Frequently Asked Questions

These are only guidelines, as the entire application packet is considered as a whole. Extra-curricular activities in addition to academic scoring all play a vital role in the decision-making process.

2. What are the benefits of participating in the JMU Honors Program?

Increased scholarship opportunities. The Honors Program has the largest number of academic scholarships at JMU.
Small honors classes with a maximum of 20 students.
Priority registration.
A computer lab exclusively for honors students.
Subsidized printing in the honors computer lab.
Honors housing.
Some of the most elegant facilities of any Honors Program in the country.
Mentoring support for undergraduate research.
Financial support to present your research at undergraduate conferences.
Designation of "Honors Scholar" and graduating with "distinction" in your thesis major on diploma and transcript.
A very high success rate in admission to prestigious graduate and professional schools.

3. Are honors classes harder than other university classes?

University honors classes are different from high school honors classes. They are not harder than other courses and they do not receive any greater weight in your GPA. They do offer greater opportunity for discussion and debate, work with primary materials, research and writing, and the development of critical thinking.

4. How many freshmen will be selected to participate in the Honors Program?

Approximately 200 students enter as freshman Honors Scholars each year.

5. Do you need my high school transcripts? Do they need to come directly from my high school?

Yes, we need your transcripts, but they may come either from you or the high school. The Honors Program does not require an official copy of the transcript.

6. Why do I have to send another copy of my transcript when it was already sent to Admissions?

The Admissions Office does not distribute documents submitted as part of the admission process to other departments. These documents become part of your permanent record and are kept confidential. Therefore, we must request that you submit an additional copy of your transcript to the Honors Program to maintain in our own confidential files.

7. If my school does not rank, am I still eligible to apply?

Yes. You are strongly encouraged to apply.

8. If I have been home-schooled, am I still eligible to apply?

Yes. You are strongly encouraged to apply.

9. What are the requirements to stay in the Honors Program after my freshmen year?

To remain in good standing, students must achieve and maintain at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA and to be enrolled in at least one honors course or elect an Honors Option each semester until all honors requirements are met.

10. If I don't get in, can I apply to the Honors Program later?

Yes. Students achieving a 3.25 GPA at JMU are invited to apply to the Honors Program as 2nd semester freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. At that time, the JMU GPA is the primary criteria for acceptance. More information is available on our website under APPLYING.

The three applications have three different purposes and three different selection committees. All candidates must first meet the requirements of the JMU Admissions office. However, the Dingledine scholarship opportunity and criteria for selection into the Honors Program differ. If you have additional questions, please consult our website (www.jmu.edu/honorsprog/) or call our office at (540) 568-6953.

12. What is an Honors Option?

An Honors Option is an agreement between an honors student and a professor that the student will complete an additional or enhanced assignment in a non-honors course. The Option agreement turns a non-honors course into an honors course for purposes of meeting the Honors Program requirements. It also provides honors students the freedom to design a portion of their curriculum. Honors Options count toward honors elective requirements; they cannot be used to satisfy honors General Education requirements.

13. Which courses can be made into Honors Option courses?

Students may create an Honors Option agreement if the course meets the following criteria: the course is a non-honors upper level (200 or above) course; it is a JMU course; AND an honors section of the course is NOT regularly offered as part of the honors curriculum. For example, GHIST 225 is regularly offered as GHIST 225H. Therefore, the student should take GHIST 225H if they want honors credit for the course. However, ARTH 470 has not been offered as an honors course and therefore it can be turned into an Honors Option. Honors Options count toward honors elective requirements; they cannot be used to satisfy honors General Education requirements.

14. How many Honors Options can I complete as part of the honors curriculum?

Track I students may complete up to two Honors Options in order to meet their 6 credit hours of elective requirements. Track II students may complete up to four Honors Options in order to meet their 12 credit hours of elective requirements. Honors students are free to take additional Honors Options beyond those that help meet elective requirements.

15. What do I do to get started on the Honors Option?

Students should schedule an appointment with the faculty member teaching a course you want to turn into an Honors Option. The professor has the discretion to choose whether or not he or she will work with you on an Honors Option. If they agree to work with you, you should then develop an assignment that you will complete during the semester. Examples of assignments are described below at the end of the Frequently Asked Questions.

16. Is there a form I need to fill out?

Yes, there is always a form. The Honors Option form must be typed, printed out, and submitted to the Honors Program Office. (Handwritten forms will NOT be accepted) The form constitutes an agreement between the student and the professor.

17. When is the Honors Option agreement due?

The deadline to submit the Honors Option agreement is by the end of the second week of classes. Check the website for the actual date for each semester.

18. Who approves the Honors Option agreement?

The Director of the Honors Program reviews the agreement and will approve it if it meets the criteria set forth above. Due to the volume of Honors Options received each semester, you will only be notified if yours is NOT approved.

19. What models exist for Honors Option assignments?

CLICK HERE for ideas on different types of assignments and on specific examples of assignments sorted by college. You should also consult with the professor in your department who is the Honors Liaison. The Honors Liaison is familiar with the program's requirements, its history, and the standards for your department.

20. Is the Honors Option graded?

Possibly, but not necessarily. Professors can choose one of two ways to account for the Honors Option work. First, the Honors Option assignment may be counted as supplemental to the work described in the course syllabus, and satisfactory completion of the assignment will met the honors requirement. In this case, the assignment does not need to be graded. Second, the Honors Option assignment may be an enhanced version of an existing assignment, thus effecting an amendment of the existing course syllabus. In this case, the work can be graded as part of the course material.

21. Do I need to tell anyone if I am unable to complete the Honors Option assignment?

Yes, you must notify the Honors Program Office and the professor with whom you made the agreement. This should be done as soon as you know you will not be completing the assignment.

22. What happens if I am unable to complete the assignment?

It depends upon which kind of option agreement you established with the professor. If you agreed that the project is supplemental and that the course grade is based exclusively on the original syllabus, then failure to complete the project will not negatively impact your grade. However, you will not receive honors credit for the course. If you agreed that the project is an enhancement of the graded assignments, then failure to complete the project may negatively impact your grade. You should discuss with your professor what, if any, impact not completing the project will have on your grade.

23. When will the Honors Option appear on my transcript?

Honors Option courses are identified on your transcipt by looking in the Notes section of the course in which you completed the Honors Option assignment. It may take up to two months after the end of the semester for it to appear. After the professors have submitted their end-of-semester Honors Option reports to the Honors Program, the program's office completes a memorandum to the Registrar's Office. The memorandum lists all students and the courses they turned into Honors Options with the request that their transcripts be amended. The Registrar's Office then alters the indicated transcripts.

24. I am a faculty member and would like to discuss the Honors Option with other faculty members. Who should I speak with?

You may discuss ideas with the Honors Program Liaison in your department or you may contact the Honors Program Office. In addition, the Honors Program maintains an online discussion board through Blackboard for professors teaching honors courses. As of Fall 2008, the discussion board will be extended to include professors supervising Honors Options.

25. What is the senior honors project? Why is it significant?

The senior honors project is the capstone requirement in the honors program and is a major accomplishment in a student's academic career. Similar to a master's thesis, the project represents a significant body of research or a creative endeavor in which the student works independently throughout the final three semesters at JMU on a topic related to their major discipline, under the guidance of a faculty mentor and a faculty committee.

Successful completion of the senior honors project entitles the student to graduate with "distinction", a designation that is included on the diploma and transcript.

Because the project demonstrates advanced work, gaining extensive knowledge of certain aspects of a student's major discipline, students who choose this kind of academic challenge tend to be stronger candidates when applying for graduate schools or professional jobs following graduation.

26. What are the standards for my project?

Honors projects should be like a graduate thesis in your discipline.
Consult with your department head and advisor who are the final arbiters of disciplinary excellence.

27. How original should the research be?

Your project should demonstrate that you know the literature on your issue & that you have some original insights or contributions as determined by your advisor and specialists in your discipline.

28. Who is the audience for the project?

Because the project is like a graduate thesis, it should be addressed to specialists in your discipline.

29. Do the two readers on my project committee need to be professors in my major?

No. It may be more appropriate to have one or both readers come from another discipline, possibly your minor. Consult your advisor if you think there is sufficient reason to consider readers from outside your major department.

30. How soon should I prepare my 1^st draft?

Provide all committee members with the first draft EARLY in your last semester.

31. What style manual should I use?

The Honors Program does not require the use of a particular style manual. The decision of which manual to select should come after careful discussion with your advisor. Specific manuals may be recommended for your discipline by your advisor. Many academic departments have a preference in style manuals, so you should select your manual accordingly.

32. Where can I obtain necessary forms?

Downloadable content can be found on both the Senior Honors Project page and the Forms page.

33. Is help available for formatting?

Please see the senior project formatting instructions (PowerPoint).
If further clarification is desired, schedule an appointment with Honors Program staff to review formatting at least two weeks before the deadline. Bring your draft to be checked.

34. What tips should I keep in mind?

Communicate with your advisor! Find out what is expected of you and what you can expect in return.
Meet weekly with your primary advisor.
Stay in touch with your readers regularly.
Keep your committee informed.
Be aware of deadlines. Allow plenty of lead time to meet them. Remember that meeting those deadlines requires working with committee members' schedules; allow ample time for them to accommodate you.

35. What should I do about images or figures that are inserted into the text or appendix?

Provide a number and a title for each image or figure.
If you wish, include a brief caption.
You may choose to change the orientation of the page to "landscape" to better accommodate the size of large images so that margins can be maintained. Page numbers would continue to be in the usual location for "portrait" orientation.
Include a List of Tables or List of Figures in the Table of Contents if you have five or more of either of these items.

36. Should I use a copyright page?

According to the U.S. Copyright Office, "Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form." However, if you wish to file for copyright protection with the U.S. Copyright Office, you may do so for a small fee. Allow ample time to complete this process before the project is due, as it usually takes several months.

If you choose to obtain this protection, place your copyright protection statement two inches from the top of the page with a lowercase Roman numeral (ii) at the bottom center of the page. Double space the statement if it exceeds one line of text. Examples of copyright protection statements can be found in any publication that has been recorded in the Library of Congress.

37. What/who should be included in the acknowledgements page?

Thank your supporters: all committee members, project grants from the Honors Program or other sources, entities or persons who funded conference presentation of your project, other professors who advised you, friends, family.

38. What is included in a dedication page?

If you choose to include a dedication page, place your text two inches from the top of the page. Write a concise statement dedicating the work to one or several persons, institutions, etc. Place a lowercase Roman numeral at the bottom center of the page.

39. What kind of paper do I need to use and where can I find it?

The paper should be pure white, 8.5 by 11 inches, at least 20-pound bond, acid-free and permanent.
The JMU Bookstore, Kinko's, and Staples carry this paper.

40. What do I do if I want to change any of my committee members?

Sometimes situations arise that necessitate a change in membership on committees (i.e. faculty travel or professional leave, student begins to work with new JMU faculty, faculty member accepts a position at another school, etc.).

Discuss the situation with your advisor. If a change is appropriate, submit a revised, completed project proposal application form (without the proposal), after obtaining all five of the necessary signatures.

The Honors Program must receive the revised documentation in order to verify that all signatories are aware of and approve of the change.

41. How do I register for 499 classes?

Contact the office of your major. They will advise you on the procedure for enrolling in the proper 499 courses.
Registration for 499 cannot be accomplished on e-campus or through the Honors Program.

42. What is the Institutional Review Board and how do I know if it applies to my project?

The IRB is a JMU committee that oversees compliance issues related to the research of human subjects.
Certain experiments, such as conducting interviews with people, may require IRB approval.
See IRB's website: http://www.jmu.edu/sponsprog/irb.html
Discuss the need for IRB approval with your project advisor.

43. How can I get financial assistance for my project?

The Edythe S. Rowley Endowed Scholarships and the small grants awards, both of which are administered through the Honors Program, offer funds for work on the senior project or conference participation. Download an application form here.

Funds may also be available through your major department. Ask your advisor.

44. Where can I print my project?

You must use a laser printer.
On-campus locations include: the Honors Program computer lab (basement of Hillcrest) and the Hillside lab. Bring your own paper (see requirements above).
Off-campus locations include: Kinko's and Staples. Bring your own paper or purchase it there.

45. What do I do with supplementary materials (i.e. CDs, DVDs, maps) that are included with my project?

Clearly label these materials in case they become separated from the project.
At the bindery, a pocket will be inserted inside the back cover for these materials.

46. What do I do if my GPA drops below 3.25?

Students must have a 3.25 GPA at the time they submit a proposal.
No final project is accepted if you do not have the required GPA.
If your GPA drops, consider shifting your research project to an independent study course (490 course) in your major.

47. May I keep a bound copy of my thesis?

Yes. You may request to have one or more personal copies of your project bound. Print the desired number of personal copies of your document that you wish to bind (in addition to the 2 required copies), complete the binding request form, and submit these items along with your check for the appropriate number of personal copies to the Honors Program Office. Your copies will be mailed to you.

48. Where will my senior honors project be kept?

Each student must print two copies of their project. Both copies will be bound by JMU and housed in Carrier Library. One copy may be circulated on campus or through Interlibrary Loan; one copy is kept for archival purposes and is not circulated.

49. What models exist for my project?

A file listing past senior projects, organized by major, is available here.
Projects may be checked out from Carrier Library.

50. I am not in the Honors Program. Can I do a senior project?

Yes, if you have a 3.25 cumulative GPA. You must find a faculty committee to work with you, register for 499A, prepare a proposal, and submit the proposal and project application to the Honors Program office by the deadline. Once your application has been approved, you will officially be a member of the Honors Program.

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Publisher: Honors Program
For Information Contact: Karen Allison

James Madison University
Hillcrest 105, MSC 1501

Phone: (540) 568-6953
Fax: (540) 568-8079

Last Modified: 11/6/2009
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