Undergraduate Students
Academic Honors
Honors and Dean’s Lists
To be eligible for the honors or Dean’s List, which are compiled at the end of each official grading period, a student must be a degree candidate and must have earned a minimum of 12 semester hours of credit for the preceding grading period. Of that total, at least nine semester hours must have been on a regular-graded basis. There can be no grades below C or incomplete or missing grades. Only work completed at Mary Baldwin is applicable. In addition to meeting the above requirements, the following grade point averages must have been attained during the preceding grading period:
- Honors List: 3.75 or better,
- Dean’s List: 3.50–3.74
Baldwin Honors Scholars
A student who has achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in at least 24 semester hours of graded work at Mary Baldwin University will be invited to apply to the Baldwin Honors Scholars Program. Students accepted into the honors program are expected to pursue an Honors Degree (requirements listed below). Students may also enter the honors program as freshmen on the basis of SAT scores, overall high school records, written applications, and interviews. To continue in the program, all Baldwin Honors Scholars are required to sustain their academic excellence.
Freshmen must achieve a minimum 3.25 in the first semester, a 3.3 cumulative GPA after the second semester, a 3.4 after the third semester, and a 3.5 cumulative GPA in subsequent semesters. All other Baldwin Honors Scholars must maintain a 3.4 cumulative GPA.
Honors Degree
The Honors Degree is awarded to a Baldwin Honor Scholar upon successful completion of all phases of the Honors Program. Applications for candidacy for the Honors Degree must be submitted to the Honor Scholars Committee by November 1 of the Student’s senior year (March 1 for January graduates). To be eligible as a candidate for the Honors Degree, a student must be designated as an Honor Scholar for at least three semesters, complete one year of foreign language at Mary Baldwin University (or have completed four years in High School)and currently hold a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, and must have earned nine semester hours of Honors credit through Honors courses and/or Honors contracts. Upon application, the student must submit a proposal for an independent honors project or thesis. The project or thesis must be subject to close supervision of a faculty member and must be approved by an interdisciplinary examining committee. Final approval for award of the Honors Degree is made by the registrar on the recommendation of the Baldwin Honors Scholars Committee. Students who complete an Honors Degree will have the citation “Honors Degree” inscribed on their transcripts.
Rank in Class
Rank in class is determined by grade point average. Grade points are given only for work done on the regular graded basis. The university does not officially rank students.
Senior Requirement with Distinction
Students whose work for the senior requirement shows exceptional merit as judged by the members of discipline(s) involved will have the citation “With Distinction” inscribed on their transcripts.
Graduation with Latin Honors
The honors designations of summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude will be inscribed on the diplomas and transcripts of students of outstanding achievement in accordance with criteria established by the faculty.
Students who have earned greater than or equal to 50 credit hours but less than 63 credit hours at MBU:
- Summa cum laude: Cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 3.94
- Magna cum laude: Cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 3.88 but less than 3.94
- Cum laude: Cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 3.7 but less than 3.88
Students who have earned 63 or more credit hours at MBU:
- Summa cum laude: Cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 3.9
- Magna cum laude: Cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 3.8 but less than 3.9
- Cum laude: Cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 3.6 but less than 3.8