Graduation Honors

Excerpt from the University Catalog ...

Graduation cum laude or magna cum laude is possible from those divisions of Western Washington University which employ the A-F grading system: College of Business and Economics, College of Fine and Performing Arts, College of Humanities and Social Sciences*, Huxley College of the Environment, College of Sciences and Technology, Woodring College of Education. Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies, which employs a different grading system, may develop alternate ways to honor outstanding graduates, subject to approval of the Academic Coordinating Commission.

The Graduate School does not confer graduation honors on graduate students although some graduate programs recognize meritorious graduate students.

To be eligible for cum laude or magna cum laude status upon graduation, the student must have earned at least 90 credits from Western Washington University, at least 65 of which must be for courses completed under the A-F grading system while in junior or senior standing. Only students who earn a first bachelor's degree are eligible for graduation honors.

Within each division which awards cum laude or magna cum laude status upon graduation, the determining factor in granting such distinction shall be based on the honors grade average. The honors grade average is computed using only the grades earned at Western Washington University after the quarter in which the student attains junior standing, but excluding grades in courses subsequently repeated and excluding all grades earned prior to approval of a “fresh start” grading average .

Magna cum laude shall be awarded to each student whose honors grade average places him or her at the 97th percentile or higher among graduating seniors during the previous academic year. Cum laude shall be awarded to each student whose honors grade average places him or her from the 92nd through 96th percentiles among graduating seniors during the previous academic year.

To receive honors recognition at Western's commencement exercises, it is necessary for a student to have qualified for honors by the end of the quarter prior to graduation.

The Honors Grade Averages necessary to be awarded graduation honors in the 2012-2013 academic year are available online.

Graduation Honors GPA Calculation

1. Run an Academic History (not Academic Transcript) on Web4U.
2. Find the first quarter the Class (Cls) is :JR (Junior).
3. Determine if you are eligible for consideration for honors - by the time you graduate, you must have 90 credits at WWU and 65 of them must be taken during the junior and senior years and all 65 must be graded A-F (not S/U or P/NP).

If you are eligible:

4. Add all credits graded A-F.
5. Add all quality points (Qpts).
6. Divide total of quality points by total of credits.
7. If you are still in school, you will have to estimate the grades you expect to receive in remaining coursework.

Note: For commencement purposes, the honors GPA at the end of the quarter prior to commencement is used to determine if honors will be announced. Final calculations for honors determination will be after all grades are received for the quarter the degree is awarded.