Honors Program

Graduating With Honors

Students who graduate with honors in the College of Human Sciences are recognized at the college graduation ceremony. They wear white honors cords during that ceremony and can also wear them during the all-university graduation ceremony. In addition, a special notation is placed on the student’s diploma and permanent record indicating he or she graduated from the Iowa State University Honors program.

Benefits

• Leadership and involvement opportunities: Leadership opportunities include serving on the Honors Student Board, honors committees for individual colleges or the university, working with the Freshman Honors program, Honors ambassadors, and more.
• Research opportunities: With full-time staff dedicated to student research and publication, the Honors program community places a high value on student research and provides a support network to accomplish what you want. A number of grants are available through the Honors program to help fund student research.
• Strong community: The Honors program provides a group in which students can feel like they belong. Events sponsored by the Honors Student Board, both formal and informal, help bring this community together.
• Academic focus: Both students and staff value academic excellence and are supportive of that goal.
• Support from full-time Honors staff: Honors staff can help with applying for scholarships, course selection, guidance on honors projects, and more.
• Planning for the future: Honors staff can help in planning out coursework at Iowa State to ensure you graduate when you want and you get the most out of your college experience.
• Honors seminars: Classes on interesting topics across all content areas are taught by professors who are passionate about a specific topic. For descriptions of currently offered seminars, visit the Honors seminar site.
• Honors classes: Taught in a smaller setting by dedicated professors or by working one-on-one with a professor to add an Honors component to a non-Honors class.
• Privileges: Extended loan privileges at Parks Library, additional printing credits (+500), 24/7 access to the Jischke Building, ability to customize your academic program, honors housing, and priority class registration.

Program Overview

Incoming Freshmen

Honors membership for incoming first-year students is by invitation only from Iowa State University Honors program. See the Iowa State Honors site for eligibility. To continue with the program, you must state your intent with the College of Human Sciences Honors program during the second semester of your freshman year.

Undergraduates

If you have a GPA of 3.50 or higher you may apply by filling out the University Honors Program Application. After being accepted by the Iowa State Honors program, you are considered part of the College of Human Sciences Honors program.

Admission

To apply to the College of Human Sciences Honors program, you need to have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above.

Current freshman Honors students: If you are currently a member of the Iowa State University Freshman Honors program, you need to state your intent to continue on to the College of Human Sciences Honors program during the second semester of your freshman year. Refer to the University Honors program website for more information and the form you need to complete.

Undergraduate students: If you are not currently in the Iowa State University Freshman Honors program, and your GPA is 3.5 or above, you may apply to the CHS Honors program simply by filling out the University Honors program Application.

You must have at least 48 credits remaining in your degree program to be eligible to apply for the Honors program. 

Program Timeline

Deadline: Sept. 21 or Feb. 21 

• Honors deadlines often depend on when the student was accepted into the College of Human Sciences program (spring or fall) and when the student plans to present the project at the poster presentation (spring or fall of senior year).

• Members accepted into the program will be contacted by Laura Kilbride (CHS Honors Coordinator) to complete an Honors orientation and added to the CHS Honors Canvas module. A new program of study is required based on CHS requirements. The program of study is due no less than 4 semesters prior to your graduation semester. This is usually spring semester of sophomore year by February 21st. The form can be completed on Canvas.

• The Honors Project Intent form must be submitted no less than 2 semesters prior to graduation or your poster presentation semester, whichever comes first. If you are graduating in the spring, your project intent form must be submitted the year prior on February 21st. If you are graduating in the fall, your project intent form must be submitted the year prior on September 21st.

• The Honors Project Proposal form must be submitted no less than 1 semester prior to your graduation or your poster presentation semester, whichever comes first. If you are graduating in the spring, your project intent form must be submitted the fall prior on September 21st. If you are graduating in the spring, your project intent form must be submitted the fall prior on February 21st.

• The honors program timeline can be very confusing because it works backwards based on when the student will graduate or intends to present at the poster presentation, whichever is earlier. Without a planned graduation or poster presentation date, the timeline can be difficult to determine. Work with your department honors representative or CHS honors coordinator to determine your personal timeline.