Students in the College of Arts and Sciences who have completed at least 12 credit hours of CU-Boulder course work for a letter grade in any single semester with a term GPA of 3.750 or better are included on the dean’s list and receive a notation on their transcript and a letter from the dean.
The award of honors at graduation—cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude—is determined by the Honors Program of the college and is based on several criteria, including the quality of original scholarly work. Honors are not conferred on a graduate simply by virtue of high grades. Students pursuing multiple majors or multiple degrees must complete their honors program and defend their thesis by the published deadline for the term/year in which their first major or first degree is conferred. Students intending to pursue honors must register with the Honors Program by the deadlines published on the Honors Program website. Honors requirements must be complete prior to graduation. Students “walking” in May but graduating in August must complete honors requirements, including defending the thesis, by the Honors Program deadline for May graduation. Interested students should consult the Honors Program listing in this catalog or contact the Honors Program in Norlin Library.
Students will graduate “With Distinction” if they have at least 30 credit hours completed at the University of Colorado Boulder and have a grade point average of 3.750 or higher for all course work completed at the University of Colorado. The average includes all grades except P.
Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honor society. The CU-Boulder chapter was established in 1904. Upper-division students whose undergraduate academic records fulfill certain requirements are eligible for election to membership in recognition of outstanding scholastic achievement in the liberal arts and sciences. Students are notified by mail of their nomination; students do not apply for Phi Beta Kappa membership.