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Degree Honors and Distinction
Scope: Who is Covered by this Policy?
Undergraduate StudentsPolicy
General Honors
University Honors
To graduate with University Honors, a student must have completed course and program requirements of the Honors College. To achieve University Honors with Distinction, students must achieve the University Honors course and program requirements, achieve a 3.50 cumulative grade point average upon completion of the required credit hours for graduation, and complete an approved large-scale project or an intensive pre-professional experience.
Associate Degree Honors
Students pursuing an associate degree are eligible to apply for participation in the CLAAS Divisional Honors Program. Associate degree students who complete the necessary CLAAS Honors requirements will be accorded the designation, “With Distinction” and receive a certificate of recognition. Contact the Honors Program Director at Miami Hamilton or Miami Middletown for details.
Distinction
The grade point standards used for the distinction of summa cum laude approximates the average grade point average of the highest two percent of students in each academic division. The standard used for magna cum laude approximates the average grade point average of the next five highest percent of students in each academic division; and the standard used for the cum laude designation approximates the average grade point average of the next highest ten percent of students within each academic division, with typically no more than 17 percent being awarded honors within each division. Grade point averages for each distinction will be posted on Miami's One Stop Website. Once every five years, the University Registrar and Office of Provost will conduct a review of these criteria and propose a change to criteria to University Senate if needed.
Students who graduate with distinction may wear cords at commencement based upon final grades of the last semester of attendance prior to commencement, and the commencement program will reflect that they may be graduating with distinction. Actual degree honors will be recalculated to include grades from the student’s final semester and will be posted on the student’s academic record. In addition, for students who graduate with distinction, the diploma for the degree will designate the Latin Honors earned by the student. Students who earn two or more degrees from separate academic divisions receive a separate diploma for each degree. Each diploma will indicate the appropriate Latin Honors the student earned, using the criteria for Latin Honors of the academic division where each degree resides.
For graduation with distinction a student pursuing a baccalaureate degree must have earned at least 62 hours from Miami toward a baccalaureate degree or fewer than 31 hours from Miami toward an associate degree, the cumulative grade point average used at graduation to determine eligibility for honors is the lower of the following averages: (1) the average for all courses taken from Miami or (2) the combined average calculated using the grades from all college-level courses.
Degree honors are considered finalized 30 days after graduation and are not subsequently recalculated.
Course work subjected to fresh start and the course repeat policy are not used in the calculation of graduation honors. (See policy “Admission” section “Re-enrollment of Former Students”)
Department Honors—Baccalaureate Degrees
Students, whether or not designated as honors program students, may apply to complete a departmental honors program in most University departments. Interested students should see the chief departmental advisor in their major department.
Related Form(s)
Not Applicable.
Additional Resources and Procedures
Not Applicable.
FAQ
Not Applicable.
Policy Administration
Next Review Date
7/1/2023
Responsible Officer
- Provost & Executive Vice President
- Associate Provost
Legal Authority
Not Applicable.
Compliance Policy
No
Revision History
Edited July 2019, Edited January 2021; Amended May 2022
Reference ID
Student Handbook 1.11
Reviewing Bodies
Administrative