Departmental/Major Honors Programs

In an effort to provide challenging and alternative curricular options to its best undergraduates, the University has taken a revitalized interest in encouraging its academic departments and programs to offer high-quality honors programs. The main focus of the honors degree is the honors project, which is conceived as an original piece of written research or a creative project submitted in the senior year. Currently, honors programs exist in the following majors: anthropology, art (departmental studio program), art history, atmospheric science, biology, chemistry, Chinese studies, computer science (all three programs), East Asian studies (interdisciplinary), economics, English, French, geography, geology, Greek and Roman civilization, history, Italian, Japanese studies (interdisciplinary), Judaic studies, Latin American studies, linguistics, mathematics, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, Puerto Rican studies, rhetoric and communication, Russian, sociology, Spanish, theatre, and women's studies. Descriptions of these programs may be found under the academic unit offering the program.

Students who complete an honors program may receive a special honors certificate upon the recommendation of their major department.

University-wide honors are conferred at graduation. A student will be graduated: Cum Laude with an average equal to or greater than 3.25 but less than 3.50; Magna Cum Laude with an average equal to or greater than 3.50 but less than 3.75; Summa Cum Laude with an average equal to or greater than 3.75.

HONORS RESIDENCE CRITERIA:  For graduation with honors, students must have completed a minimum of 56 credits in courses for which they registered at this University, including a minimum of 40 University at Albany credits graded on the A-E basis.

IMPLEMENTATION NOTE:  These criteria apply to all undergraduates graduating in August 2000 and thereafter.

For students matriculating Fall 1997 and thereafter:  A full-time student shall be placed on the Dean's List for a particular semester if the following conditions are met: Within the award semester matriculated students must have completed at Albany a minimum of 12 graduation credits in courses graded A-E, and must have registered for those credits before the last day for adding semester courses.

The student's semester average must be 3.5 or higher for a sophomore, junior, or senior, and at least 3.25 for a freshman*, with no grade lower than a C, and with no incomplete (I) grades.

* For the purposes of this policy "freshman" is defined as a student whose admissions status is freshman and who has completed no more than two full time semesters of study in the fall or spring semester at the University at Albany.

For students matriculating before Fall 1997:  A student shall be placed on the Dean's List for a particular semester if that student has met all of the following criteria:

Within that semester the student must have completed at Albany a minimum of 12 graduation credits in courses graded A-E, and must have registered for those credits before the last day for adding semester courses. The student's semester average must be 3.25 or higher, with no grade lower than C-.

For students matriculating Fall 1997 and thereafter:  A student shall receive the Dean's Commendation for Part-Time Students for a particular semester if the student has met all of the following criteria:

A matriculated student must have completed at least 6 graduation credits at the University at Albany within the given semester in courses graded A-E and have been registered for fewer than 12 credits on the last day for adding semester courses.

The student's semester average must be 3.5 or higher for a sophomore, junior, or senior, and at least 3.25 for a freshman*, with no grade lower than C, and with no incomplete (I) grades.

* For the purposes of this policy "freshman" is defined as a student whose admissions status is freshman and who has completed no more than two full time semesters of study in the fall or spring semester at the University at Albany.

For students matriculating before Fall 1997:  A student shall receive the Dean's Commendation for Part-Time Students for a particular semester if the student has met all of the following criteria:

A matriculated student must have completed at least 6 graduation credits at the University at Albany within the given semester in courses graded A-E and have been registered for fewer than 12 credits on the last day for adding semester courses. The student's semester average must be 3.25 or higher, with no grade lower than C-.

Students compiling a distinguished academic record at University at Albany, State University of New York may be elected members of the venerable (founded 1776) honorary society, Phi Beta Kappa, in their senior year; or, if they do especially well, in their junior year. To be considered for election, students must have the following:

A major in the liberal arts and sciences, with not fewer than 90 credits of liberal work among the 120 credits needed for graduation. Liberal refers to courses offered by the College of Arts and Sciences for the purposes of degree requirements for the B.A. and B.S. degrees.

Completed at least 3 full semesters of work, or 45 credits, in residence at this University and be pursuing a program toward graduation.

Students pursuing a double major with courses combined from such fields as business, social welfare, or other professional schools may be considered for election in the semester before their expected graduation, if their course work includes at least 90 credits in the liberal arts and sciences. Consideration will be given to courses of a liberal nature, even though they may be offered outside the three colleges of arts and sciences.

The breadth of a student's program is important, as shown by the number and variety of courses taken outside the major. Students are expected to have completed some work in science and mathematics, the social and behavioral sciences, and the humanities, including a foreign language.

To encourage undergraduate scholarship and creative work, and to reward excellence and individual initiative, the University has established the Presidential Awards. The nominees for the awards will be selected on the basis of a major paper or project produced by the student in conjunction with a course or independent study, under the direction of an Albany faculty member. The project's significance will be judged in terms of its academic quality and originality.

Undergraduate and graduate students are nominated for this distinction from across the entire State University of New York. The award is presented by the Chancellor to students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and have received national or international recognition for their efforts. Recipients of this high honor have typically distinguished themselves in their academic work and in a variety of other domains including athletics, service, publication, conference presentation, or artistic performance.

For more information about the Presidential Scholarships, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Studies at 518-442-3950.

Elena Rodrigues Anderson '82 Presidential Scholarship:  Awarded to a Presidential Scholarship recipient who maintains at least a 3.25 GPA. This scholarship is renewable up to four years.

Edward Gallatin B. Hudson Presidential Scholarship:  Awarded to full-time undergraduate students who has demonstrated a strong academic record and shows financial need.

Erica '86 and Michael Olin '85 Presidential Scholarship Fund:  Awarded to an incoming freshman who has shown extraordinary academic talent and who has demonstrated a high degree of motivation. Scholarship is intended to be applied to tuition, room, rent, board and books in order to relieve recipient of the costs of their education. Renewable up to four years.

Evan Michael Zahn '82, M.D. Presidential Scholarship:  Awarded to either a junior or senior who is a member of the Presidential Honors program. This scholarship is renewable. Recipient must be committed to a health-related career, i.e., dentistry, medicine, etc.

Scholarships and awards are listed alphabetically according to their affiliation:

Membership in the following national honoraries and honor societies is available to qualified students. Interested students should contact the appropriate dean or department chair for further information.

Alpha Kappa Delta:  Alpha Kappa Delta is a national honorary society in sociology.

Alpha Phi Sigma:  Alpha Phi Sigma is the national criminal justice honor society.

Beta Gamma Sigma:  Beta Gamma Sigma is the national honor society for students of business administration and accounting.

Dobro Slovo:  Dobro Slovo is the national Slavic honor society.

Gamma Theta Upsilon:  Gamma Theta Upsilon is the International Honor Society in Geography.

Kappa Delta Pi:  is an international honor society in education.

Phi Alpha:  The Alpha Gamma Chapter of Phi Alpha is an academic honorary society for undergraduate social work/welfare majors.

Phi Alpha Theta:  The Chi Delta Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta is an international honor society in history.

Pi Delta Phi:  Pi Delta Phi is a national honor society in French. A series of scholarships are offered to members of Pi Delta Phi in a national competition.

Pi Sigma Alpha:  Pi Sigma Alpha is a national honorary society in political science.

Psi Chi:  Psi Chi is the national honor society for students in psychology.

Sigma Delta Pi:  The Eta Psi Chapter of Sigma Delta Pi is a national Spanish honorary dedicated to promoting Spanish language and culture in non-Spanish speaking countries.

Sigma Pi Sigma:  Sigma Pi Sigma is a national honor society associated with the American Institute of Physics.

Sigma Tau Delta:  Sigma Tau Delta is a national academic honor society for students of English.

Sigma Xi:  Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, is a national and international honorary for those with research achievement. Undergraduates who have completed a research project or publication of note are eligible.