M University of Minnesota
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School of Physics & Astronomy
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Minneapolis, MN, 55455
Phone: 612-624-7375
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Upper Division Physics Honors Programs

In order to graduate with Honors, you must participate in an Upper Division Honors Program, either through the Insitute of Technology (IT) or College of Liberal Arts (CLA).

These pages should help walk you through the application process and eligibility requirements.

Main Contacts

IT Honors Office:


CLA Honors Office:

Director of Upper-Division Honors in Physics (DUDHP):

Application

Students interested in graduating with Latin honors in physics must apply as follows:

IT honors

Eligibility: You should have a Lower Division GPA of 3.5 or above. If your GPA is slightly below 3.5, show your intention of maintaining a good upper division GPA by getting good grades (a 3.5 GPA or better) in the first upper division semester.

To apply, you should meet with the Director of Upper Division Honors in Physics (DUDHP), fill out a Graduation with Honors - Preliminary form and submit it to the IT Honors Office. After you file this form, you are recognized as an IT upper division honors student, you are then eligible to take honors classes such as Honors Seminar. You should file your application shortly after admission to the upper division in physics.

Note that during this meeting, you will be asked to plan for your Honors Experiences, your research and choose your faculty adviser. It is a good idea to prepare your plan before the meeting.

CLA honors

Eligibility: You must have at least 40 graded semester credits with a GPA of 3.5 or greater, officially declared a CLA major, and have at least three semesters remaining before graduation (normally less than 75 credits completed).

You can fill out an application at the CLA Honors Office, or download the form. Turn the form in to the CLA Honors Office for preliminary approval. For more details, look at How to apply for Junior/Senior CLA Honors Program.

Deadline:

After completing 75 credits, you should file appropriate forms in order to graduate with honors in a timely manner.

    1. Apply to graduate at the beginning of the term in which they expect to complete all degree requirements. The deadline is typically January for spring graduation, September for fall graduation and late June for summer graduation. For exact date, check here.

    2. When you are completing an Honors thesis or project, you must also verify completion of that project before you graduate.

      i. If you are finishing your project during your final term,
        a. Turn in an "Honors in Progress" form, signed by your faculty advisor, to the Honors office by the degree application deadlines noted above. Then
        b. When the project is completed (ideally by the end of the term), submit a "Graduation with Honors" form (new window), signed by your faculty advisor (and faculty readers, if required), and turn it in to the Honors office.
      ii. If you have completed your project by the beginning of your graduation term, you need only submit the signed “Graduation with Honors” form and the thesis (if required).

    3. If you want to apply for honor thesis/project grant, you may be able to get up to $500.

      i. You must be a Senior completing an honor thesis or honor project.
      ii. Application should be submitted before you start your research. If you have already started the research, the priority will be lower.
      iii. Deadline is the Friday of the second week of class (fall and spring only)
      iv. For details, see Thesis Grant Application.

Related Links

Graduation with Honors - Preliminary form
CLA Honors application
How to apply for Junior/Senior CLA Honors Program.