Apr 26, 2024  
2022-2023 SUNY Potsdam Academic Catalog 
    
2022-2023 SUNY Potsdam Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Community Health Honors Program


The purpose of the Community Health Honor’s program is to engage undergraduate Community Health majors in independent research activities. Honors students accepted into the program will apply fundamentals of public health research through the completion of an Honors Thesis project and seminar. This experience is designed for students interested in pursuing graduate education in public health.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply to the Community Health Honor’s Program, students must:

  • Have a 3.25 GPA in the major and a 3.0 GPA overall
  • Have completed at least 15 credit hours towards their major require-ments (at least nine of these must be core, upper division credit hours)
  • Have at least two semesters left before graduation

Application Procedure

Students who are eligible based on GPA and credit hours will be invited to apply to the program by the Honor’s Program Coordinator. The Coordinator will send a letter to eligible students each Spring and Fall semester. Students interested, will apply by submitting a two page statement of interest to the Honor’s Program Coordinator.

Program Requirements


Honors Courses: 15 Credits


  • HLTH 491 - Honors Internship 6 Credits
  • HLTH 492 - Honors Thesis I 3 Credits
  • HLTH 493 - Honors Thesis II 3 Credits
  • HLTH 494 - Honors Seminar 3 Credits

Cognate Requirements: 7 Credits


Elective Courses: 6 Credits


Each Community Health major in the Honors Program is also required to take six credits of HLTH electives. Students may choose from the list below:

Recommended Courses


Honors Internship


During their last semester at SUNY Potsdam, Community Health majors in the Honors Program will complete a half-time, six-credit internship.

Honors Seminar


During the Internship semester, Community Health majors in the Honors Program will also take a three-credit seminar. The seminar will consist of each honors student attending a local, regional or national public health conference and then presenting their experiences and what they learned to the department.

Honors Thesis I and II


During the semester prior to the internship, Community Health majors in the Honors Program will take the first Honors Thesis class in which they will plan and propose a study. During the internship semester, students will take the second Honors Thesis class in which they will collect and analyze their data and then write a report about, present and defend their research.

Total Credit Hours Required: 66