Need More Information?
Visit the College of ACES James Scholar website or contact Dr. Kelly Tu (HDFS Honors Coordinator) or the ACES Honors Program.
The James Scholar Honors Program empowers exceptional undergraduates to enhance their academic experiences through a broad array of activities. Participation is open to all qualified students enrolled in any degree program (including HDFS) within the College of ACES.
IMPORTANT: If you encounter out-of-date or missing information, contact Dr. Kelly Tu (HDFS Honors Coordinator) for help.
Incoming first-year students: Qualified incoming students are invited to the James Scholar program by Anna Ball (College of ACES Honors Dean) following review of their admission application and prior to their arrival on campus. Typically the top 10-15% of incoming first-year and transfer students with a 3.50 or greater cumulative GPA are eligible to participate.
Continuing students: Second-semester first-year students, sophomores, and first-semester juniors, including transfer students, may apply for acceptance if they have achieved a minimum GPA of 3.50.
Over the course of the degree program, James Scholars are expected to meet the following requirements (more details described in separate sections below):
Sophomore James Scholars are strongly encouraged to meet with Dr. Kelly Tu (HDFS Honors Coordinator) to plan ahead for any of the following:
Sophomore James Scholars are required to prepare an Honors Completion Plan (HCP) in cooperation with Dr. Kelly Tu (HDFS Honors Coordinator) during their spring semester. The HCP is a roadmap for successfully completing the Honors requirements. The HCP is signed by the James Scholar and the HDFS Honors Coordinator and must be submitted to the ACES Honors Program by the last Friday in April of their Sophomore year. HCPs may be modified with the HDFS Honors Coordinator’s approval.
See the ACES Visual Timelime for a proposed year-by-year plan for completing the James Scholar requirements. Note that the timeline for individual students may vary.
Honors credit may be earned by completing any of the following:
James Scholars are encouraged to complete their honors credit coursework as early in their academic career as possible to free up time to devote to their Undergraduate Research Project in their junior and/or senior year. For additional information about earning honors credit, see The ACES Honors Almanac.
This requirement should be fulfilled during the senior year. To identify a graduate-level course, start by:
Course (credit hours) | Semester Typically Offered |
Prerequisites and Other Recommendations (All require senior standing and instructor approval) |
|
HDFS 501: Human Development Theories (4) | Fall |
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HDFS 503: Social-Emotional Development (2) | Spring | ||
HDFS 505: Advanced Adolescence (2) | Fall | ||
HDFS 521: Family Theories (4) | Spring | ||
HDFS 526: Intimate Partner Violence (2) | Fall | ||
HDFS 527: Family Resiliency (4) | Spring | ||
HDFS 528: Parenting (2) | Spring | ||
HDFS 540: Gender and Sexuality (2) | Fall | HDFS 340 (or other gender course) | |
HDFS 586: Health and Leisure in Recreation, Sport and Tourism (4) | Spring | Recommended that students have familiarity with reading empirical research articles. Note: This is an RST course cross-listed under HDFS. | |
HDFS 595: Developmental Issues and Child Health (2) | Spring | ||
HDFS 595: Development of Romantic Relationships (2) | Fall |
In HDFS, the Capstone Experiential Learning Project is designed to develop and foster student interest in research aimed at solving critical problems. To get started on a independent research project, students will need to identify a faculty research lab to become involved in and a faculty (or graduate student) mentor. There are several ways to take the first step:
Once you have identified a mentor, you will work toward completing an agreed upon project. For additional information about completing your project, see The ACES Honors Almanac.
Presenting your research. James Scholars are required to present their completed projects as a poster display at the Provost’s Undergraduate Research Symposium in late April or a professional conference approved in advance by Anna Ball (College of ACES Honors Dean). Generally, posters should include a summary of the research project, including the subject of your inquiry, how the research was conducted, what results were produced, interpretations of the results, and a summarizing conclusion. See Dr. Kelly Tu or your instructor for example posters from past James Scholars.
Undergraduate students, including James Scholars, are eligible but not required to apply for financial support for their research projects through the ACES Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program as long as they are officially enrolled as a full-time student with a major in the College of ACES, maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.0, and will have earned 15 or more credit hours in their degree program by the time they begin their research project. Approved projects can be funded up to $1500 and students with an approved project are awarded a $500 merit scholarship. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
The Carol A. Haynes Sophomore Achievement Award celebrates the academic achievements of women in higher education and is awarded during the fall semester (typically due in November). Scholars who enter the competition write an essay on “The Most Valuable Things That I Learned During My First Year of College.” The winner receives a scholarship prize, a certificate of achievement, and a special book prize.
The Leander J. M. Haynes Humanities Book Prize encourages scholars to build intellectual bridges between the humanities and their own scientific areas of study and is awarded during the spring semester (typically due in April). Scholars who enter the competition write an original essay on "The Most Influential Book That I Read During My Formative Years and How It Has Impacted My Life." The formative years include elementary school, middle school, or high school. The winner receives a scholarship prize, a certificate of achievement, and a special book prize.
James Scholars may request up to $800 in supplemental funds for travel to present their research at a professional conference. Requests for travel support should be made to the ACES Honors Program BEFORE travel.
Projects that lead to publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal may qualify for up to $500 toward publication expenses. To qualify, the paper must list the James Scholar as an author or contributor and acknowledge the support of the ACES Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program. Requests for publication support should be made to the ACES Honors Program.
Visit the College of ACES James Scholar website or contact Dr. Kelly Tu (HDFS Honors Coordinator) or the ACES Honors Program.