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GPA Based Honors

Special honors distinctions are given to students in the College of Natural Sciences based on GPA and/or class rank.

  • College Scholars distinctions are awarded at the end of each semester once a student has completed 30 credit hours.  To receive this distinctions students must rank in the top of their class based on in-residence cumulative grade point average.
  • University Honors include a semesterly honors list and graduating "With honors".  The University Honors List is compiled at the end of each semester for students who meet specific criteria including a minimum 3.50 GPA.  Graduating "With Honors" is awarded at commencement to students whose cumulative GPA is the highest among the graduating class.

College Scholars

On Honors Day each spring, the university designates outstanding students as College Scholars and Distinguished College Scholars, on the basis of registration and grade point average requirements for courses taken in residence at the University, as specified below. Students who are eligible for recognition receive invitations to the Honors Day convocation about three weeks before Honors Day.

College Scholars
To be designated a College Scholar, a student must meet all of the following requirements:

  1. The student must be registered as an undergraduate in the current semester. Students who hold an undergraduate degree or are  registered in-absentia are not eligible.
  2. The student must have completed at least thirty semester hours of coursework in residence at the University, and at least sixty semester hours of college coursework, including transferred work and credit by examination.
  3. The student must rank in the top 20% of their class in each college or school in which he or she is pursuing a major, based on in-residence cumulative grade point average.
  4. The student must have an in-residence University grade point average of at least 3.50. (Please note, this is the minimum GPA for the University-wide designation, but the actual GPA cut-off will be determined based upon the top 20% of each class. Visit the CNS Honors Day page to learn more).

Distinguished College Scholars
To be designated a Distinguished College Scholar, a student must meet all of the following requirements:

  1. The student must meet the first, second, and fourth College Scholar requirements stated above.
    2. The student also must rank in the top 4% of their class in each college or school in which they are pursuing a major, based on in-residence cumulative grade point average.

University Honors

Each semester, undergraduates who complete a full course load and earn outstanding grades are recognized by inclusion on the University Honors list.  Each time a student is included on the list, his or her official record also shows the award of University Honors for that semester.

Each time a student is included on the list, his or her official record also shows the award of University Honors for that semester. The list is compiled at the end of the fall and spring semesters but not at the end of the summer session. To be included, a student must earn at least 45 grade points, a grade point average of at least 3.50 on courses completed in residence, and must have no incomplete grades (symbol X).

Graduating "With Honors" is a designation given to undergraduates at the culmination of their academic studies at the university, and it recognizes the students whose cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) is the highest among the graduating class.

  • The top 20% of the graduating class can receive "Honors."
  • The top 10% of the graduating class can receive "High Honors."
  • The top 4% of the graduating class can receive "Highest Honors."