Honors & Awards

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Inclement Weather: February 25, 2026

All classes starting prior to 11 a.m. will be remote. Classes after 11 a.m. will be in person. Non-essential staff should work remote until 11 a.m. then report to campus as scheduled.

More Information

Undergraduate

Latin Graduation Honors

Upon graduation, students who complete the undergraduate program of study with the following cumulative GPAs are eligible for these honors:

  • Summa Cum Laude 3.8 or better
  • Magna Cum Laude 3.6 to 3.79
  • Cum Laude 3.5 to 3.59

Honor cords are not distributed for Latin Honors.

Transfer students must complete at least 60 credits for a bachelor’s degree or 30 credits for an associate’s degree in residence at Sacred Heart University to be eligible to graduate with honors.

If a May 2026 graduate receives Latin honors, it will be announced at graduation and noted on the student’s transcript and diploma. Please note that for purposes of announcing Latin honors at the graduation ceremony, the honors will be calculated as of the end of the fall 2025 semester. For purposes of notation on the diploma and transcript, they will be calculated as of the end of the spring 2026 semester.

Gold & Silver Medals of Excellence

The Academic Awards recognize outstanding academic achievement among graduating students from each baccalaureate degree major within each college across the University. The Gold Medal of Excellence is presented to the student who attains the highest cumulative grade point average (GPA) in their college, while the Silver Medal of Excellence is awarded to the student with the second-highest cumulative GPA. These awards honor sustained excellence in scholarship and academic performance. The minimum GPA for both the gold and silver is 3.8. In the event of a tie, additional factors will be considered to identify one award winner for each of the gold and silver medals of excellence.

Graduate

Honors Designation for Graduating Graduate Students

Latin Honors are not awarded to graduate students. The following represents the criteria for awarding the honor’s designation for graduate students at the time of their graduation:

  • Students must be in top 20% of the graduating group within the degree program
  • Students must have obtained at least a 3.7 QPR
  • Students must have engaged in significant work (e.g., thesis, major project, course paper, etc.) that makes a recognized and documented contribution to the field of discipline
  • A recommendation that an honor’s designation be granted must be sent to the program director by a faculty member concerning the student’s work
  • Endorsement by the program director of the faculty member’s recommendation and a recommendation for the award to the dean of the college

If a student receives academic honors, it will be announced at graduation and noted on the student’s transcript and diploma.

Gold & Silver Medals of Excellence

The Academic Awards recognize outstanding academic achievement among graduating students within each college across the University. The Gold Medal of Excellence is presented to the student who attains the highest cumulative grade point average (GPA) in their college, while the Silver Medal of Excellence is awarded to the student with the second-highest cumulative GPA. These awards honor sustained excellence in scholarship and academic performance. The minimum GPA for both the gold and silver is 3.8. In the event of a tie, additional factors will be considered to identify one award winner for each of the gold and silver medals of excellence.