Graduation with Honors
Honors are awarded to WSU graduates whose academic record - as reflected by their grade point average (GPA) - illustrates significant academic achievement.  To qualify for Graduation with Honors a student must meet the following requirements:

• Students receiving a baccalaureate degree must complete 30 credits in residence during their junior and senior years (i.e., a minimum of 30 credits of WSU courses).
• Students receiving an AA degree must complete 16 credits in residence.
• Achieve a minimum GPA of 3.25 (3.60 effective Spring 2009) for all WSU coursework.
• Achieve an overall GPA - includes college level transfer work - of 3.25 (3.60 effective Spring 2009).

Students who do not meet all of the above requirements are not eligible for Honors.  Also note that all GPAs are truncated and not rounded (e.g., 3.2499 is truncated to 3.24).

Examples for December 2008 Graduation:
Student has a 3.24 WSU GPA and a 4.00 Transfer GPA, WSU GPA is too low to qualify for honors.
Student has a 3.25 WSU GPA and a 3.24 Transfer GPA, combined GPA is too low to qualify for honors.
Student has a 4.00 WSU GPA and a 3.00 Transfer GPA, student may qualify if overall GPA is above 3.25.
Student has a 3.25 WSU GPA and a 3.25 Transfer GPA, student qualifies for honors.
 
Honors Standards through Fall 2008
Cum Laude    Overall GPA between 3.250 and 3.499
Magna Cum Laude   Overall GPA between 3.500 and 3.749
Summa Cum Laude   Overall GPA between 3.750 and 4.000
 
Honors Standards effective Spring 2009
Cum Laude               Overall GPA between 3.600 and 3.749
Magna Cum Laude    Overall GPA between 3.750 and 3.899
Summa Cum Laude   Overall GPA between 3.900 and 4.000

Provisional (Commencement) Honors.  Honors recognition for the Commencement ceremony is based on the provisional determination of honors.  This determination is made based on coursework completed prior to the term for which the student has applied to graduate.  Provisional honors include any faculty grade changes for prior coursework on record at the midterm deadline of the graduation term (see academic calendar).  Students should also be aware that provisional honors also include administrative conversions (Is and IPs to Fs) from prior terms on record following the midterm conversion deadline.  Any faculty grade changes from prior terms recorded after the midterm deadline are not used to determine provisional honors.

Students who have not filed a Graduation Application prior to the published midterm date of their graduation term are not eligible for provisional honors.  However, all graduating students will be reviewed for final honors.

Example: Student A applies two terms prior to the spring term in which he or she chooses to graduate.  A grade change is recorded prior to the midterm deadline of the graduation term.  The grade change is used to determine provisional honors. Student B does the same but the grade change is recorded after the midterm deadline.  The grade change is not used in the determination of provisional honors but is used for final honors.

Final Honors.  Final honors are determined for all graduates after Commencement and include all undergraduate coursework based on the standards and requirements above.  A student’s honors status may change after the determination of final honors.  Final honors are posted on the student’s transcript. 

Last Modified: Friday, November 13, 2009 9:05