Graduation with Honors • Honors Handbook • GPR Calculator
Graduation with Honors
Honors coursework completed by any student can lead to graduation with University Honors and/or Foundation Honors. Graduating with one or both of these distinctions will require planning by the student in conjunction with Honors Program, college, and departmental advisors. Basic requirements involve 19 Honors credit hours from the different areas of the Core Curriculum for Foundation Honors and 33-36 Honors credit hours meeting broad distributional requirements for University Honors.
If you are interested in pursuing one or both of these Honors distinctions, it is advisable to begin taking Honors courses the freshman year (first or second semester). Some students start as late as the second year and are able to meet the requirements, but it becomes more difficult as one acquires more course credit. Students should make an appointment with an Honors advisor (845-1957) during their first year so that an outline of Honors courses can be developed according to the student's field of study and interests. Honors advisors can help students understand how the requirements for Honors graduation can be tailored to fit different curricula.
Optional honors sequences in the Colleges of Business, Engineering, and Liberal Arts are open to students participating in the University Honors Program through an application process. Interested students should check with advisors in those colleges. Departmental Honors sequences are also available in the History, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Psychology, and English departments. Generally, these programs involve an opportunity to study at the Honors level in selected courses within a particular field of study and in interdisciplinary courses designed specifically for participating students. Students who take part in college-specific honors sequences are often able to gain University or Foundation Honors recognition as well. For example, an honors student entering the College of Business who plans to apply for the College of Business Honors Sequence may want to confer with Honors Program advisors to see which honors courses taken during the first year will meet requirements for both collegiate honors and the University- wide program. It is also important that students maintain contact with their departmental advisor as course selection decisions are made.
Honors Degree Audit
Students who plan to graduate with University Honors, Foundation Honors, or both should check with the Honors Program office at least every other semester to ensure proper course selection. A final check 4 to 6 months ahead of the intended date of graduation should be scheduled to allow for updates that may be necessary for the proper recognition. A student will graduate with Honors if the following criteria are met:
- All course distribution requirements are met as explained in the sections above.
- The student has an overall grade point ratio of 3.5 (3.4 for those enrolled under catalogue 126 and lower) and an overall Honors grade point ratio of 3.25 with no grade less than "C" in an Honors course.
- The candidate has completed an exit interview during his/her final semester with an Academic Advisor of the University Honors Program. Failure to do so may result in delayed recognition.
Recognition of Graduates
Graduates are recognized in the following ways:- The Honors graduate's official transcript is marked with "University Honors" or "Foundation Honors". These are two of a possible six distinctions marked on official transcripts. An explanation of this distinction is printed on the transcript.
- The name of the Honors graduate appears separately in the commencement bulletin.
- The Honors graduate wears a gold stole at the commencement ceremony and his or her Honors designation is announced as the degree is received.
- The Honors Program awards a special certificate to University Honors graduates and Foundation Honors graduates.
- Spring, Fall, and Summer graduates are honored at the tri-annual Honors Recognition Ceremony held at the end of each semester.