Dean's List and Honors: Arts and Sciences BA/BS and Engineering
Undergraduate students at Tufts earning a BA or BS in the School of Arts and Science or School of Engineering may earn various academic honors that will appear on their transcript. Students earning a BFA are not eligible for the academic honors listed below, though students earning a BA/BFA or BS/BFA are eligible to earn honors for the BA or BS portion of their program.
Dean’s List
The Dean’s List designation will appear on your transcript if you meet specific academic criteria in a given semester. Tufts will also send students an electronic certificate confirming that they have achieved Dean's List status, and we encourage students to share this message with family and friends.
Arts and Sciences students in the BA or BS degree programs who have been enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits, received letter grades in a minimum of 12 credits with no work incomplete, and earned a minimum GPA average of 3.4 will be placed on the Dean’s List. Students in the BA/BFA combined degree program with SMFA at Tufts enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits or more will be awarded Dean’s List honors if they have a GPA of 3.4 or more in a given semester. There is no Dean’s List for the BFA Program.
Engineering Students who have been enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits, received letter grades in a minimum of 9 credits, completed every course in which they were enrolled with no incomplete work, and earned a minimum of GPA average of 3.2 will be placed on the Dean’s list.
Students in combined-degree programs with the New England Conservatory of Music and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts with a total course load equal to 12 credits or more will be placed on the Dean’s List at both institutions if they meet Dean’s List GPA requirements for the course work taken at both institutions.
Degrees with Honors (in Latin)
When you complete all the coursework for the baccalaureate degree, you may be conferred honors in the degree, provided you meet all the criteria for that honor, as set by faculty vote in the School of Engineering and the School of Arts and Sciences. In addition to appearing on the transcript in Latin, any Latin honors you earn will be read aloud during the departmental commencement ceremony. You can find the exact criteria for Latin Honors for the bachelor degree in engineering and the bachelor degree in liberal arts in The Bulletin for the year of your matriculation, but a here is a brief summary:
| Honor | School of Engineering | School of Arts and Sciences |
|---|---|---|
| Distinction: cum laude |
Cumulative GPA 3.20 or higher. Must be approved by special faculty vote; no record of serious disciplinary infraction. | Cumulative GPA 3.50 or higher. At least 5 grades of A or A- in courses adding up to at least 15 credits, in satisfying their concentration requirements for one of their majors, including related fields. |
| High Distinction: magna cum laude |
Cumulative GPA 3.50 or higher. Must be approved by special faculty vote; no record of serious disciplinary infraction. | Cumulative GPA 3.65 or higher. At least 6 grades of A or A- in courses adding up to at least 18 credits, in satisfying their concentration requirements, including related fields. Departmental recommendation. |
| Highest Distinction: summa cum laude |
Cumulative GPA 3.80 or higher. Must be approved by special faculty vote; no record of serious disciplinary infraction. | Cumulative GPA 3.80 or higher. At least 6 grades of A or A- in courses adding up to at least 18 credits, in satisfying their concentration requirements, including related fields. Departmental recommendation. No record of serious disciplinary infraction. Approved by faculty vote. |
Honors in Senior Thesis
Students who enroll in and successfully complete a year-long senior thesis may be granted Honors in Thesis, High Honors in Thesis, or Highest Honors in Thesis. Thesis honors are determined by your thesis committee (and, in some cases, also by the department chair or program director in your major). Thesis honors appear (in English) on your transcript and will be read aloud at the departmental commencement ceremony.