The University of Iowa Honors Program
Disciplinary honor societies
National honor societies
UI and CLAS recognition for academic achievement
The University of Iowa Honors Programs
The University of Iowa Honors Program is open to all students in the College who maintain a 3.33 UI GPA. The University Honors Program offers honors seminars and practicum experiences under its own course numbers.
Departments cooperate with the University Honors Program in offering students opportunities for graduation with honors. Departments may establish higher GPA requirements for their honors programs, and most of the College's majors offer students honors sections of courses typically taken by first and second year students, honors seminars and independent projects for advanced students, and guidelines for graduation with honors in the major.
The DEO appoints a faculty member as coordinator of the departmental program, who works with the Director of the University Honors Program.
Disciplinary Honor Societies
Several CLAS departments—including Earth and Environmental Sciences, Journalism, Music, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology—sponsor chapters of national honor societies related to specific academic disciplines.
National Honor Societies
The College helps sponsor several opportunities for students to participate in national honor societies.
Phi Beta Kappa is represented on campus by the Alpha of Iowa chapter. Outstanding students who are eligible, primarily seniors, are invited to join each semester. The University also hosts two national honor societies whose criteria include scholarship, leadership, and service. These are Mortar Board (the Staff and Circle Chapter) and Omicron Delta Kappa. Students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are among those invited to apply each spring.
UI and CLAS Recognition for Academic Achievement
The University and the College recognize academic achievement every semester and at the time of graduation.
Dean's List
Students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences who achieve a grade-point average of 3.50 or higher on 12 semester hour or more of UI graded coursework during a given semester (excluding summer sessions) and who have no hours of I (incomplete) or O (no grade reported) during the same semester are recognized by inclusion on the Dean's List for that semester.
President's List
University of Iowa undergraduate students who achieve a grade point average of 4.00 on 12 semester hours or more of UI graded coursework and who have no hours of I (incomplete) or O (no grade reported) for two consecutive semesters (excluding summer sessions) are recognized by inclusion on the President's List.
Graduation with Distinction
The Office of the Registrar certifies to the dean of the college the names of students eligible to graduate with distinction. The College awards degrees "with highest distinction" to students in the highest 2 percent of the graduating class, "with high distinction" to students in the next highest 3 percent, and "with distinction" to the next highest 5 percent. Ranking is based on students' grade point averages for all college level study undertaken before the final registration.
To be eligible for graduation with distinction, students must complete a minimum of 60 s.h. in residence in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, of which at least 45 must have been completed before the student's final registration.