Bachelor of Science in Global Health Honors Program

About

Honors in Global Health recognizes those global health students who pursue a high level of independent research (i.e., archival, community, epidemiological) during their undergraduate years, culminating in a senior honors thesis concurrent with the pursuit of a Global Health major.

The purpose of this program is to permit students of high academic achievement to enjoy greater responsibility and initiative in their major work. The honors program in Global Health requires a significant mentored research experience in a global health topic of the student’s choosing.

Eligibility

Full-time Global Health students with at least a 3.5 GPA at the end of their second year may apply during the fall semester of their junior year.

How to Apply

Joining the honors program requires submitting an application to the Global Health Department (fall of junior year) and a detailed proposal (spring of junior year) for an honors thesis to the Global Health Honors Program Committee, indicating the approval of a faculty advisor of the student’s choosing who is willing to supervise the honors thesis. If a student chooses to work with a faculty advisor outside of the department, then the student must determine a Global Health faculty member who will serve as the co-advisor for the thesis. The application from the student will include:

• A completed application page, indicating support by the thesis advisor(s). If the primary advisor is outside of the department, a letter demonstrating her/his/their support of the work is recommended. The application should be sent via email to the Chair of the Department of Global Health.
• A short proposal entailing a description of the idea (research topic) and general methodology of the proposed thesis work (about 300 words).
• A proposed curriculum plan including Thesis Research (3 credits) pertaining to their thesis project (junior year spring) prior to the final Honors Thesis class (0 credits) during the spring of senior year.

The application is due on November 1st of the fall semester of the student’s junior year. Once the application has been approved by the Chair of the Global Health Department, the student will begin working on a detailed thesis proposal in coordination with their faculty thesis advisor.

The Thesis Process

Once the research topic has been identified, the student formulates a research question/hypothesis and conducts a preliminary literature review on the topic. The topic should be broad enough to support a comprehensive thesis. The topic of the thesis can be from any area of Global Health (such as infectious diseases, reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health, epidemiology, health in emergencies and disasters, health economics, health systems, environmental health, etc.). Theses may use quantitative, qualitative, ethical, or other analytical approaches appropriate to the topic. Methods will differ depending on the research question, but a successful thesis will always consist of a rigorous application of the appropriate method. The thesis could be in one of the following formats:

• Systematic review — journal format: approximately 6000-8000 words, excluding abstract, references, tables, and figures with publishable quality.
• Narrative reviews — journal format: approximately 6000-8000 words, excluding abstract, references, tables, and figures with publishable quality.
• Empirical qualitative or quantitative study — journal format: approximately 6000-8000 words, excluding abstract, references, tables, and figures with publishable quality (Georgetown IRB approval might be necessary, depending on the chosen research design and target population)

Proposal approval: Proposals should be submitted to the Chair of the Department of Global Health no later than the week after spring break (usually mid-March) of the student’s Junior year. A panel of faculty will review the proposal, make recommendations on how to strengthen the proposal, and recommend whether the student should be allowed to proceed in the Honors Program. Once the Chair has approved the final thesis proposal, a copy of the document should be signed by the student and the Chair to be kept on file.

Advising and scholarly work: The student will work independently on the thesis in collaboration with the faculty advisor and is expected to research and write according to a mutually agreed upon work plan.

Supporting coursework: During the spring of junior year, the student will enroll in a 3-credit Thesis Research course. During the spring of senior year, the student will enroll in an Honors Thesis course (0 credits).

Thesis submission: An initial thesis draft is due to the thesis advisor by March 1st of senior year spring. The student is expected to complete and turn in a final draft of their thesis to their faculty advisor and the Chair of the Global Health Department by April 15th of senior year spring semester. There will be no extensions for the thesis submission deadline. The final draft submitted should be well-structured, spell-checked, and carefully proofread.

Preparation of the written thesis: The final thesis will have a limit of 6,000-8,000 words not counting references, figures, figure legends, abbreviations page, or tables. The paper must be double-spaced, 12-point font and 1” margins. The final thesis product should be formatted according to the standards of a scientific paper (outlined below). References and citation formatting should conform to guidelines of a journal of choice agreed upon with the thesis advisor and punctuated consistently throughout the thesis document.

• Title page: title, author, contact information, 3-6 key words, and word count
• Abstract page: limit to 250 words
• Abbreviations page (if applicable)
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Limitations
• Discussion
• Acknowledgements
• References
• Tables: Embed table in appropriate location within text. Include table legends on top of the table.
• Figures: Embed figures in appropriate locations within text. Include figure legends with figures.

Presentation: Students who complete an honors thesis must make a formal 30-min presentation summarizing the main findings of their research and demonstrating their deep understanding of their topic before a committee of at least three faculty members (the thesis advisor/co-advisor plus two other faculty, one from Global Health, one preferably from a different department). At the conclusion of the presentation, faculty members will ask the student questions about their thesis and presentation. This presentation will occur in the second half of April of senior year.

Thesis revision: The committee may request specific revisions to be made before a transcript notation will be issued. The student will revise the written product of the thesis between the date of the presentation and the first day of the final exam period. A final reading will take place and the final transcript notation will be issued.

Evaluation: The honors thesis (80% of the evaluation) should be supported by a strong, convincing argument. It should demonstrate originality of thought, analytical strengths, and the ability to examine a topic in depth, drawing upon the various sub-disciplines of global health. It should also comply with the standard criteria for quotations and bibliographical references. Grading will be based on:

• Originality of topic discussion
• Completeness of proper references and literature review
• Analysis, strength of discussion, and writing skills (spelling and grammar)
• Thesis structure and format

The 30-minute oral presentation to faculty and fellow students, including Q & A will account for 20% of the evaluation.

No letter or other grade will be applied to the thesis. Evaluation categories are:

• Accepted
• Accepted with minor revisions
• Accepted with major revisions
• Not accepted

If the thesis is deemed acceptable, once students have made any required revisions after their oral presentation, a notation will be placed on the student’s transcript. A thesis is considered acceptable when the faculty committee agrees on a “pass” grade for both the thesis and the presentation. Graduating with Honors in Global Health requires completion of the Global Health curriculum with the addition of the thesis. Students who complete an acceptable Honors Thesis and all other requirements for the Global Health major will graduate with a B.S. in Global Health with Honors. Students will be encouraged to submit their work for publication either in a peer-reviewed journal, a GU publication, as a blog etc.

Course Descriptions

Thesis Research (3 credits): Spring of junior year

This independent study course will provide students additional support as they conduct research and analysis for their honors theses. Students will receive guidance, feedback, and support from their thesis advisor during periodic mentoring sessions.

Note: If several students are enrolled in the class, students may also meet as a seminar to receive peer critiques.

Honors Thesis (0 credits): Spring of senior year

During their last semester of senior year, students in the honors program bring their research projects to conclusion, complete the written thesis for the faculty committee and make an oral presentation of the results to a seminar group of faculty and students.

Credits: 0; Prerequisites: A minimum of one (1) Independent Study course of at least three credits.

Past Honors in Global Health Senior Theses