Undergraduate students who achieve scholastic distinction may qualify for the following honors and programs:
The Dean’s Honors list recognizes high scholastic achievement in any one term. The following criteria are used to note Dean’s Honors on student records: a 3.872 grade-point average (GPA) in any one term, with at least 15 units (12 units of letter grade). The minimum GPA required is subject to change on an annual basis. Students are not eligible for Dean’s Honors in any given term if they receive an Incomplete or a Not Passed (NP) grade, or repeat a course. Only courses applicable to an undergraduate degree are considered toward eligibility for Dean’s Honors. Dean’s Honors are automatically recorded on the transcript for the appropriate term.
Students who have achieved scholastic distinction may be awarded the bachelor’s degree with honors. To be eligible, students must have completed 90 or more units for a letter grade at the University of California and must have attained a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) at graduation that places them in the top 20 percent of the school (GPA of 3.872 or better) for cum laude, the top 10 percent (GPA of 3.938 or better) for magna cum laude, and the top five percent (GPA of 3.970 or better) for summa cum laude. The minimum GPAs required are subject to change on an annual basis. Required GPAs in effect in the graduating year determine student eligibility.
Based on grades achieved in upper-division courses applied to a specific school degree requirement, engineering students must also have a 3.872 GPA for cum laude, 3.938 for magna cum laude, and 3.970 for summa cum laude. For all designations of honors, students must have a minimum 3.25 GPA in their major field upper-division courses. Upper-division courses that are not applied to a specific school BS degree requirement are excluded from these upper-division averages.
Exceptionally promising juniors or seniors may be nominated as Departmental Scholars to pursue engineering bachelor’s and master’s degree programs simultaneously. Minimum qualifications include the completion of 24 courses (96 quarter units) at UCLA, or the equivalent at a similar institution; a minimum 3.7 grade-point average (GPA) in the major field upper-division courses and a minimum 3.7 cumulative GPA; and the requirements in preparation for the major. To obtain both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Departmental Scholars fulfill the requirements for each program. Students may not use any one course to fulfill requirements for both degrees.
For details, contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs in 6426 Boelter Hall well in advance of application dates for admission to graduate standing.
There is an Exceptional Student Admissions Program (ESAP) for outstanding Samueli School undergraduates who wish to enter the school graduate program upon completion of the BS degree. ESAP is an alternative to the Departmental Scholar Program. In contrast to that program, an ESAP-admitted student would be an enrolled graduate student and would be eligible for consideration of graduate fellowships and teaching assistant positions if available.
