project. The public health research faculty member serves as your honors advisor. Consider using the junior year and summer to complete your research project and finish writing the report in fall senior year. Present the project at Honors presentation day in May. Submit your work for the Falk College Student Research Presentation competition.

Project Advisor: Public health faculty research mentor
Project Reader: Any public health faculty
Final format: 35-50 page report

Sophomore year

  • Brainstorm with public health faculty advisor and your Honors program advisor about the option(s) in which you are interested. By April 30, file a formal petition to your public health faculty advisor and public health undergraduate program director indicating the option selected for the Honors project.

  • Consider joining a public health research team. Work with your faculty research mentor to develop an undergraduate program of research and apply for funding support from the Syracuse University CFSA Young Research Fellows Program.

Junior year

  • Enroll in HNR 309 Thesis Project Planning Seminar (1 credit) Meet milestones outlined in the Honors Junior Timeline.

  • If not already a member of a public health research team, in August meet with your public health faculty advisor to explore interest in current faculty led research teams. Meet with lead research faculty and join a research team. Students must commit to a minimum of 2 semesters of research.

Senior year

  • Meet milestones outlined in the Honors Senior Timeline

  • Consider costs associated with your honors project, and apply for funding support from the Honors program

  • Fall: Enroll in PHP 499

    • Write your Honors thesis

    • If the thesis project and related activities require additional funding, apply for a Crown Awards or a Wise-Marcus 50-Year Friendship Award from the Honors program

  • Spring: Enroll in PHP 422

    • Prepare a poster and enter the Falk College Student Research Competition

  • Present at Honors Presentation Day

Option 3: Expanded Study Abroad Research Project w/Honors Project Comparative Analysis (Global vs. U.S.)

During your junior year, enroll in one of these public health study abroad programs (SIT India: Public Health, Gender & Community Action OR SIT South Africa: Community Health and Social Policy Program) and register for the Independent Study Option and conduct original research under the mentorship of SIT faculty. Students may also consider the OTS: Tropical Diseases, Environmental Change, & Human Health Costa Rica. In this program, especially suited for clinical health students, students conduct a series of short research projects led by faculty that culminate in a final student research project. Upon return to the U.S., continue your research by conducting a comparative analysis of the topic as it presents in the United States. When selecting your research topic, consult with your academic advisor and SIT advisor regarding the feasibility of continuing study of this topic in the United States. Note: if interested in this option, start planning early. Some programs may have pre-requisites to be completed prior to applying.

Project Advisor: Any public health faculty
Project Reader: Any public health faculty
Final format: 35-50 page report

Sophomore year

  • Brainstorm with public health faculty advisor and your Honors program advisor about the option(s) in which you are interested. By April 30, file a formal petition to your public health faculty advisor and public health undergraduate program director indicating the option selected for the Honors project.

  • If fall junior year study abroad is planned, in early spring apply to program

Junior year

  • Enroll in HNR 309 Thesis Project Planning Seminar (1 credit) Meet milestones outlined in the Honors Junior Timeline

  • If spring junior year study abroad is planned, in early fall apply to program

  • Complete study abroad research project

Senior year

  • Meet milestones outlined in the Honors Senior Timeline

  • Consider costs associated with your honors project, and apply for funding support from the Honors program

  • Fall: Complete U.S. based comparative analysis.

  • November/December: Begin to write your Honors project report

  • Spring: Enroll in PHP 422 and PHP 499

  • March: complete your Honors project report

  • Prepare a poster and enter the Falk College Student Research Competition

  • Present at Honors Presentation Day

For all options, an Honors advisor and reader is identified. Junior and senior students meet the milestones outlined in the Honors program timeline for project or thesis completion. Students register for HNR 309 (1 credit) during the junior year to facilitate the initial planning and writing of the Honors proposal (or paper). Students register for 1-3 credits of PHP 499 Spring senior year to reflect the additional Honors work.