Recognition of Academic Achievement

[1] Awards and Honors

Dean’s List and Presidential Scholar honors are based on grades earned during each semester of the regular academic year (fall, spring).

Presidential Scholars. To qualify for Presidential Scholar honors in a given semester, a student must earn a 4.00 grade point average on a minimum of twelve hours of undergraduate degree credit with no incomplete (X) grades.

Dean’s List. To qualify for the Dean’s List in a given semester, a student must earn a 3.50 or higher grade point average on a minimum of twelve hours of undergraduate degree credit with no incomplete (X) grades.

Outstanding Students. Each year an outstanding student will be selected by each college. Each college sets its own criteria and procedures for this selection. In general, these students are expected to be above average scholastically and to have demonstrated exceptional leadership ability and rendered active service to the university through their activities. The university’s outstanding students are recognized at the appropriate commencement service. This recognition requires a minimum of 60 hours in residence.

Honors Graduates. A student earning a bachelor’s degree may be recognized as an honor graduate in one of the following categories of praise – summa cum laude, magna cum laude, or cum laude. This recognition requires a minimum of 60 hours in residence. Below are the grade point averages used to determine graduation with “Latin honors,” effective with the Spring 2018 term. For GPA-rules used in earlier terms, see the 2016-2017 Undergraduate Bulletin.

[2] UCA Honors Programs

The University of Central Arkansas recognizes its responsibility to provide special opportunities for highly able and motivated students and provides two separate honors programs – the Honors in the Majors Program and the Norbert O. Schedler Honors College.

[2.1] Honors in the Majors Program

Upon completion of 72 hours (with twelve hours in the major), a student may be invited by the faculty of a department to enter its Honors in the Majors program. To be eligible for the invitation, a student must have at least a 3.00 grade point average overall and in the major. A student must complete any appropriate departmental course (or equivalent activity), and submit written evidence of the research paper, project, performance, or presentation no later than the last day of instruction for the semester in which the student will graduate. Individual departments may establish additional or more rigorous requirements at their discretion. See the department’s description in this bulletin and consult the department chair. Before the end of the third full week of the semester in which the student intends to graduate, the student must submit a completed Honors in the Majors form to the Registrar. Download the form here: form link.

The following departments/programs, listed alphabetically by college, offer Honors in the Majors programs. Links are to further information on the department’s page in this bulletin.

College of Business

College of Education

College of Fine Arts and Communication

College of Health and Behavioral Sciences

College of Liberal Arts

College of Natural Science and Mathematics

[2.2] Norbert O. Schedler Honors College

In addition to Honors in the Majors Programs, the university has an Honors College for highly able and motivated students. A student admitted into the Honors College fulfills certain UCA Core requirements during the freshman and sophomore years in specially designed classes that are interdisciplinary, limited in enrollment, and characterized by experiential pedagogies. Following the sophomore year, students may enter into a minor in interdisciplinary studies in the Schedler Honors College.

The minor curriculum consists of fifteen hours of Honors Interdisciplinary Studies coursework. At the center of the curriculum is undergraduate scholarship. In the Oxford Tutorial a student works one-on-one with a faculty mentor, and in the Honors College Thesis Project the student produces a capstone project presents it publicly. The student will designate by the end of Oxford Tutorial one of two options for the Honors College Thesis Project: (1) it may be an interdisciplinary thesis housed in the Honors College; (2) it may be an Honors in the Majors thesis project that satisfies the Honors College Thesis requirement. Students pursuing the latter option will proceed through the department’s specified thesis process for that major, including enrolling in any required, honors-related coursework in the major department. In order to be awarded the Minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies, Honors College students must also complete the Senior Honors Thesis Project course.

In addition to special instruction, there is an Honors Center which provides a special place for students to meet and share ideas, and a specially designated residence hall, Farris Honors Hall. The atmosphere and co-curricular programming in the Honors Center and Farris Honors Hall reinforce the learning and relationships developed through the Schedler Honors College. Application to Farris Honors Hall is through the Housing and Residence Life department. Assignments are based on first-come, first-received housing deposits. Those students who have been accepted into the Honors College, at the time of housing assignments, will be placed in Farris Honors Hall based on space availability. See the Schedler Honors College section in this bulletin for more information.

[3] Recognition of Honors Graduates

Students completing the Honors in the Majors Program or the Honors College minor in Interdisciplinary Studies will receive special recognition at graduation.

[4] Scholastic Societies

Students with intellectual and professional interests have founded scholastic societies, both general and specialized in purpose. The following are representative national organizations:

Alpha Chi (Scholarship)
Alpha Kappa Delta (Sociology)
Alpha Psi Omega (Theatre)
Beta Alpha Psi (Accounting)
Beta Gamma Sigma (Business)
Gamma Beta Phi (Scholarship/Service)
Gamma Theta Upsilon (Geography)
Eta Sigma Gamma (Health Education)
Kappa Delta Pi (Education)
Lambda Pi Eta (Communication)
Pi Kappa Delta (Forensics)
Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science)
Sigma Pi Sigma (Physics)
Sigma Theta Tau (Nursing)
Sigma Tau Delta (English)
Tau Kappa Alpha (Journalism)
Phi Alpha Theta (History)
Phi Delta Kappa (Education)
Phi Sigma Tau (Philosophy)
Phi Upsilon Omicron (Family and Consumer Sciences)
Psi Chi (Psychology)