:: Honors at Graduation
:: College Honors
:: Dean's Honors
:: Departmental Honors Programs
:: National College Honorary Societies
Academic Excellence Award
Also known as "completing the honors program," the Academic Excellence Award is awarded to College Honors Program students who take the required number of honors units at UCSB with a grade of B or better, fulfill the service requirement, and graduate with an overall UC GPA of at least 3.50.
Honors Unit and service requirements are as follows:
HONORS UNITS
| CATEGORY | TOTAL REQUIRED | UPPER-DIVISION REQUIRED | SERVICE HOURS REQUIRED |
| REGULAR/HONORS AT ENTRANCE | 36 | 20 | 20 10 in each of last 2 years |
| Requirements for students admitted to the honors program after matriculation, or for first year students admitted into the program upon admission to UCSB. | |||
| HONORS AT TRANSFER | 20 | 20 | 20 10 in each of last 2 years |
| Requirements for transfer students who are admitted to the honors program at the time of admission to UCSB. | |||
| UC EAP PARTICIPANTS | 28 | 12 | 10 |
| Requirements for students who participate in a YEAR-LONG UC EAP program. | |||
| THREE YEAR GRADUATES | 28 | 20 | 10 |
| Requirements for first-year students admitted to the honors program who graduate in three years. | |||
In order to receive the Academic Excellence Award, you must file a petition with the honors program during the first two weeks of your final quarter at UCSB. Announcement of Candidacy for Completion of the College Honors Program forms are available in the College office (1117 Cheadle), or you can download a blank copy (PDF) of the form here.
The Academic Excellence Award is noted on recipients' transcripts and in the Commencement program, and recipients receive a certificate from the College of Letters and Science.
Honors at Graduation
Honors at graduation are awarded to the top 20 percent of graduating students who complete 76 or more letter-graded University of California units, as follows:
- Highest Honors - Top 2.5 percent
- High Honors - Next 6 percent
- Honors - Next 11.5 percent
Please visit the Office of the Registrar's website for grade-point average thresholds for the current academic year.
Honors at Graduation are automatically awarded by the University based on the criteria above. You do not need to file any separate paperwork to receive Honors at Graduation if you are eligible. Honors at Graduation is noted on diplomas and transcripts, and in the Commencement program.
top ^College Honors
College Honors are awarded to graduating students in the College of Letters and Science who have completed 135 or more letter-graded University of California units with a GPA of 3.85 or higher.
College Honors are automatically awarded by the College of Letters and Science based on the criteria above. You do not need to file any separate paperwork to receive College Honors if you are eligible. College Honors is noted on transcripts and the Commencement program, and recipients receive a certificate from the College of Letters and Science.
top ^Dean's Honors
Dean's Honors are granted at the end of each quarter to all students who have earned a GPA of 3.75 or higher on 12 or more letter-graded units for the quarter, with no NP grades. Dean's Honors are noted on transcripts.
If you have an update to your record for a quarter and feel your are now eligible for Dean's Honors, please submit a Dean's Honors Update Request form to the College office (1117 Cheadle Hall).
top ^Departmental Honors Programs
Most departments offer senior honors programs to provide undergraduates with the opportunity for research and independent study in their major field. Students are normally selected for senior honors programs at the end of their junior year.
Participation in a senior honors program involves the design and completion of an original research project or senior thesis. Students who complete the project or thesis with distinction are eligible for nomination by the department for the award of Distinction in the Major. Courses taken as part of a departmental senior honors program are automatically applied toward participation in and completion of the College Honors Program.
Students enrolled in departmental senior honors programs receive library privileges equivalent to those of graduate students, and are also eligible to apply for research funding through the office of Undergraudate Research and Creative Activities, College of Letters and Science.
Click here for a list of departments offering senior honors programs. For more information about each program, contact the department or refer to the General Catalog.
top ^National College Honorary Societies
In addition to the College of Letters and Science Honors Program, UCSB also hosts chapters of national honors societies. While not directly tied to Letters and Science, these societies have continually been reinforced by the participation of students from the honors program.
Click here for more details on each of these National Honorary Societies.
Download an informational sheet (PDF) on the National Honorary Societies.
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