Academic Honors
Honors are granted as a recognition of outstanding academic achievement. They are awarded to every undergraduate attaining the required proficiency. Dakota State University supports academic achievement to recognize and reward undergraduate students whose performance merits special attention.
President’s Academic Honors & Academic Recognition
Student Achievement is recognized by Dakota State University in several ways. At the end of the Fall and Spring semesters, the University publishes the President's Academic Honors and Academic Recognition Lists. Outstanding achievement is also acknowledged at Commencement with a variety of honors and awards, and other recognitions are presented at annual ceremonies. Undergraduate students, both full-time and part-time, may be eligible for academic honors.
Requirements and guidelines
Undergraduate full-time and part-time students may be designated for President’s Academic Honors list (Dean’s List) and Academic Recognition at the end of the fall and spring terms. The President’s Academic Honors List and Academic Recognition designations do not appear on the transcript.
Graduation Honors
DSU determines Honors Designations for our baccalaureate and associate degree graduates.
To earn an Honors Designation at graduation, a baccalaureate-level graduate must meet both the following cumulative and institutional grade point averages:
| Summa Cum Laude | equal to or greater than 3.9 |
| Magna Cum Laude | equal to or greater than 3.7 and less than 3.9 |
| Cum Laude | equal to or greater than 3.5 and less than 3.7 |
A baccalaureate-level graduate must have completed a minimum of 60 credit hours at DSU. Courses that are part of a formal collaborative agreement among Regental universities are considered to be earned from the institution granting the degree.
To earn an Honors Designation at graduation, an associate-level graduate must meet both the following cumulative and institutional grade point averages:
| With highest honors | equal to or greater than 3.9 |
| With high honor | equal to or greater than 3.7 and less than 3.9 |
| With honor | equal to or greater than 3.5 and less than 3.7 |
An associate-level graduate must have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours at DSU. Courses that are part of a formal collaborative agreement among Regental universities are considered to be earned from the institution granting the degree.