Our Honors Program draws some of the best student talent in the world—and the world knows it.
CEOs, CFOs, and CMOs who work around the globe; members, chairs, and co-chairs who sit on national and international committees, councils and boards—these are the business professionals who come to meet and recruit our honors students over lunches or dinners, through evening programs, or after exclusive lectures.
As a Kelley business honors student, you’ll benefit from smaller class sizes and the academic rigor you’d prefer. You’ll have a business honors advisor to help you chart your academic path, and you’ll build a strong network of campus and school leaders, which you can transform into a personal and professional network for the rest of your life.
Target is a proud sponsor of the Kelley Honors Business Program.
Meet the future of business
If you’d like to become a sponsor or plan a visit to learn more about the Honors Business Program and its exceptional students, visit our Office of Development and Alumni Relations.
Admission to the Business Undergraduate Honors Program is selective. Only freshmen may apply.
Apply between February 1 and April 1 of your freshman year.
The application closes at 5:00 p.m. on April 1—late applications are not accepted. All supporting application materials must be submitted to BU 254 before the deadline. You will be notified of your acceptance during the summer.
If you were not directly admitted to the Kelley School of Business but are interested in the Honors Program, you will apply for the Honors Program the same spring semester you file your Kelley School of Business application.
We base admission on the following criteria:
- Your grade point average—you must have a minimum cumulative 3.7 GPA and at least 26 credits by the end of your freshman year.
- Participation in one or more extracurricular leadership activities while a freshman at IU Bloomington.
- Your resume, which should make clear the extent of your involvement in leadership activities. If you need help preparing your resume Kelley Undergraduate Career Services can help!
- A brief writing sample on a predetermined topic.
- Two recommendations from IU Bloomington faculty members. Faculty should be sent this online recommendation form.
- For students who have completed K201, K204, C104, and/or C106, note:
The Business Honors Program will automatically solicit evaluations from the faculty of those courses. Make sure your instructors know that you are applying to the program; you do not need to ask them to fill out a recommendation by April 1.
- One evaluation of your leadership outside the classroom, using the same recommendation form. This evaluation may come from a club advisor, organization leader, or campus employer. The recommender should be someone with an IU username in order to access the online form.
Turn in any supporting materials to the Business Honors Program Office, address below.
If you have any questions about admissions, contact us (812) 855-1649 or stop by our office:
We will notify you of your acceptance in mid-July.
Learn what it takes to graduate with honors.
As a new honors student, the first thing you can anticipate is an orientation retreat that focuses on team-building and leadership. This takes place the Friday before your sophomore year fall classes begin.
You’ll receive additional information on this retreat once you’ve been admitted to the program.
You’ll be required to complete nine hours of the following Honors courses from either the business school or through the Hutton Honors College.
Please note that you must be a member of the Hutton Honors College in order to enroll in the non-business courses, such as math and economics.
Select three courses from the following:
- BUS-A 205 Honors Introduction to Financial Accounting (Spring only)
- BUS-A 207 Honors Introduction to Managerial Accounting
- BUS-K 204 Honors The Computer in Business
- BUS-C 106 Honors Business Presentations
- BUS-X 202 Technology
- BUS-C 205 Honors Business Communications
- BUS-L 293 Honors Legal Environment in Business
- BUS-Z 304 Honors Managing Behavior in Organizations (P or C: Honors I-Core)
- ECON-S 201 Honors Introduction to Microeconomics
- ECON-S 202 Honors Introduction to Macroeconomics
- ECON-S 370 Honors Statistical Analysis for Business & Economics
- MATH-S 118 Honors Finite Mathematics
- MATH-S 212 Honors Calculus II
- MATH-M 213 Accelerated Calculus
- Any course offered through the Hutton Honors College
As an Honors student, you are required to take the following Honors I-Core courses during the fall semester of your junior year:
- BUS-M 304 Honors Introduction to Marketing Management
- BUS-F 304 Honors Financial Management
- BUS-P 304 Honors Operations Management
- BUS-Z 304 Managing Behavior in Organizations
These courses, taught by tenure-track faculty, include an integrative business plan exercise. In order to enroll in the Honors Integrative Core, students must be accepted to the Business Honors Program. Students must also have completed at least nine hours of honors courses and all I-Core prerequisites.
As a senior Honors student, you will complete a capstone project. There are three ways to fulfill this requirement.
Two options allow you to receive three credits: a supervised independent research project (BUS-X 496), or a senior-level leadership seminar (BUS-Z 494).
The third way to fulfill the capstone is to serve as a member of the Honors Leadership Team that mentors younger students and helps coordinate events for the Honors Program.
Here are your capstone course options:
- Supervised Independent Research Project: BUS-X 496, 3 cr.
Students work on a research project in an area of their choice during their two final semesters before graduation. A faculty member of the Kelley School of Business supervises the project, which may take any form mutually acceptable to the student and faculty mentor. Choices might include a traditional research paper, a business plan, or an industry analysis. At the completion of the project, a letter grade is assigned by the supervising faculty member. - Herman B Wells Seminars in Leadership: BUS-Z 494, 3 cr.
To conclude their honors course work, students may enroll in a senior-level leadership seminar to help them think about the role of upper-level management. Topics may include globalization, e-commerce, and concepts of leadership. This course requires a significant amount of reading and writing. - Honors Leadership Team (HLT)
A select number of honors seniors participate on the Honors Leadership Team and help run the Honors Leadership Program. Their primary responsibilities include coaching younger honors students and organizing Honors Program activities. Team members do not enroll in a class, but they are expected to commit time to the program and reflect on their own leadership qualities.
Note: students accepted into the 3/2 MBA in Accounting Program are exempt from the Senior Year Requirement.
Complete an internship or study abroad
As an honors student, you are required to undertake an internship or participate in an approved overseas study program.
Students applying for internships may interview through the Undergraduate Career Services Office (UCSO).
Graduation
You will need at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA upon graduation in order to have “With Business Honors” noted on your diploma. You will also have to successfully complete all other program requirements.
Dismissal policy
Students face dismissal from the Business Honors Program under the following circumstances:
- Two consecutive term GPAs below a 3.0 will result in dismissal.
- If a student earns less than a 3.5 cumulative GPA, he or she will be placed on probation. To be reinstated, the student will have one semester to regain a 3.5 cumulative GPA. Failure to have a 3.5 cumulative program GPA for more than one semester will result in dismissal.
- Erratic semester GPAs are scrutinized and may lead to dismissal, regardless of cumulative GPA.
- Any unprofessional or dishonorable behavior will result in dismissal.
If you have any questions regarding this policy, make an appointment with Alison Kvetko, the director of the Business Honors Program.
Our learning environment encourages friendly competition, but offers plenty of peer-to-peer support. You won’t be entering into a “cut throat” learning landscape—in fact, thoughtful peer-to-peer interaction is one of the things that makes the program so strong.
The Honors Leadership Program lends itself to this support. Funded primarily by external corporate grants, it was established to support you as you develop the highly-valued interpersonal, leadership, and coaching skills your future employers, partners, and investors are looking for.
As a sophomore or junior, you’ll have access to a mentor from the Honors Leadership Team (HLT). HLT members attend leadership retreats in order for you to get the most of your mentee/mentor relationships.
If you are interested in having an HLT mentor, send your request to Alison Grace Kvetko, the director of the Honors Business Program. Please list several preferences.
Learn how you can become an Honors Leadership Team member >>
