Baccalaureate Honors
On this page
- GPA Requirements
- Honor Cord for Commencement
Baccalaureate honors are awarded at graduation to undergraduates earning their first bachelor’s degree with at least 90 UW credits, including 60 numerically graded credits. Distance Learning courses count towards baccalaureate honors. Dean’s List recognition does not guarantee baccalaureate honors.
GPA Requirements (Autumn 2024-Summer 2025)
| Program | Cum Laude* | Magna Cum Laude* | Summa Cum Laude* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | 3.80 | 3.89 | 3.97 |
| Educational Studies | 3.97 | 3.98 | 4.00 |
| Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences | 3.93 | 3.98 | 4.00 |
| Interactive Media Design | 3.87 | 3.95 | 3.99 |
| Nursing and Health Studies** | 3.98 | 3.99 | 4.00 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (includes Computer Science and Software Engineering and Earth System Science) | 3.87 | 3.95 | 3.99 |
*Students must also earn 90 matriculated credits in residence at the UW and at least 60 credits must be graded. Summa Cum Laude is the top 0.5%, Magna Cum Laude is the next 3%, and Cum Laude is the next 6.5%.
**RN to BSN students do not earn enough UW credits to qualify for Baccalaureate Honors
The GPAs for baccalaureate honors are set each year for the following year (autumn through summer) by a subcommittee of the Faculty Council on Academic Standards, based on statistics for the current year provided by the Office of the University Registrar. The GPA cutoffs may be different for each of the degree programs.
Honor Cord for Commencement
For spring/summer graduates
To be eligible to wear a Baccalaureate Honor Cord during the commencement ceremony, an undergraduate student must:
- Complete 75 UW credits by the end of winter quarter, of which at least 60 are numerically graded
- Meet the cumulative GPA requirement by the end of winter quarter (see chart above)
- You may qualify to wear Faculty Honors cords if you do not meet the above Baccalaureate Honors requirements by the end of the winter quarter. Please see the Faculty Honors web page for details.