Undergraduate Latin Honors
Latin honors are honors conferred at graduation on students who participate in the department's honors program. Latin honors are noted on students' diplomas and transcripts and in the commencement program at graduation.
Students are awarded Latin honors -- cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude -- based on the range and quality of their coursework as well as an independent study project completed with the professor of their choice.
Who is Eligible?
Students with a 3.5 GPA in English and a 3.25 overall GPA are eligible.
When should I apply?
Students should meet with Cynthia Wong, Honors Director, in their junior year. Honors projects or essays can be done either semester of the senior year. Writing majors are encouraged (but aren't required) to do their projects as expansions of one of the following courses:
- ENGL 4990 Senior Writing Project in Creative Writing or Film
- OR - - ENGL 4995 Senior Writing Project
What is required?
Honors Projects or Essays
Students will complete an honors project or essay that must be approved by the Honors Director and the student's Honors Advisor, the professor who will direct the project. Projects or essays may be done in literature, professional writing, creative writing, rhetoric, or film. After selecting an Honors Advisor (ideally a faculty member who knows the student's work), the student must write a short one-paragraph proposal for their project or essay, describing briefly what the paper will accomplish. The Honors Advising sheet goes first to the Honors Director, Cynthia Wong, for signatures.
Examples of previous projects and essays are available in the English department office.
Registration
Prior to registering for honors courses, you will need to submit the Honors Advising Sheet to the Honors Director and to your Honors Advisor for signatures. The form may be obtained in the English Department.
English majors register for ENGL 4720, Honors in Literature (1-3 credits).
English Writing majors register for ENGL 4740, Honors in Writing (1-3 credits).
In addition to the honors application, students must acquire written permissions to register for the honors course. The special processing form is available in the English Department and requires two signatures -- one from the Honors Advisor, and the other from the CLAS Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Charlie Ferguson, in NC 2024.
Honors Defense
Students submit their honors project or essay to their Honors Advisor and one other full-time faculty member chosen by the student. After both professors have read the project or essay, a short defense is convened. The student presents the project or essay, and the faculty examine the student in regards to the project or essay and pertinent coursework. Students must bring an unofficial copy of their transcripts to the exam. Honors are awarded immediately and reported to the Honors Director by the Honors Advisor. Students prepare two clean, bound copies of the project or essay, with their name, date, course number, Honors Advisor's name, and project or essay title on the cover and present them to the Honors Director.
Deadlines for Completion
The graduation program will list "honors pending" unless the project and defense are completed by November 10th for fall semester graduation, or by April 10th for spring graduation.
Additional Information
Additional information about Latin honors may be obtained from:
Cynthia Wong, Associate Professor
Office: 1051 Ninth Street Park, Room 200
Phone: 303-556-8522
E-mail: Cynthia.Wong@cudenver.edu
