Public Health Honors

PUBLIC HEALTH HONORS PROGRAM AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

The Public Health Honors Program in the School of Public Health is specifically designed for students contemplating graduate study in Public Health, or for those looking for unique opportunities to enhance related professional school applications. The Honors program provides opportunities for individualized, advanced work for the academically distinguished undergraduate public health major. This 21-hour program is designed to offer students an opportunity to enroll in smaller classes composed of highly motivated and capable students and engage in the research process at an early stage of the undergraduate experience, affording students the chance to work directly with public health faculty on ongoing research projects. Students who complete the program will graduate with the Public Health Honors distinction.

REQUIREMENTS TO GRADUATE WITH HEALTH OR COMMUNITY HEALTH HONORS

To be awarded the Public Health Honors distinction, students must:

• Maintain a minimum 3.5 overall cumulative GPR;
• Maintain a 3.25 Honors cumulative GPR;
• Engage in at least two high-impact learning experiences (see additional requirements section);
• Complete an honors thesis or senior capstone project (see additional requirements section); and
• Complete 21- hours of Honors classes as follows:

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Students will be required to take part in at least two different high-impact learning experiences (HILEs) during the course of their program. These HILEs will be approved by the Public Health Honors Program Director, Dr. Rhonda Rahn and participating faculty. Students may choose from the following HILEs:
   • Internship
   • Study abroad;
   • First-Year Seminar;
   • Peer Mentor for First-Year Seminar course;
   • Learning community;
   • Research with faculty (dependent upon faculty research and approval) for at least one semester;
   • Peer-reviewed presentation at the University (e.g., Student Research Week) or at a professional conference (e.g., Society of Public Health Education; Texas Association of Health, Physical Education, and Dance; American School Health Association).
2. Students will also be required to complete either an undergraduate honors thesis through the Undergraduate Research Scholar Program (LAUNCH) OR an approved departmental capstone senior project.

ADMISSION TO HONORS IN HEALTH

Current Students:

To be eligible for the Public Health Honors program, current students must:

• Be a current TAMU student of U2 status;
• Have at least three semesters of coursework left before graduation;
• Overall TAMU GPR of 3.5 or higher;
• Completed PHLT 302-Foundations of Public Health with a grade of ‘A’; and
• Complete an honors program application (due October 1 for spring admission and March 1 for fall admission; see page 3 for application).

Incoming First Year Students:

To be eligible for the Public Health Honors program, incoming first year students must:

• Have U1 status with a minimum SAT score of 1300/ACT 30 (SAT/ACT optional, not required);
• Have at least three semesters of coursework left before graduation;
• Complete an honors program application (due October 1 for spring admission and March 1 for fall admission; see page 3 for application).

Applications will be reviewed twice per year by a committee consisting of faculty from the School of Public Health. Only current and potential majors (first year, transfers, change of major) who meet the requirements above are eligible for admission. A student who has an F*, which indicates academic dishonesty, will be ineligible for admission. Students are encouraged to consult with their School of Public Health academic advisor early in their academic career to plan their course of study. Students will be admitted based on their eligibility and strengths of their application. Enrollment to the Public Health Honors program is limited.

PROBATION OR DISMISSAL

If a student’s cumulative GPR drops below 3.5 and/or below the 3.25 honors GPR requirement, the student will be placed on probation for one semester. In the event that the student has a cumulative GPR below 3.5 and/or below 3.25 honors GPR for two consecutive semesters, the student will not be able to continue in the program and will be dismissed. A student who has an F*, which indicates academic dishonesty, will be dismissed automatically from the program without a probationary period from the program. The Aggie Honor Code will be strictly enforced.