Honors Program
Undergraduate Honors Program
Guidelines
The Honors Program recognizes the highest level of academic achievement amongst Brooks School undergraduates. The following provides important information about the Honors Program, including eligibility, the application procedure, and requirements. The Honors Program is a rigorous and rewarding endeavor. Though the application process begins in your junior year, in order to be successful it is important that you plan your curriculum carefully, even as a freshman and sophomore.
Eligibility Requirements
Students must achieve and maintain a GPA of at least 3.3 to be eligible for the Honors Program, and the 3.3 GPA must be maintained even after being admitted into the Honors Program. Students whose GPA drops below 3.3 will be dropped from the Honors Program (though these students can register for special studies in order to complete their research). Likewise, to be eligible to start the program, students may not have any outstanding incomplete (INC) grades on their record.
Application Procedure
It is preferable that students apply for the Honors Program a minimum of three semesters before their expected graduation date. Students must complete a Honors Program Application Form (email the form to the Undergraduate Office). The application is due April 1st of junior year for May Graduates, and November 1st of junior year for December graduates. To complete the form, students must identify and get the consent of a Brooks School faculty Research Mentor. Students who are planning to study abroad second semester of junior year are encouraged to arrange a mentor and complete the application before leaving for off campus studies. The Research Mentor will help the student identify a topic, and act as an advisor throughout the Honors Program. The Research Mentor must approve the student’s proposed thesis topic and sign the application form. The student will be notified within two weeks of submitting the PAM Honors Program Application whether they are accepted into the program.
The Honors Thesis
The major component of the Honors Program is the honors thesis. Each student is required to conduct original research on a topic chosen by the student. The research must be written up in a formal scientific manner. The faculty Research Mentor will supervise the research. The Research Mentor and an additional Faculty Representative who are assigned by the Director of Undergraduate Studies will grade the final research during an oral thesis defense. The Research Mentor and Faculty Representative may request revisions, which must be incorporated into the final version of the written thesis that is due by the last day of classes.
Additional Requirements
In addition to the honors thesis, students must complete the following requirements in order to successfully complete the Honors Program. For the most part these requirements are designed to aid in the research process.
- Students must take PAM 3120 Research Design, Practice, and Policy prior to their fall senior semester.
- Students must take NS 3980 – Research in Human Nutrition and Health or PAM 4980 – Honors Seminar, preferably fall of junior year, but no later than fall of senior year. This 1 credit workshop series provides an overview of campus research resources and policies that are relevant for honors research in any social science major.
- Students must complete a basic and advanced statistical software training session offered through CISER by the end of the fall semester in their senior year. (Note: the PAM department has adopted the STATA software package for use in all undergraduate courses).
- Students must attend four professional research seminars during their senior year (decided upon in conjunction with their Research Mentor).
- Students must enroll in three credits of PAM 4990 Honors Program during their first semester in the honors program. To continue in the Honors Program students must receive a grade of B or higher.
- Students must meet with their Research Mentor at the beginning of their first semester in the honors program to set out written expectations regarding progress on the thesis for the upcoming semester.
- During the second semester in the program, students enroll in three credits of PAM 4990 with their Research Mentor to complete the thesis.
- Students are required to complete and present a poster of their research at a poster session during the second semester of the honors program. Several Cornell groups (e.g. DUAC, CURB, etc.) offer poster sessions. Contact the DUS to confirm if your selected poster session will meet this requirement. An electronic copy of this poster must be submitted to BrooksUGProgram@cornell.edu.
Honors Degree
If the thesis is defended to the satisfaction of the thesis committee, and a final thesis with revisions suggested during the defense has been approved, the student will graduate with honors. The honors will appear on the student’s Cornell transcript and diploma.
Timeline
Please refer to the timetable below that describes key dates for the honors program. Students must adhere to this timetable to complete the honors program and complete various forms.
If you have additional, questions please contact Sharon Sassler, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, who runs the Honors Program.
| Timeline for May Graduation | Timeline for December Graduates | Action | Forms |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 1st Junior Year | November 1st Junior Year | Apply for PAM Honors Program | Application |
| Junior Year | Junior Year | Enroll in PAM 3120 Research Design, Practice, and Policy | Checklist |
| Fall of Junior year (preferred); no later than fall of senior year | Fall of Junior Year | Enroll in NS 3980 or PAM 4980 | Checklist |
| Spring Semester, Junior Year | Fall of Junior Year | Pre-enroll in your first 3 credits of PAM 4990 | Checklist |
| Fall Semester, Senior Year | Spring Semester, Junior Year | Complete an intermediate and advanced statistical software training session offered through CCSS | Checklist |
| August, Senior Year | January, Junior year | Meet with Research Mentor to set out written research thesis expectations to be completed by the end of your first semester in the honors program. | Expectations Checklist |
| Senior Year | Spring of Junior year, fall of senior year | In consultation with the Research Mentor, attend four professional research seminars at Cornell | Checklist |
| Fall, Senior Year | Spring, Junior Year | Pre-enroll in second 3 credits of PAM 4990 with your Research Mentor | Checklist |
| January, Senior Year | August, Senior Year | Form your thesis committee consisting of the Research Mentor and at least one other Cornell Faculty member | Scheduling & Results Checklist |
| March 21, Senior Year | October 21, Senior Year | Turn in complete thesis draft to your thesis committee and DUS after receiving approval from your Research Mentor | Scheduling & Results |
| March 25, Senior Year | October 25, Senior Year | DUS assigns a Faculty Representative to the Committee | Scheduling & Results Checklist |
| April 1, Senior Year | November 1, Senior Year | Work with committee to schedule the defense | Scheduling & Results |
| By April 15th of Senior Year | Before Thanksgiving Break of Senior Year | Successfully defend thesis | Scheduling & Results |
| By last day of classes, spring of Senior Year | By the last day of classes, fall of Senior Year | Prepare and present a research poster at the poster session organized by the DUS. Send a copy of poster to the Undergraduate Office for the Brooks School archives. | Checklist |
| By last day of classes, spring of Senior Year | By last day of classes, fall of Senior Year | Revise thesis draft with committee recommendations and receive final approval of committee | Scheduling & Results |
| By last day of classes, Senior Year | By last day of classes, Senior Year | Submit final thesis electronic copy to Undergraduate Office after being approved by the Research Mentor and formatted according to the submission guidelines as well as signed eCommons Submission Release. | Checklist Release |