Engineering Honors Distinctions

There are three different ways to graduate with an Honors designation on an engineering diploma. Each Honors pathway has a unique set of requirements and results in a different designation. The three pathways are:

  • Honors Research Distinction
  • Honors Contract
  • Latin Honors

The requirements and diploma designations for each of these pathways are described below.

  • Honors Research Distinction (HRD) – earns diploma designation of graduating “with Honors Research Distinction” in the department in which research was performed. Students must maintain a 3.4 CPHR or higher and will be required to complete undergraduate research under the supervision of a faculty advisor, write a senior thesis, and pass an oral defense of their work. To earn HRD, students must be honors-designated and complete honors research activities. To better understand the requirements along with detailed instructions, and deadlines for earning HRD, students should review the Honors and Undergraduate Research webpage.
  • Honors Contract – earns diploma designation of graduating “with Honors in Engineerng”. Students must maintain a 3.4 CPHR or higher and requires careful planning throughout your entire college experience to ensure that you attain experiences that develop your skills in academic coursework, investigational studies, and community leadership. To better understand the requirements along with instructions and deadlines, students should review the Honors Contract webpage.
  • Latin Honors – earns diploma designation of graduating “Cum Laude”, “Magna Cum Laude”, or “Summa Cum Laude”.  Students only need to graduate with a cumulative CPHR of 3.5 or higher. Students do not need to have Honors status or complete an Honors Contract to earn this distinction. There is no application process, and the designation will appear automatically on the diploma for those that meet the GPA requirements below:
    • Summa Cum Laude: CPHR of 3.900 to 4.000
    • Magna Cum Laude: CPHR of 3.700 to 3.899
    • Cum Laude: CPHR of 3.500 to 3.699

Students can graduate with any combination of Honors diploma designations so long as they meet the criteria for each one. For example, students who pursue Honors Research Designation can also do the Honors Contract, but are not required to do so.