Honors in Course
A recognition of academic excellence, Honors in Course is a graduation distinction based on a student’s cumulative GPA and rank in the graduating class.
Honors in Course denotes high academic achievement by automatically awarding standard Latin designations on the transcripts of students who finish in the top 30% among Emory College graduates.
The Honors and Scholars Program determines the GPA ranges for the Honors in Course distinction after graduation once all grades have been posted and approved. The GPA ranges calculated from the graduating class in May are used to determine Honors in Course for any students who graduate the following summer and fall, and a new range is calculated each May for the graduating class.
Introduced in 2025, the recognition is independent of the departmental honors available through the College’s Honors Program. Students who participate in the Honors Program and defend honors theses will also be eligible to receive the Honors in Course GPA distinction. Both the Latin tag for the Honors in Course recognition and Honors with the levels at which they are awarded (i.e., “highest honors,” “high honors,” and “honors”) are documented on a student’s official transcript.
Latin Designations
| Level of Merit | Standard Designation | Class of 2026 GPAs | Class of 2025 GPAs |
|---|---|---|---|
Summa cum laude | top 5.00% | 4-3.993 | 4-3.993 |
Magna cum laude | top 5.01-15.00% | 3.992-3.961 | 3.992-3.960 |
Cum laude | top 15.01-30.00% | 3.960-3.909 | 3.959-3.900 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Students do not need to sign up or register to be considered for the Honors in Course recognition. It will automatically be added to the student’s transcripts 3-4 weeks after the end of the semester.
Honors in Course recognition will take some time to calculate and post to students’ transcripts. The calculations and GPA cutoffs for Honors in Course will be calculated after all grades for a given term have been posted and are finalized. This will typically take place 3-4 weeks after the end of each semester. Graduates who have been awarded Honors in Course will see their designation listed on their transcript 4-6 weeks after the end of the semester.
The GPA cutoff values for Honors in Course are calculated for each spring’s graduating class. These will vary from year to year. Because of the small number of August and December graduates, the preceding spring GPA cutoffs will determine whether a student receives Honors in Course for the following summer or fall.
No. Honors in Course will take time to calculate and post to students’ transcripts. We anticipate that this will occur 3-4 weeks after the fully graded date posted by the Registrar’s office.