Graduation from the Honors Program and Graduation with "Distinction"

There is often confusion about the relationship between graduation from the Honors Program and the recognition of academic "distinction" at graduation. In fact, these are different types of recognition although some activities associated with them, specifically the thesis, create a relationship.

1. Graduation from the Honors Program requires that a student complete Program requirements that include the submission of an Honors research project, either a thesis or other approved creative activity. Information about the research project is contained in our Thesis Handbook (available in the Honors Office). The deadline for completion of your research project is generally two weeks before your graduation BUT you must submit a thesis completion form to the Honors Program Office signed by your faculty mentor approximately one month before graduation.
   
   Completion of Program requirements earns the student a special notation on the university diploma, recognition at Commencement, and a statement on the academic transcript indicating that Honors program requirements have been met.
   
   
2. Recognition at Commencement that the student is graduating with "distinction", "high distinction", or "highest distinction", is an award made exclusively by the student´s college. Both Honors Program students and all other students are eligible for this recognition. Each college sets its own criteria for these levels of recognition. Be sure to consult your college advising office to access information about your college´s criteria. But be aware that the distinction recognitions are totally separate from your completion of Honors Program requirements (although most Honors Program graduates will also earn some level of distinction from their college.)
   
   
3. Some confusion regarding Honors Program and the college´s "distinction" "recognition" stems from the fact that several colleges require the student to submit a thesis in order to qualify for consideration for "highest distinction" (the case of Arts and Sciences, Journalism, Fine and Performing Arts). Students generally use the same research project to satisfy the Honors Program thesis requirement and the college´s thesis requirement. However, the colleges develop their own procedures and set their own deadlines for submission of the thesis and these procedures and deadlines are different from the Honors Program procedures and deadlines. Honors Program students who wish to submit their thesis for college "distinction" purposes should follow the college´s procedures and deadlines. The deadline for thesis completion set by the colleges is EARLIER than the Honors Program thesis completion deadline; to meet the earlier deadline means that the student will have completed the thesis requirement before the later Honors Program deadline.