Latin Honors

Latin Honors

Latin Honors are awarded as a recognition of academic excellence in coursework taken over the duration of a student’s entire undergraduate academic career at UMBC. To be eligible for Latin Honors, students must have earned at least 60 graded credit hours at UMBC (excluding Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory and Audit grades). Up to 6 credits of Pass/Fail grades will be counted towards the 60-credit hour minimum.  The GPA requirements for Latin Honors are as follows:

  • Summa cum laude (“With highest honor”): Students graduating with a GPA between 3.95 and 4.0.
  • Magna cum laude (“With high honor”): Students graduating with a GPA between 3.75 and 3.9499.
  • Cum laude (“With honor”): Students graduating with a GPA between 3.5 and 3.7499.

Calculation of Latin Honors

For purposes of being recognized with Latin Honors, GPA and credit calculations are determined as follows:

  • For commencement purposes, in-progress coursework that is being taken on a regular graded method and up to 6 credits on a Pass/Fail graded method (excluding Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory and Audit grades) will be counted toward the 60 UMBC credit requirement, but not toward the GPA requirement.
  • For May degree conferral, GPA calculations are based upon coursework completed through the end of the prior winter session.
  • For August degree conferral, GPA calculations are based upon coursework completed through the end of the prior spring semester.
  • For December degree conferral, GPA calculations are based upon coursework completed through the end of the prior summer session.

While students may be provisionally recognized with Latin Honors at the time of the applicable commencement ceremony in May or December and in the commencement program (refer to Eligibility for Undergraduate Commencement Participation), the official determination of Latin Honors occurs after the commencement ceremony, once final semester grades have been submitted and calculated. The diploma of the University and the final official transcript are the only documents that officially award Latin Honors at the time the degree is conferred by the University.