Dean’s List
A dean’s list, or honors list, is issued at the end of each fall and spring semester. The requirements to be on the dean’s list are a 3.500 grade-point average or higher with no incomplete grade or grade below C–. Students who are on any form of probation, who are enrolled in a course on a pass/fail basis (except where there is no alternative or where required by the program), or who are not carrying a full load as determined by their undergraduate college are not eligible. With a few exceptions as approved by the respective colleges, a full load for fall and spring semesters is considered to be a minimum of four courses or 16 semester hours.
Graduation with Honors
Graduation with honors and selection as the class marshal are reserved for undergraduates who have completed 64 semester hours in residence and meet the following GPA requirements to graduate with honors:
| GPA | Honor Conferred |
|---|---|
| 3.500–3.699 | Graduate with honor (cum laude) |
| 3.700–3.849 | Graduate with high honor (magna cum laude) |
| 3.850–4.000 | Graduate with highest honor (summa cum laude) |
Note: The university reserves the right to change these standards.
Honors in the Discipline
Honors in the Discipline is earned by those students who successfully complete college-defined requirements, generally culminating in a junior/senior honors thesis or a junior/senior honors project. This distinction will appear on the transcript (for example, “Honors in Music” or “Honors in Chemistry”). Detailed information about Honors in the Discipline is provided under each college’s website.
University Honors Program Distinction
Legacy University Honors Program Distinction
For students who entered the John Martinson Honors Program upon or after their matriculation to Northeastern University in the fall 2022 semester and prior, distinction is earned by completing six Honors courses or approved experiential learning experiences, including Honors Seminar (HONR 3310), and maintaining a cumulative grade-point average of 3.500. The Honors course requirement is adjusted for students who join the University Honors Program as second-semester first-year students (five Honors courses or approved experiential learning experiences) or as rising/continuing sophomores (four Honors courses or approved experiential learning experiences).
Information on what courses and experiential learning experiences qualify toward the Legacy University Honors Program Distinction can be found on the Honors Program's website.
Reimagined University Honors Program Distinction
For students who entered the John Martinson Honors Program upon their matriculation to Northeastern in or after the fall 2023 semester or were internally admitted in or after spring 2024, distinction is earned through the completion of two Northeastern signature global experiences: The Global Learning Experience (GBST 1012) and the noncredit module, "Global Work Citizen." The successful completion of first-year Honors Impact requirements is necessary to begin pursuing distinction.
Information on what courses and experiential learning experiences qualify toward the Reimagined University Honors Program Distinction can also be found on on the Honors Program's website.