Academic Achievement

Click on any of the following links for information:

• Dean’s List
• Graduation with Honors
• Honor Societies
• Recognition of Part-time Students
• University Scholar and Thesis Scholarship

Undergraduate full-time students may be designated for the Dean’s List at the end of the fall and spring terms. The Dean’s List designation is based on a student’s total course registrations for academic credit for the term from any South Dakota regental university. The Dean’s List designation does not appear on the transcript.

The following criteria must be met to be awarded Dean’s List designation:

1. Students must have earned a minimum of 12 credit hours during the term in courses numbered 100-699;
2. Students must have achieved a system term GPA of at least 3.50; and
3. Students must have no F, I, U, RI, or RU grades for the term regardless of system term GPA attained.
4. Students who receive an IP grade must meet all criteria without consideration of the course in which the IP grade was assigned.

The University of South Dakota encourages and recognizes outstanding scholastic achievement. Therefore, the University determines the scholastic honors, if any, to be awarded with a degree. Announcement of such honors is made on the diploma and in the commencement program.

Baccalaureate Degree

Graduation honors are awarded on the following basis:

Summa Cum Laude		Cumulative & institutional GPA equal to or greater than 3.9
Magna Cum Laude		Cumulative & institutional GPA equal to or greater than 3.7 and less than 3.9
Cum Laude		Cumulative & institutional GPA equal to or greater than 3.5 and less than 3.7

In addition, students must have completed a minimum of 64 credit hours at the degree-granting institution. Courses that are part of a formal collaborative agreement with another South Dakota regental university count toward the required 64 credit hours.

Associate Degree

Graduation honors are awarded on the following basis:

With highest honor		Cumulative & institutional GPA equal to or greater than 3.9
With high honor		Cumulative & institutional GPA equal to or greater than 3.7 and less than 3.9
With honor		Cumulative & institutional GPA equal to or greater than 3.5 and less than 3.7

In addition, students must have completed a minimum of 32 credit hours at the degree-granting institution. Courses that are part of a formal collaborative agreement with another South Dakota regental university count toward the required 32 credit hours.

Phi Beta Kappa

This organization is the best-known and most prestigious academic honorary society. Students are elected to membership as juniors or seniors based on high scholastic achievement and completion of a liberal education, including the study of calculus; one year of western civilization; one year of a non-English language; one year of sequential study of laboratory science, preferably in chemistry, physics, or biology, two courses at the 300 level of Social Sciences, in two prefixes. The chapter hosts the annual Lifto Amundson Phi Beta Kappa Lecture. For more information contact chapter offices through the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office at 677-5221, visit the chapter website at www.usd.edu/pbk or e-mail the chapter at pbk@usd.edu.

Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) and Mortar Board

Omicron Delta Kappa and Mortar Board are the honorary organizations for senior men and women. Students initiated into these organizations must have shown substantial campus leadership and a 3.2 GPA. ODK inducts up to fifteen students each year and Mortar Board selects up to thirty-five students. Mortar Board and ODK sponsor Swingout, an annual singing competition between sororities and fraternities.

Guidon

Guidon is an honorary organization for junior men and women. Each year, twenty to twenty-five sophomores are selected as members as a result of their demonstrated leadership, and of having a 3.5 or higher GPA. Among other activities, Guidon members host the annual High School Quiz Bowl on Campus.

Golden Key

Golden Key National Honor Society is an honorary society for junior and senior men and women. Students must be in the top 15 percent of their class to be eligible for membership.

First-Year Honor Societies

Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma are first-year honor societies. Any full-time first-year students with a 3.5 GPA may be eligible to be initiated into these organizations.

Other university-wide academic honor societies at USD include Chi Sigma Iota, Order of Omega, Sigma Delta Phi and National Residence Hall Honorary.

Undergraduate part-time students may be designated for Academic Recognition for Part-Time Students at the end of the fall and spring terms. The Academic Recognition for Part-Time Student’s designation is based on a student’s total course registrations for academic credit for the term from any South Dakota regental university. The Academic Recognition for Part-Time Students designation does not appear on the transcript.

The following criteria must be met to be awarded Academic Recognition for Part-Time Students designation:

1. Students must have completed at least 12 credit hours prior to the current semester at one or more South Dakota regental institutions;
2. Students must have earned at least 3 and up to 11 credit hours during the term in courses numbered 100-699;
3. Students must have achieved a system term GPA of at least 3.50; and
4. Students must have no F, I, U, RI, or RU grades for the term regardless of system term GPA attained.
5. Students who receive an IP grade must meet all criteria without consideration of the course in which the IP grade was assigned.

Students who complete the Honors core, an Honors Thesis, and whose cumulative USD grade point average is 3.25 or higher will be graduated with the special distinction of University Scholar. A select number of students who enter the program during their sophomore or junior year, earn a 3.25 cumulative grade point average, complete two Honors seminars, and write a thesis will be graduated with the distinction of Thesis Scholar.