Scholarships, Awards, Honor Societies
We see you. Your hard work and dedication to your academics do not go unnoticed. We recognize academic achievement at UMBC in various ways – including the Dean’s List, honor societies, the Honors College Medallion, and merit scholarships in your field. Read below to discover how your success in the classroom may be celebrated.
Academic Honors Based on Semester Grades
Full-time students who achieve certain semester grade point averages receive a notation on their permanent UMBC transcripts as follows:
Semester Academic Honors = 3.50 and up
Dean’s List Honors = 3.75 and up
President’s List Honors = 4.00
The beauty of this recognition is that you get a chance at it every fall and spring semester. Seeing one of these notations on your transcript is also a morale boost and resume-worthy moment. It places you among the most successful students at UMBC in a given semester.
Multi-disciplinary Honor Societies
Greek letters may identify honor societies, but they are not fraternities or sororities in the usual sense of “Greek life” on campus. Based on your academic performance at UMBC, you may be invited to join one or more of these organizations. You do not apply for membership. The most active honor societies on campus are:
Phi Beta Kappa: To win a Phi Beta Kappa key, a student has to achieve very high grades in the course of study that includes courses across the liberal arts well beyond the minimum general education requirements for a degree. A faculty committee at UMBC evaluates potential selectees for Phi Beta Kappa honors. UMBC’s faculty and staff, who were PBK members from their undergraduate days, had to demonstrate the breadth and rigor of our academic program to establish a chapter of this prestigious honor society in 1998. This is one invitation you will want to accept if offered.
Phi Kappa Phi: Phi Kappa Phi honors high-achieving students in all disciplines at undergraduate and graduate levels. The UMB-UMBC chapter was installed at UMBC in 2010 and is hard at work creating a campus presence. Phi Kappa Phi’s motto is “Let the love of learning rule humanity.”
Tau Sigma National Honor Society: Tau Sigma recognizes and supports talented transfer students at four-year universities. This society does require students who believe they meet the criteria to apply for membership. Membership is available to transfer students who achieve high grade averages during their first full-time semester of enrollment at UMBC.
Graduation Honors
Honors are based on coursework throughout a student’s undergraduate academic career at UMBC. To be eligible for Honors, students must have earned at least 60 graded credits at UMBC (excluding Pass/Fail and Audit grades) with a GPA as follows:
- Summa cum laude (“With the highest honor”): Students graduating with a GPA between 3.95 and 4.0.
- Magna cum laude (“With high honor”): Students graduating with a GPA between 3.75 and 3.9499.
- Cum laude (“With honor”): Students graduating with a GPA between 3.5 and 3.7499.
Visit the Registrar’s website for graduation honors calculation protocols.
Academic Recognition for Varsity Athletes
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and other external organizations sponsor various awards recognizing the academic achievements of varsity athletes. UMBC athletes and whole teams regularly receive recognition for maintaining high academic standards despite demanding athletic schedules. UMBC also sponsors a chapter of the National College Athlete Honor Society.
Academic Merit Scholarships
Most academic merit scholarships at UMBC are awarded to students admitted to UMBC. However, there are some opportunities for students enrolled at UMBC to compete for scholarships based primarily on academic achievement, sometimes combined with service and need. Visit Scholarship Retriever for a comprehensive list of all scholarships you may qualify to receive.
These scholarships are a way for UMBC to recognize top students as they are a means of financial support. Therefore, applying for merit scholarships at UMBC is worthwhile, even if the amounts are modest. These scholarships come and go, so be sure to do careful research.
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