Latin honors are honors conferred at graduation on students who participate in the department's honors program. Latin honors are noted on students' diplomas and transcripts and in the commencement program at graduation.
Students are awarded Latin honors—cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude—based on the range and quality of their coursework as well as an independent study project completed with the professor of their choice.
Who is eligible?
Students with a 3.5 GPA in English and a 3.25 overall GPA are eligible.
When should I apply?
Students should contact Jeff Franklin, Honors Director, in their junior year. Honors projects or essays can be done either semester of the senior year. Writing majors are encouraged (but aren't required) to do their projects as expansions of one of the following courses:
- ENGL 4990, Senior Writing Project in Creative Writing or Film or
- ENGL 4995, Senior Writing Project
What is required?
Honors Projects or Essays
The Honors Director must verify your GPA and approve your honors proposal before you can proceed. After you have been approved, meet with your honors advisor, the faculty member you have chosen as your mentor, to agree on the direction of the project, the reporting schedule, and the final product. The honors advisor should be a faculty member with whom you have worked. Often students choose to develop for honors an essay, project or manuscript begun during a course. Write a one-paragraph proposal for your project or essay in consultation with your honors advisor. Projects or essays may be done in literature, professional writing, creative writing, rhetoric or film.
Examples of previous projects and essays are available in the English Department office.
Registration
English majors register for ENGL 4720, Honors Essay. English Writing majors register for ENGL 4740, Honors Project. To register, pick up a special processing form from the English Department. Your honors advisor signs your special processing form. Take the form to NC 4002 for the dean's signature. Students receive 1-3 credits for Honors. The number of credits has no bearing on the level of honors awarded.
Honors Defense
Students submit their honors project or essay to their honors advisor and one other full-time faculty member chosen by the student. After both professors have read the project or essay, the student presents a short defense of their project or essay. Students must bring an unoffical copy of their transcripts to the exam. Honors are awarded immediately and reported to the honors director by the honors advisor. Students prepare one clean, bound copy of the project or essay and present it to the honors advisor. The cover sheet must have name, date, course number, honors advisor's name, and project or essay title on it.
Note: Deadlines for Completion
The graduation program will list "honors pending" unless the project and defense are completed by Nov. 10 (for fall semester) or April 10 (for spring).
Additional Information
Additional information about Latin honors may be obtained from:
Jeff Franklin, Associate Professor
Office: 1061 Ninth Street Park, Room 102
Phone: 303-556-4026
E-mail: Jeff.Franklin@ucdenver.edu