Academic Recognition

Hard Work, Recognized

At the Mount, we value and recognize the hard work behind our students’ academic achievements. To honor their efforts, we offer the following academic awards and titles to high-achieving students:

Honors

Three types of honors are awarded at Commencement to those graduates who have maintained a commendable degree of academic achievement throughout their college careers:

• Summa Cum Laude, or highest honors, is awarded to those having a GPA of 3.80 and no grade below B for all course work;
• Magna Cum Laude, or high honors, is awarded to those having a GPA of 3.60 and no grade below C;
• Cum Laude, or with honor, is awarded to those having a GPA of 3.40 or above

Dean’s List

The Dean’s List is announced at the end of each semester. The Dean’s List includes the names of students who have carried at least 12 graded credits in a semester and received a minimum semester Grade Point Average of 3.50 in the graded courses.

Scholars

To foster scholarly activity and recognize academic achievement, the college confers the titles of Aquinas Scholar, Ralph Scholar, or Boyle Scholar to high-achieving upperclassmen, nominated by faculty members each year. These scholars must have attained a high degree of proficiency in their studies and have demonstrated initiatives and/or activities that exemplify a sincere commitment to learning at the college. The candidates must be enrolled as full-time students; only 5 percent of each class may be nominated.

Aquinas Scholar

The title Aquinas Scholar is awarded to juniors or seniors who have completed at least 30 credits at the Mount. The students must have attained a minimum GPA of 3.60 and have received the recommendation and approval of the division in which their major is offered. Only up to 5 percent of the students per division per class, or three students per division per class, whichever number is larger, may be nominated.

Ralph Scholar

The title Ralph Scholar is awarded to sophomores who have completed at least 30 credits, 24 of them at the college, in the freshman year. Students must have attained a GPA of 3.40 and have received the recommendation of at least two faculty members. Ralph Scholars may be nominated by any individual faculty member on the basis of overall freshman performance, not as divisional majors. Only 5 percent of the class may be named.

Boyle Scholar

The title Boyle Scholar is awarded to a senior in the Adult Degree Completion Program who has completed 24 credits at the college and attained a minimum Grade Point Average of 3.60. These students have received the recommendation and approval of the division in which the major is offered as well as the academic advisors from the Adult Degree Completion Program.