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Honors for Undergraduate Students

**The below information has been altered from the published version of the catalog. Honors for Undergraduate Students has been edited in accordance with Policy Statement 14-08. A list of differences in the online and published version of the catalog is available. **

Latin Honors

The following grade-point average (GPA) criteria are used to identify undergraduate students eligible for the honors specified:

  • Summa Cum Laude: GPA equal to or greater than 3.950,
  • Magna Cum Laude: GPA equal to or greater than 3.750 but less than 3.950, and
  • Cum Laude: GPA equal to or greater than 3.500 but less than 3.750.

Undergraduate students may be considered eligible for honors at graduation provided that a minimum of 45 units are earned at California State University, Long Beach. For the first baccalaureate degree, the GPA shall be determined from units earned at CSULB plus transferred units. For the second baccalaureate degree, the GPA shall be determined only by courses taken after the first degree was awarded that are also required by the second major. Latin Honors will be noted on the diploma and transcript.

Master's, credential, post-baccalaureate certificate, and doctoral students are not eligible for Latin honors.

University Honors Program

An undergraduate student must complete 24 credits in Honors (General Honors Plan 1-for incoming first-year students) or 15 credits in Honors (General Honors Plan II-for transfer students and continuing CSULB students) and maintain an overall GPA of 3.00 or better in Honors and in all university courses attempted to graduate from the University Honors Program. Students who successfully complete the academic requirements of the University Honors Program will be awarded a University Honors Program certificate and medallion. They will also receive the designation "General Honors – University Honors Program" on their transcript.

Honors in the Major

Departments may develop an honors curriculum in the major. The honors curriculum must contain a minimum of nine additional units. Honors in the Major are noted on the transcript.

Honor Lists

Undergraduate students exhibiting outstanding scholastic achievement are honored by being included on the President's List or Dean's List. Such recognition will be noted on the transcript each term.

    A. President's List

Students will be placed on the President's List to honor them for academic achievement each semester in which they complete 12 or more graded course units with a semester GPA equal to or greater than 3.750. Students earning fewer than 12 graded course units per semester will be placed on the President's List in the spring semester of the academic year in which they accumulate 12 or more graded course units with an academic year GPA equal to or greater than 3.750.

  • B. Dean's List

Students will be placed on the Dean's List to honor them for academic achievement each semester in which they complete 12 or more graded course units with a semester GPA equal to or greater than 3.500 but less than 3.750. Students earning fewer than 12 graded course units per semester will be placed on the Dean's List in the spring semester of the academic year in which they accumulate 12 or more graded course units with an academic year GPA equal to or greater than 3.500 but less than 3.750.

Departmental Honors

With the approval of the dean of the college, departments may elect to award departmental honors to their graduates based on GPA and/or other criteria determined by the department. The number of honors awarded by a department shall be limited to three students or five percent of graduates, whichever is larger. Departmental honors will not be noted on the transcript.


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