Awards
Dean's List
Full-time students who complete at least sixteen* units for a letter grade in a fall or spring semester and have a semester grade point average of 3.5 or better are eligible for the Dean’s List. This honor will appear on the student’s transcript for each qualifying semester.
*First-year students taking an FYS course with S/U grading who complete at least twelve units for a letter grade in a fall or spring semester and have a semester grade point average of 3.5 or better are also eligible for the Dean’s List.
Honors in the Major
Students have opportunities to earn honors in their major(s). Each department and program has the autonomy to determine the nature and extent of requirements for students to graduate with honors in their respective fields of study.
For more details about Honors in the Major see the Programs of Instruction section of the Catalog for that major.
Honors in an Independent Pattern of Study:
Honors in an IPS may be awarded to graduating seniors who demonstrate excellence in Independent Pattern of Study coursework and in an honors thesis/project. To be eligible, students must have a 3.5 or better grade point average in courses taken for their IPS and an overall 3.25 grade point average.
Qualified students who wish to pursue Honors must consult with their IPS committee during their junior year and submit a proposal for their honors thesis/project no later than mid-term of the second semester of their junior year.
Completion of an Honors project does not in itself guarantee the conferring of Honors in an IPS.
College Honors
Students that have excelled in their coursework will be awarded College Honors. Grade point averages for College Honors are based on work completed at Occidental College and are rounded to the nearest hundredth. College Honors are awarded only upon completion of the degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree. No exceptions will be made.
Summa cum Laude: Cumulative grade point average of 3.90 or above
Magna cum Laude: Cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or above
Cum Laude: Cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or above
Study-abroad courses taken in the fall and spring and approved by the International Programs Office are considered Occidental College courses and are calculated in the GPA for honors. No transfer courses are calculated in the Occidental College GPA (study-abroad courses taken in the summer are considered transfer courses).