Recognition of Student Achievement
Graduation Honors: Bachelor’s
To be eligible for Bachelor’s degrees with distinction, students must be in attendance at the University for three years and must have attempted a minimum of 69 credits at Saint Peter’s University, exclusive of Pass/Fail, Prior Learning credits, and CLEP credits; that is, those credits not formally taken at the University for grades. Transfer students must be in attendance for at least two years and earn at least 42 credits at Saint Peter's University. Such distinctions are based on the student’s cumulative GPA for the entire academic record. These honors are noted on the student’s diploma and transcript. The following minimum GPAs are required for the honors indicated:
- 3.800 summa cum laude
- 3.700 magna cum laude
- 3.600 cum laude
Candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN Program) may graduate with honors if they have been in attendance at the University for two years and if they have earned a minimum of 39 credits in Saint Peter’s University courses with grades other than Pass/Fail. Of these 39 credits, a minimum of 18 must be in nursing courses, exclusive of Pass/Fail.
Candidates for the Bachelor’s degree who have transferred to Saint Peter’s University with an Associate’s degree may graduate with honors if they have been in attendance at the University for at least two years and if they have earned a minimum of 42 credits in Saint Peter’s University other than Pass/Fail.
Graduation Honors: Associate’s
Candidates for the Associate’s degree may graduate with honors (cum laude) if they have earned a minimum of 30 credits at Saint Peter’s University, exclusive of Pass/Fail, Prior Learning credits, CLEP credits, that is, those credits not formally taken at the University for credit. Associate’s degree candidates are only eligible to be awarded the cum laude distinction, manga and summa cum laude are not applicable to Associate degree students. The following minimum GPAs are required for the honors indicated:
- 3.600 cum laude
Commencement Awards
Awards are presented each year to graduating seniors who have distinguished themselves in various disciplines. These awards are presented at the Commencement exercises and are noted in the Commencement program.
In addition to discipline-specific awards, awards are given to students based on the division in which their discipline resides and according to the school from which the student is graduating. The University also recognizes a Valedictorian each year as the undergraduate CAS, SBA, SON or SOE student with the highest GPA for courses taken at the University exclusive of Pass/Fail, Prior Learning credits, CLEP credits, or other courses not formally taken at the University for grades. When deciding among students of roughly comparable academic performance, preference may be given to the student who has taken the most credits at the University.
Information regarding the University's Commencement ceremony can be viewed on this page https://www.saintpeters.edu/commencement/.
Honors for Scholarship Achievement
Deans’ List
In recognition of academic excellence, selected students are named to the Dean’s List. The Dean’s List is named at the end of each fall and spring term. Fully-admitted degree-seeking students are eligible for consideration if they have earned a GPA of at least 3.500 for the term. To qualify, traditional day students must complete 12 semester credits and SPS students must complete 6 credits in an eight-week term (exclusive of Pass/Fail and developmental courses). Students who receive a grade less than C or a grade of FA will not be eligible for that term. Students with any incomplete or in-progress grades are not eligible until all courses are completed. A notation will be made on the student’s academic transcript each time the Dean’s List honor is achieved. Students can view their academic transcript on Student Planning.
Michaelmas Awards
Each year Saint Peter’s University recognizes the academic achievements of students at the Michaelmas Convocation. The honorees at Michaelmas include students who have been named to the Dean’s List, those who have been awarded Excellence Medals, and seniors whose academic rank in class qualifies them for admission to the Most Noble Order of the Peacock (MNOP). In identifying award recipients for the annual Michaelmas Convocation (Deans’ List, Excellence Medals, MNOP Award), credits earned and grade point averages will be based only on data received in the Registrar’s Office by the July 1 immediately preceding the Convocation. The Academic Year refers to the fall and spring Semesters in the traditional day student program and the fall and spring eight-week term within a semester in SPS. Credits must be earned at Saint Peter’s University or in Saint Peter’s University sponsored programs. Pass/Fail and developmental courses may not be included in calculating eligibility for the Dean’s List.
Excellence Medals
Gold Medals for first honors and Silver Medals for second honors are awarded to the students who have the highest and the second highest academic average for the past academic year. In determining these awards, students are divided according to year, i.e., Senior, Junior, Sophomore, Freshman. They are also divided according to school (College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Education, School of Nursing, and School of Professional Studies). Eligibility requirements for these medals include earning a minimum of 24 credits during the previous academic year for a traditional day student, or 18 credits for a SPS student. To be eligible to receive a Senior, Junior, Sophomore or Freshman award, a student, full-time or part-time, must have earned by the end of that year the following total number of credits at Saint Peter’s University or in Saint Peter’s University sponsored programs:
| Award | Credits |
|---|---|
| Senior award | 120 credits (110 SPU credits) |
| Junior award | 90 credits (80 SPU credits) |
| Sophomore award | 60 credits (50 SPU credits) |
| Freshman award | 30 credits (20 SPU credits) |
Most Noble Order of the Peacock
The 10 seniors, excluding those from SPS, who have the highest academic averages are admitted to the Most Noble Order of the Peacock, the University’s oldest scholarship organization. To qualify as an eligible senior, a student must have earned a total of 90 credits towards graduation by the preceding July 1. At least 80 of these credits must have been completed at Saint Peter’s University, or in Saint Peter’s University sponsored programs, exclusive of Pass/Fail courses.
Honor Societies
Alpha Sigma Nu
The national honor society of Jesuit colleges and universities is open to juniors and seniors selected on the basis of academic excellence, service to the University and the community, and loyalty to the Jesuit ideal of education. Membership is limited to 4% of a given class. Students must have a minimum cumulative average of 3.5.
Saint Peter’s University has chapters of national honor societies which recognize academic achievements in specific fields or disciplines. Students may obtain more information about eligibility requirements from the appropriate department chairperson. The societies and sponsoring departments or programs are as follows:
- Beta Beta Beta Biology
- Sigma Beta Delta Business Administration
- Gamma Sigma Epsilon Chemistry
- Eta Sigma Phi Classics
- Upsilon Pi Epsilon Computer and Information Sciences
- Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice
- Omicron Delta Epsilon Economics
- Kappa Delta Pi Education
- Sigma Tau Delta English
- Kappa Pi Fine Arts
- Alpha Alpha Alpha First-Generation College Students
- Alpha Sigma Lambda SPS Students
- Phi Alpha Theta History
- Pi Mu Epsilon Mathematics
- Phi Sigma Iota Modern Languages
- Sigma Theta Tau Nursing
- Phi Sigma Tau Philosophy
- Sigma Pi Sigma Physics
- Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science
- Psi Chi Psychology
- Alpha Kappa Delta Sociology/Urban Studies/Public Policy
- Theta Alpha Kappa Theology
- Chi Alpha Epsilon EOF
Honors for Activity Achievement
Order of the Cross Keys
The Order of the Cross Keys is an honor association of outstanding well-rounded students in the traditional day program. The selection committee chooses new members on the basis of academic achievement, superior service to the University community, and character. The committee also selects each year, one faculty member, one staff member, and one administrator for honorary membership in this association. These new members are inducted on the basis of their superior service to the student body and the University community.