Undergraduate Honors Program
Guidelines
The Honors Program recognizes the highest level of academic achievement in research 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 first-year or sophomore.
Eligibility Requirements
Students must achieve and maintain a GPA of at least 3.7 to be eligible for the Honors Program, and the 3.7 GPA must be maintained even after being admitted into the Honors Program. Students whose GPA drops below 3.7 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. Students must have taken or be concurrently enrolled in PUBPOL 3120 Research Design, Practice and Policy during the semester of application.
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. The application is due April 15th of junior year for May Graduates, and November 15th of junior year for December graduates. To complete the form, students must identify and get the consent of a Brooks School faculty Research Mentor and have a rough plan for their research topic, data source, and methods. 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 Brooks School 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 a faculty committee assigned by the Director of Undergraduate Studies will grade the final research paper. The Research Mentor and/or committee may request revisions, which must be incorporated into the final version of the written thesis that is due by the last day of classes. For examples of recent Brooks School honors thesis’ visit eCommons.
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.
Honors Degree
If a final thesis with revisions suggested after the first review 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 Dr. Aubryn Allyn Sidle, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, who runs the Honors Program.
Timeline for May Graduation | Timeline for December Graduates | Action | Forms |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 15th Junior Year | November 15th Junior Year | Apply for Brooks School Honors Program | Application |
| No later than Junior Year | Sophomore Year | Enroll in PUBPOL 3120 Research Design, Practice, and Policy (Spring) | Checklist |
| End of Junior Spring (preferred), no later than beginning Senior Fall | End of Junior Fall (preferred), no later than January of Graduation Year | Optional – Complete IRB training and IRB Application | Checklist |
| Fall of Senior Year (preferred), Fall of Junior Year | Fall of Junior Year | Enroll in PUBPOL 4980 | Checklist |
| Fall of Senior Year | Spring of Junior Year | Meet with Research mentor and fill out Expectations form in order to enroll in your first 3 credits of PUBPOL 4990 | Expectations Form Checklist |
| Fall of Senior Year | Spring of Junior Year | Complete software training session offered through CCSS | Checklist |
| Senior Year | Spring of Junior Year, Fall of Senior Year | In consultation with the Research Mentor, attend two professional research seminars at Cornell | Checklist |
| Fall of Senior Year | Spring of Junior Year | Pre-enroll in second 3 credits of PUBPOL 4990 with your Research Mentor | Checklist |
| January, Senior Year | August, Senior Year | Begin your thesis write up in consultation with your Research Mentor. | |
| March 27, Senior Year | October 31, Senior Year | Turn in complete thesis draft to your Research Mentor and DUS. | |
| By April 15th of Senior Year | Before Thanksgiving Break of Senior Year | Students receive feedback on their thesis. | |
| 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 Brooks Undergraduate Office for the Brooks School department 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 from Research Mentor and DUS. | 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 eCommons Submission Release |