Policies & procedures: Academic honors

The Dean’s honors list recognizes outstanding academic achievement each fall and spring semester. Requirements include:

• Completion of 12 or more letter-graded units in that semester, or completion on a letter-graded basis of the minimum number of units approved before the add/drop deadline due to DSP accommodations or other extenuating circumstances.
• A semester GPA in the top 10 percent of all College of Engineering undergraduates as determined by the method noted in honors at graduation (high honors cutoff).
• No grades of I, NP or M in that semester.
• No courses for which a grade wasn’t submitted for that semester.
• No repeated courses during that semester, unless the course can be repeated for credit (e.g., most special topic and research courses).

Dean’s honors is determined approximately three weeks after the semester ends.  This honor is noted on your transcript at the end of each eligible semester.

To be eligible for honors in general scholarship at graduation, you must have:

1. Completed a minimum of 50 units at the University of California (which includes UC EAP, UC DC, courses completed at other UCs,  and UC Berkeley Extension XB or XBW or Concurrent Enrollment) of which 43 units must have been undertaken for a letter grade
2. Completed a minimum of 30 units on the Berkeley campus
3. Achieved a grade point average ranking in the college as follows:
   • Top 3 percent, highest honors
   • Next 7 percent, high honors
   • Next 10 percent, honors

At the end of each academic year, the Office of the Registrar shall determine for each school and college the minimum grade point averages of the top 3 percent, the next 7 percent and the next 10 percent of the students graduating in that year. These grade point averages shall serve each school and college as minimal criteria for honors during the next academic year.

Below are the minimum cumulative UC GPAs required to earn Honors in General Scholarship at Graduation for College of Engineering undergraduates graduating fall 2024, spring 2025, or summer 2025.

• Highest honors: 3.989
• High honors: 3.943
• Honors: 3.842

Honors to date, or semester honors, is awarded if you:

• Have completed a minimum of 12 units of letter grades on the Berkeley campus; and
• Have achieved an overall grade point average equal to or greater than the grade point average in the top 20 percent of the College of Engineering as determined by the method noted in honors at graduation

The notation of honors appears after the grades on your Berkeley record for each semester in which your earn semester honors.