Earning the Honors Medallion

There are two ways of earning an Honors Medallion: 1) by completing 18 honors points, which are typically honors credit hours earned through course work, to become an Honors Finisher; or 2) by completing an Honors in the Major, both of which are described below. These distinctions are noted on your transcript and during the semester you graduate you are given an Honors Medallion at a special ceremony. The medallion may be worn during commencement exercises.

Honors Finisher: Students who are considered to have finished the Honors Program have the phrase "Completed Requirements of Liberal Studies Honors Program" noted on their transcripts.
To become an “ honors finisher” and have this distinction on your transcript, students must earn eighteen (18) honors points, which are usually honors credits earned through course work. These 18 honors points must include a minimum of nine (9) semester hours of honors course work (honors sections of regular courses, honors seminars, the honors colloquium, honors-augmented courses). The remainder of the eighteen (18) honors points can be earned through any combination of further honors course work including honors Directed Individual Study (DIS), graduate classes, Honors in the Major work (also known as honors thesis), and the achievements listed below.

Three of the 18 honor points for the Honors Medallion may be earned by the achievements listed below; each will be awarded one honors point. An achievement may be duplicated for an additional point but the limit is three points. For example, if a student gave two different conference presentations and completed 30 hours of HSA service and a certificate with honors, they would receive three, not four points.

• a certificate program with Honors
• a conference presentation
• Completing a Garnet and Gold Scholar Society program that includes Research as one of its components
• 30 hours of service as noted on a student’s ServScript
• Serving as a  FIG (Freshman Interest Group ) or as a UROP (Undergrad Research Opportunity)  Leader

To count toward the Honors Medallion requirements, an honors course must be completed with a grade of "C–" or better. Honors-augmented courses will be counted toward the medallion if a grade of "B–" or better is earned and the honors-augmented project is completed satisfactorily. Students using honors thesis hours toward the medallion must earn a "B–" or better.

Honors in the Major:  An Honors Medallion is also awarded to students who finish the Honors in the Major Program by completing six (6) or more credits hours of honors thesis work and successfully defending their thesis. A student who finishes 18 credit hours of honors course work that includes completion of the Honors in the Major (9-12 hours course work + 6-9 hours of thesis) is given special recognition at the awards ceremony and has both distinctions described here noted on their transcripts.