Develop your leadership. Gain real-world experience. Graduate with a record of meaningful accomplishments.
At the Lally School of Management, learning extends beyond the classroom. The Lally Scholars Program gives opportunities to apply what they learn through leadership, research, investment management, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, community engagement, and other high-impact experiences.
Lead Teams | Manage Capital | Build With AI | Serve Community | Ship Products |
What is the Lally Scholars Program?
The Lally Scholars Program is a selective undergraduate distinction that recognizes sustained engagement in experiential learning. Through a combination of shared program requirements and individualized experiences, Scholars develop leadership, technical, and professional skills while building a portfolio of work that demonstrates their growth.
Students complete five core program requirements and select at least four elective experiences aligned with their interests. ITWS students can use the program to extend technical coursework through undergraduate research, the James Student-Managed Investment Fund, building and deploying AI systems and digital products, open-source contributions, cybersecurity and technology consulting engagements, study abroad, entrepreneurship, corporate engagement, community service, professional certifications, and more. Relevant internships, research, major projects, and approved co-curricular work may count when they meet program standards.
Every Scholar completes a capstone and presents their work at the Lally Scholars Symposium. At graduation, the school issues a verified Achievement Record signed by the Dean and designed to show employers and graduate programs what the student actually accomplished.
In addition to their academic transcript, Scholars receive a verified Lally Scholars Achievement Record that documents their experiential learning, leadership roles, major projects, and professional accomplishments. The record provides employers and graduate schools with a fuller picture of each student's experience beyond the classroom.
Career Tracks
Career tracks help students connect their interests to a concrete professional goal. Tech-facing tracks include Product Management and Technology Strategy, AI and Data Leadership, Cybersecurity Strategy and Risk, Technology Consulting and Solutions Engineering, Digital Product and User Experience, Technology Entrepreneurship, FinTech and Quantitative Systems, Investment Management, Strategy and Consulting, and Global Business, and Software, Cloud, and Digital Systems. Each track recommends an in-depth elective, supporting experiences, a professional milestone, and a capstone option. Tracks are optional; they do not replace the ITWS curriculum; they help students build on it and show how their experiences fit together. Students may follow one, combine two, or design an individualized pathway.
Choose where to start
Learn how the program works, what Scholars experience, who is eligible, and how the Lally Scholars Achievement Record turns real work into a verified credential.
How it works
Start with five shared commitments, choose your own path, present your capstone, and graduate with a verified record of real work.
Recruit Lally Scholars
Meet a selective community of proven students, review verified records of real work, and connect with candidates ready to contribute.
Achievement Record
See how the Lally Scholars Achievement Record documents completed experiences, developed competencies, and evidence employers can trust.
Signature Experiences
Explore how Scholars build experience where business meets technology: investments, AI, research, leadership, and what comes next.
Who is eligible?
Open to Lally undergraduate and dual-major students, the program offers two ways to earn your place: invitation at admission or application from within Lally.
Frequently asked questions
The Lally Scholars Program is different from a traditional honors label. It is an experiential distinction earned through substantial work and verified by the school. Grades matter, but the program is built around applied experiences, leadership, research, AI, investing, service, and a final capstone.
Strong admitted students may receive an invitation from the Dean with their offer of admission. There is no additional application fee for invited students.
Yes. Current sophomores and juniors in Lally with a 3.4 GPA may apply each January through the internal pathway.
Students need a 3.4 GPA to confirm or apply for Scholar status and must maintain a 3.4 cumulative GPA to remain in good standing.
Lally Scholars complete an AI Academy sprint, join the Scholars Society, take on a leadership or engagement role, complete a professional milestone, complete a capstone, and choose at least four elective engagements. These may include faculty research, the James Student-Managed Investment Fund, building and shipping a digital product, contributing to open-source software, conducting supervised security assessments for local organizations, completing a client project, study abroad, entrepreneurship, corporate immersion, case competitions, community outreach, pro bono consulting, and more.
The Achievement Record is an official, verified credential issued by the Lally School of Management. It documents the Scholar’s completed experiences, outcomes, and competencies. It is designed to help employers and graduate schools understand what the student actually did.
The program is open to Lally undergraduate majors, ITWS majors, and Lally dual majors.
Yes. Several tracks are built for technology careers, including product management, AI and data, cybersecurity, technology consulting, digital product and UX, and fintech. Tech recruiting runs on evidence, and the program is designed to produce it: a product you shipped, tooling a real client adopted, a certification that matches the posting, all documented in a verified Achievement Record. If you already build systems in your coursework, the tracks add the other half of hybrid roles like product management and solutions engineering: commercial judgment, leadership, client work, and mentorship from people in the roles you want.
The Lally Scholars Program launches in the 2026 to 2027 academic year.
