Over the past six decades, the ACES James Scholar Honors Program has been opening doors of opportunity and windows of insight for its students through capstone experiential learning projects, enhanced honors coursework, study abroad experiences, special programming, and much more.

Benefits of the ACES James Scholar Program Include:

• Priority registration (starting with the registration period during the first semester of James Scholar enrollment).
• Qualification to apply for living in the Honors Living Learning Community.
• Unique opportunities to earn honors credit, including ACES 396: Honors Study Abroad Retrospective.
• Scholarship opportunities for study abroad and the Capstone Experiential Learning Project.
• The experience of presenting the results of your Capstone Experiential Learning Project as a poster display during the campuswide Undergraduate Research Week (an annual event in April); in a departmental meeting or seminar; or at a professional or scientific conference.
• Access to a specially designated Honors Advisor in your major department. Among other things, the Honors Advisor provides James Scholars with guidance in preparing the Honors Completion Plan and exploring options for the Capstone Experiential Learning Project.
• Graduation with James Scholar Distinction from the College of ACES (with a commemorative certificate, an honor cord, and notation on your final transcript).

Questions?

If you’re interested in learning more about the ACES James Scholar Program, please email aces-jshp@illinois.edu.

Each year, ACES James Scholars from the first-year, sophomore, junior, and senior classes may apply to participate in an international experience. This may consist of a two-week study tour; a summer, semester, or year at an institution in another country; or an internship with an international corporation.

Earning Honors Credit for ACES Study Abroad Experiences

ACES James Scholars who will be spending a summer, a semester, or a year overseas should confer with the Honors Director before their departure from campus to explore the possibility of earning honors credit for studying abroad by taking ACES 396: Honors Study Abroad Retrospective upon their return to campus. This course, which is overseen by the Honors Director, gives scholars an opportunity to earn one hour of honors credit by undertaking a specific honors assignment that is agreed upon by the Honors Director and the scholar. The honors assignment needs to be completed by the end of the semester immediately following the scholar’s return from overseas. Students can register for this course by filling out the ACES 396: Honors Study Abroad Retrospective Application.

Requirements for Graduating with James Scholar Honors

• Freshman Year
  • Have at least thirty (30) credit hours earned by the end of the academic year, with an overall GPA > 3.40 (for ABE majors, an overall GPA > 3.50).
  • Complete your first course with honors credit or an equivalent activity* by the end of the academic year.
• Sophomore Year
  • Have a total of at least sixty (60) credit hours earned by the end of the academic year, with an overall GPA > 3.40 (for ABE majors, an overall GPA > 3.50).
  • Complete your second course with honors credit or an equivalent activity* by the end of the academic year.
  • If you are planning to be off-campus during the fall semester of your junior year (for study abroad or an internship), submit your Honors Completion Plan by the midterm/midpoint of the Spring semester.
• Junior Year
  • Submit your Honors Completion Plan by the midterm/midpoint of the Fall semester.
  • Have a total of at least ninety (90) credit hours earned by the end of the academic year, with an overall GPA > 3.40.
  • Complete your third course with honors credit or an equivalent activity* by the end of the academic year.
  • Begin your Capstone Experiential Learning Project under the guidance of your Faculty Mentor.
  • Start taking upper-level coursework as listed on your Honors Completion Plan.
• Senior Year
  • Finish all degree requirements with an overall GPA > 3.40.
  • Complete your Capstone Experiential Learning Project with your Faculty Mentor before graduation.
  • Present a poster display based on your Capstone Experiential Learning Project at the Undergraduate Research Symposium, the ACES Undergraduate Research Day, a departmental meeting/seminar, and/or a professional/scientific conference.
  • Have a total of four (4) 400-level courses completed before graduation (with grades > B-), as listed on your Honors Completion Plan.
  • Have one (1) 500/graduate-level course completed before graduation (with a grade > B-), as listed on your Honors Completion Plan.
  • Complete your fourth course with honors credit or an equivalent activity* by the end of the academic year.

*Any of the following options can be used as an equivalent activity to fulfill an honors credit:

• A regular course with an Honors Credit Learning Agreement (HCLA)
• An honors section of any course
• A Campus Honors Program (CHP) course 2
• ACES 396: Honors Study Abroad Retrospective
• Another approved activity that involves effort beyond normal academic requirements (such as earning an Illinois Leadership Certificate and/or an Undergraduate Research Certificate)

ACES James Scholar Program Application:

If you are not currently a James Scholar but would like to apply, please be sure to fill out our application before mid-September of your junior year. Current students may apply for admission to our Honors Program by the last Friday in September (for the fall semester) or the last Friday in February (for the spring semester).

General Overview

• All ACES James Scholars need to complete four courses with honors credit before they graduate. To fulfill this requirement, scholars are expected to earn at least one H grade (denoting honors credit) during each academic year until this requirement has been met.
• Scholars can earn honors credit by completing a course with an Honors Credit Learning Agreement (HCLA) or by taking a course or section that is offered for honors credit (for example, ACES 396). You can visit the Course Explorer to find specific honors course offerings that would be of interest to you. (There is no need to submit an HCLA to earn honors credit in a course or section that is being offered for honors credit.)
• The Honors Credit Learning Agreement (HCLA) is a web form that enables you to earn honors credit in a regular course without enrolling in specially designated honors courses or honors sections. Successful completion of each HCLA is noted on your transcript, with an H appearing beside the letter grade for the course. Honors credit earned in specially designated honors courses or honors sections is also denoted by an H next to your letter grade.

HCLA Guidelines

• Before you submit your HCLA form, be sure to inform your instructor that you are an ACES James Scholar and ask them if you could complete an honors assignment in the course. The approval and acceptance of HCLAs are at the discretion of your instructor, who may also specify particular topics or certain areas of investigation.
• The following process will need to be followed for your HCLA to be successfully submitted, approved, and recorded.
  • 1. Submit the HCLA form online here.
  • 2. A link to your HCLA will be emailed to your instructor for review and approval.
  • 3. You will then receive an email confirmation once your HCLA has been reviewed and approved by your instructor and the Honors Program.
• With the approval of your instructor, any University of Illinois course taken for a standard letter grade at the 100-, 200-, 300-, or 400-levels may be converted into an honors credit course by using an HCLA. This includes 16-week, 12-week, and 8-week courses offered during the fall and spring semesters and during the summer session. Honors credit cannot be earned in courses that are being taken with the credit/no-credit (CR/NC) option, and honors credit is also not available in four-week courses offered during the winter or summer sessions.

HCLA Deadlines

• All HCLAs should be submitted by the midterm/midpoint of the semester in which you are taking the course. Also, you should submit your HCLA within the same semester in which you are taking the course, not earlier or later. Be sure to discuss your proposed honors assignment with your instructor well in advance of this deadline. The Honors Program reserves the right to reject any HCLAs that are submitted after the deadline.

The Honors Assignment: Scope and Content

• The shape of your honors assignment is limited only by your imagination (subject to academic standards of professionalism) and the approval of your instructor. Possible types of honors assignments may include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Research papers (8-10 or more pages in length)
  • Essays or literature reviews
  • Research for preparing new course units or segments
  • Special laboratory experiments
  • Stratified opinion surveys
  • Course or course unit evaluations
  • Research for developing new courses or new teaching methods
  • Service learning or community engagement projects
  • Preparation of videos, blogs, PowerPoint presentations, or photo essays
  • Creating and maintaining social media outlets (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) pertaining to a course-related topic
  • Participation in the REACT Program, which is available through selected Chemistry (CHEM) courses
• Your honors assignment needs to be completed before the end of the academic term. You and your instructor should meet every so often to discuss your progress. You should expect to devote at least fifteen (15) additional hours of work time to your honors assignment throughout the academic term. If you wish to cancel or modify an honors assignment already in progress, please notify your instructor via email so that your decision can be documented for record-keeping purposes.
• It is not necessary to submit an HCLA request for a 396 (Honors Undergraduate Research) course to earn honors credit. Please note, however, that although James Scholars are free to enroll in 396 courses (or in ANSC 398, section B for Animal Sciences majors) as often as allowed by their respective departments, only one (1) honors undergraduate research course will be counted toward the fulfillment of the “four courses with honors credit before you graduate” Milestone of Achievement on your Honors Completion Plan (HCP).
• If you plan to earn honors credit in a Chemistry (CHEM) course through the REACT (a/k/a Kids & Chemistry) Program, please be sure to list Dr. Tina Huang (NetID = thhuang) as your instructor on your HCLA web form to ensure its accurate and timely approval. Please Note: You will need to register for REACT Program honors credit through both the ACES HCLA system and the REACT Program’s web portal.

Grading Procedures

• At the end of the academic term, based on your letter grade and the outcome of your honors assignment, your instructor will determine if honors credit will be granted for the course. Your instructor is the sole judge of whether honors credit will be earned. As a general rule, honors credit will be granted if:
  • You were enrolled in the ACES James Scholar Honors Program and/or the Campus Honors Program (Chancellor’s Scholars) during the academic term in which you took the course.
  • You have completed the honors assignment successfully.
  • You earned a grade of at least B- in the course.
  • An H grade is chosen by the instructor in Web for Faculty.

PLEASE NOTE: If an anticipated H grade does not show up on your grade report or transcript, it is your responsibility to contact your instructor to seek clarification and/or correction of the grade in question. 

Helpful Hints for Earning Honors Credit

• Because a course grade of at least B- is needed to earn honors credit, you should do an honors assignment in a course that genuinely interests you and in which you can reasonably expect to do well.
• To ensure that you will have plenty of time to complete an honors assignment, be sure to discuss your proposed HCLA with your instructor well in advance of the due date (the midterm/midpoint of the semester in which you are taking the course).
• To avoid any possible misunderstandings with your instructor, please be very specific in describing the honors assignment that you are proposing on your HCLA.
• Consider completing one HCLA per semester so that you can finish off your “four courses with honors credit” before the start of your junior or senior year. Planning ahead will ensure that you have enough time to complete your Capstone Experiential Learning Project (CELP) during your junior and/or senior year.
• To prevent surprises and disappointments, please be sure to submit your HCLA on time (by the midterm/midpoint of the semester in which you are taking the course). The Honors Program reserves the right to decline any HCLA that is submitted past this due date.

Substitutions for Honors Credit Coursework

• Scholars are welcome to complete one or both of the following certificates, which should be listed on the Honors Completion Plan under item #3. Each certificate can be substituted for one course with honors credit.
  • 1. Earning an Illinois Leadership Certificate can be substituted for one course with honors credit on the Honors Completion Plan.
  • 2. Earning an Undergraduate Research Certificate can be substituted for one course with honors credit on the Honors Completion Plan.
• Please email a PDF copy of your Illinois Leadership Certificate and/or Undergraduate Research Certificate to aces-jshp@illinois.edu upon completion so that the substitution can be added to your James Scholar record. 

Transfer Honors Credit Policy

•  ACES James Scholars who enter the Honors Program upon transfer from another accredited institution within the United States may use one honors credit course from their previous institution to count toward the “four courses with honors credit” requirement. If you would like to explore this option, please contact the Honors Program at aces-jshp@illinois.edu, and be sure to attach a course syllabus and any documentation of the honors credit coursework that you completed (such as graded assignments).
• The Honors Director will determine if the honors coursework will be accepted as counting toward fulfillment of your “four courses with honors credit” requirement. You will then receive a written response from the Honors Program, documenting the decision on your request to transfer honors credit.

 Contact Information

• Questions or concerns about HCLA policies and procedures may be directed to the Honors Program at aces-jshp@illinois.edu.

Honors Completion Plan

The Honors Completion Plan (HCP) is an academic roadmap for students' junior and senior years, created to ensure they complete all of James Scholar's requirements. All James Scholars are required to submit their HCP by the midterm/midpoint of the fall semester of their junior year (three semesters prior to graduation). James Scholars who are planning to study abroad or do an off-campus internship during the fall semester of their junior year should submit their HCP by the midterm/midpoint of the spring semester of their sophomore year. Students can complete their electronic HCP Form here.

Capstone Experiential Learning Project

The Capstone Experiential Learning Project will acquaint you with the current literature in your discipline, develop your investigative skills and techniques, and prepare you for a professional career in the agricultural, consumer, and environmental sciences. The project is developed and conducted under the guidance of your Faculty Mentor. Interdisciplinary projects are encouraged!

Upon completion of the Capstone Experiential Learning Project, the results are presented as a poster display at the Undergraduate Research Symposium, the ACES Undergraduate Research Day, a departmental meeting/seminar, or a professional/scientific conference. The Faculty Mentor will also need to certify in writing that the project has been completed successfully.

Director of ACES James Scholars

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Jason is a professor in Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He spent 11 years at the University of Arkansas as a professor in Poultry Science before returning to the University of Illinois in 2008 to work in the areas of student recruitment and scholarships in the College of ACES Office of Academic Programs. In 2017, Jason joined the Animal Sciences faculty and currently teaches an advanced composition course that enrolls nearly 500 students per year (ANSC 205). He also assists with an animal handling course (ANSC 103) and conducts nutrition research with poultry

Directory of ACES Honors Program Contacts:

Academic Year 2024-2025

Each academic unit in the College of ACES has a designated Departmental Honors Advisor who provides advice and assistance to James Scholars enrolled in their particular unit. The Honors Advisor’s signature of approval is required on all Honors Completion Plans originating from within their academic unit. In addition, the Honors Advisor can help scholars find an appropriate Faculty Mentor for their Capstone Experiential Learning Project. Honors Advisors may also host meetings and events for James Scholars enrolled in their department and address any questions or problems that scholars might encounter. Here is a directory of this year’s Departmental Honors Advisors.

Please direct general inquiries to aces-jshp@illinois.edu.