Academic Recognition

Honors Program

Each academic department may offer several discipline-related honors plans to provide intellectual stimulus and professional development while awarding special recognition. Some plans provide a broad experience of inter-related study. Others emphasize intensive study of a single subject.

The academic Department Chair will serve as administrator for their program student majors interested in pursuing the Honors Program. The Department Chair has fundamental responsibility of admitting their student majors into the program based on the program application and consultation with the recommending faculty member. The academic department will notify the Office of Vice President and Chief Academic Officer of all students accepted into an Honors Program.

For a current listing of disciplines with honors credit, please visit the Honors Program section of the Del Mar College website (https://delmar.edu/current-students/honors-program.html).

Reasonable progression towards the completion of a plan, with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, is required in the Program. Re-admittance in the Program is possible for extenuating circumstances.

Honors Courses

Honors courses are available to every student continuing in the Honors Program and who has met the prerequisites for the standard course and the honors component. Most employers and university faculty equate honors credits with challenged, enriched study. Therefore, the honors component of any course must have amplified substance and elevated prerequisites beyond those of the standard course. Assessment levels of R3, E3, and M3 are recommended for all honors courses.

Honors Program Learning Contract

The academic Department Chair over the program student major interested in the Honors Program provides the learning contract to current and prospective honors students. To receive honors credit, you must enroll in a standard class and, after the semester starts, sign a learning contract with the instructor for the honors component of the course. Credit for honors will be awarded at the end of the semester, after the course project grade of “A” or “B” has been registered and completion of the honors contract has been verified by the academic Department Chair. The completed contract will be submitted to the Office of the Vice President and Chief Academic Officer. An “H” indicates honors credit on transcripts.

Honors Designation on Transcript

If you have completed the requirements of your selected honors plan at the time of graduation and if you have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, you will receive special designation on your official transcript.

Honors List

If you are enrolled for and complete 6 or more semester hours of college-level coursework and earn a grade point average of 3.5 or more on your semester grades, your name will be included on the Honors List. Developmental courses beginning with the number zero are not considered in Honors List calculations.

President’s Honors List

If you are enrolled for and complete 6 or more semester hours of college-level coursework and earn a grade point average of 4.0 on your semester grades, your name will be included on the President’s List. Developmental courses beginning with the number zero are not considered in President’s List calculations.

Graduation with Honors List

If your cumulative GPA falls within a specific range at the end of the semester but prior to the commencement ceremony, you will be recognized at said commencement ceremony, and the honors designation will be noted on your transcript.

The following Honors Designations table displays the grade point average ranges required to graduate with a corresponding honors designation.