Academic Honors

Students with exceptional academic performance may be recognized in the following ways at the university level.

Scholastic Honor Societies

The following scholastic honor societies recognize outstanding academic performance for undergraduates at the Junior level and above and graduate students:

• Phi Beta Kappa, Outstanding students majoring in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Sciences, basic science departments in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Department of Economics in the Poole College of Management are eligible for election based on their academic achievements.
• Phi Kappa Phi, Outstanding students from all majors are eligible for election to membership in Phi Kappa Phi, the University’s most prestigious campus-wide scholastic honor society. Students are invited to join based on their academic achievements.

Semester Dean’s List

A full-time undergraduate student, who earns a semester average of (a) 3.5 or better on 12 to 14 credit hours of course work for which grade points are earned; or (b) 3.25 or better on 15 or more credit hours of course work for which grade points are earned shall be placed on the Dean’s List for that semester.  Students are not eligible for the Dean’s List in any semester in which they receive an F, U, or IN grade.  When IN grades are resolved, however, students who are otherwise eligible shall be added retroactively to the Dean’s List for that semester.  Dean’s List recognition shall be noted on the student’s semester grade report and permanent academic record.

Graduation with Honors

Undergraduate degree honor designations are:

• Cum Laude- for GPA 3.25 through 3.499
• Magna Cum Laude- for GPA 3.5 through 3.749
• Summa Cum Laude- for GPA 3.75 and above

To be eligible for degree honor designations students must have completed at least two semesters and at least 30 credit hours at NC State.

REG 02.30.01 - Academic Honors is available to view in full on the University's Policies, Regulations and Rules website.