Honors are bestowed at the university as recognition of outstanding academic achievement and as a means to further encourage student success and sound scholarship. They are awarded to every undergraduate student attaining the required eligibility requirements. For some of the honors listed below, students may receive certificates of recognition or honor cords for commencement ceremonies.
Dean's List
Each academic college recognizes its finest students by naming them to the Dean's List. The students eligible for this award are full-time undergraduate students who have earned at least a 3.4 average for not less than 12 semester hours of credit in the semester just ended. This honor is only awarded at the end of fall and spring semesters. Included in the list at the end of spring term are those part-time students who have earned at least a 3.4 average and accumulated a minimum of 12 semester hours of credit combined for the fall and spring terms.
Courses with grades of I, AU, CR, CRX and PR do not count toward the minimum 12 hours requirement, but do not disqualify, as long as the student has an additional 12 hours or more of earned credit at the time of the Dean's List calculation. Students who receive grades of D, F, or NC are automatically ineligible for Dean’s List recognition.
Courses that do not count toward meeting eligibility requirements are:
- ENGL 1509, 1512, 1539, 1540
- RSS 1510 A, B, C
- MATH 1500, 1501, 1502, 1503, 1504, 1507
Courses at the 6900 level or above will count toward meeting the Dean’s List eligibility requirements.
Recipients receive a certificate from their academic college and are officially announced on the YSU Merit Page website.
President's List
The university recognizes its top students by naming them to the President's List. The students eligible for this award are full-time undergraduate students who have earned a 4.0 grade point average for not less than 12 semester hours of credit in the semester just ended. This honor is only awarded at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Included in the list at the end of spring term are those part-time students who have earned a 4.0 grade point average and accumulated a minimum of 12 semester hours of credit combined for the fall and spring terms.
Recipients receive a certificate from the Office of the President and are officially announced on the YSU Merit Page website.
Graduation Honors
Undergraduate graduation candidates who rank high scholastically are awarded graduation honors. All YSU grades will be counted in determining honors for graduation; this includes those grades deducted from accumulative totals as a result of an approved Repetition/Recalculation form and/or an approved Academic Reassessment form, etc. When calculating the GPA for graduation honors, only YSU undergraduate credit is considered; no transfer credit is included in the calculation. A student who has processed an approved Academic Forgiveness form is ineligible for graduation honors.
Honors announced at commencement exercises and/or published are preliminary and based on a calculation that includes the student's GPA as of the end of the preceding term. Final graduation honors are calculated after all grades have been submitted and reviewed. The honors recorded on students' official transcripts and diplomas may differ from those announced at the commencement ceremony.
Baccalaureate degree students:
Who have a minimum of 60 semester hours completed at YSU will be awarded Latin Honors as follows:
- Summa Cum Laude: Awarded to those who attain a grade point average of 3.8 or higher
- Magna Cum Laude: Awarded to those who attain a grade point average of less than 3.8 but not less than 3.6
- Cum Laude: Awarded to those who attain a quality point average of less than 3.6 but not less than 3.4
Who have a minimum of 30 semester hours completed at YSU but less than 60 semester hours at YSU will be awarded honors as follows:
- Highest Honors: student has earned a GPA of 3.8 or higher
- Great Honors: student has earned a GPA of less than 3.8 but not less than 3.6
- Honors: student has earned a GPA of less than 3.6 but not less than 3.4
Associate Degree Students:
Who have a minimum of 40 semester hours completed at YSU will be awarded honors as follows:
- With High Honors: student has earned a GPA of 3.7
- With Honors: student has earned a GPA of less than 3.7 but not less than 3.4
Who have a minimum of 20 semester hours completed at YSU (for Fall 2024 graduation the minimum 20 semester hour requirement will be waived) but less than 40 semester hours at YSU will be awarded honors as follows:
- Highest Honors: student has earned a GPA of 3.8 or higher
- Great Honors: student has earned a GPA of less than 3.8 but not less than 3.6
- Honors: student has earned a GPA of less than 3.6 but not less than 3.4
Other Awards and Honors
Other accolades in recognition of outstanding academic achievement and service are presented through the various colleges and departments.
Contact for Questions/Concerns
Office: Office of Academic Affairs
Location: Tod Hall
Website: https://ysu.edu/provost