Academic Excellence

Full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students will be placed on the Dean’s List if their Term GPA is greater than or equal to 3.40; they do not have any grades of “Incomplete”, “D” or “F”, (including any other non-credit but required courses); they have registered for, and completed, at least 12 credit hours. Degree-seeking undergraduate students who maintain part-time status (i.e. never full-time) for the full academic year may qualify for Dean’s List if they have completed at least nine credit hours during the academic year (fall, intersession, spring, and summer term) with a minimum Cumulative GPA of 3.40 or higher. This is accomplished without grades of “Incomplete,” “D” or “F” and without being placed on probation. This Dean’s List evaluation will occur at the end of the summer term or in the degree certification term. 

Honors posted to the academic record will be based upon the student’s Cumulative Grade Point Average upon completion of the degree requirements. The numerical criteria for graduation with honors are as follows: Summa cum laude – 3.80 Cumulative GPA Magna cum laude – 3.60 Cumulative GPA Cum laude – 3.40 Cumulative GPA. The RIT Registrar (the person responsible for keeping records of grades) will post honors to the student’s academic record.  

The award for outstanding undergraduate scholarship has been established to recognize excellence in academic achievement by students. Those selected to receive the award are designated RIT Scholars and the achievement is recognized through an especially designed award emblematic of high academic attainment. The awards are presented at RIT at a special convocation held prior to the end of each academic year. At RIT Croatia, the certificates are presented at a Dean’s list reception followed by a special Outstanding Undergraduate Scholars dinner where they receive medallions to recognize their achievement. This award is especially prestigious because recipients are selected from a pool of 19,000 students at RIT, of which RIT Croatia represents about 900.  

The Excellence in Student Life Award was founded to honor students who present principles of engagement, scholarship, and leadership. The award exists to foster and encourage students to aspire to the goals of engagement in activities, excellence in scholarship, and the practice of responsible leadership. For over 50 years, students have been selected for this honor based on having outstanding GPAs and holding significant leadership positions within RIT related activities. 

RIT Croatia Honors Program

The Honors Program is an academically rigorous program offered to candidates with a GPA of at least 3.5. The Honors Program is based on Honors Options that are a part of existing courses offered by participating faculty. The students are accepted based on their GPA, their motivational letter, and two letters of recommendation from faculty.

The purpose of the Honors Program is to provide excellent students with opportunities to advance their knowledge in a particular course and earn proper recognition of their extra work.

The aim is for students to gain a deeper understanding of a certain topic within the course and develop research competencies through close collaboration with the instructor, an expert in the field.

Benefits

• Challenge for those looking to get more.
• Honors option on the transcript is good for graduate school.
• Education with a purpose – addressing problems of the world or a specific entity, such as a company.
• Forming connections with similar students and faculty and other entities, such as businesses.
• Advanced course registration.

General guidelines

• Students may apply for honors options for courses at the 200-level or higher, but only first-year students may apply for honors options for 100-level courses.
• Students must give a public presentation of their work at the Honors Program Colloquium and/or elsewhere (e.g., presenting at a symposium, club meeting, in class, department meeting, etc.).
• Students must earn a grade of at least B– in the course for the honors option to count toward completion of academic points.
• Students cannot do more than two options per semester.
• Five options are needed for program completion.
• Upon completing five options, students cannot take additional options.
• Students must take one option from General Education courses.
• Students must take one option from program courses.
• Students can use their study abroad or Erasmus as an option.
• Students are offered a list of faculty and courses in the honors program to choose the honor options.
• Students meet with faculty weekly to track progress.
• The honors option is pass or fail.
• Paper, if selected as a deliverable, does not need to be published within the semester but should involve a presentation along with the submission.
• Students who are in good standing may continue as part of the Honors Program.  Students who are not in good standing may be withdrawn from the Honors Program or placed on conditional status.
• Students who do not choose an honors option during three consecutive semesters will be withdrawn from the Honors Program. 
• In order to pass the option, students need to achieve the following outcomes:
  • LO1 Evaluate a specific issue or an aspect of an issue within a particular field.
  • LO2 Use a range of research methods.
  • LO3 Design or develop a deliverable reflecting thorough engagement with a particular issue.
  • LO4 Develop project management competencies.

Application process

• A call is put out via e-mail to students who have the required GPA.
• Students must meet the following requirements to be considered:
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
  • Two faculty recommendations (students write the names of two faculty members they have asked for a recommendation, and Honors Program Coordinators send the recommendation forms to faculty members to fill in).
  • A minimum of two years of academic coursework remaining at RIT to complete the undergraduate degree, beginning with the upcoming fall semester.
• In their application to Honors Program Coordinators they will need to include the following:
  • Students will describe how membership in the Honors Program will contribute to their educational, professional, or research goals (short motivational letter).
  • Students will write the names of two faculty members that they asked for a recommendation, and Honors Program Coordinators will send the recommendation forms to faculty members to fill in.
• The decision is made by the Honors Program Coordinators.

Contact

Jakob Patekar (jakob.patekar@rit.edu)
Marija Šušak Mišetić (marija.susak@rit.edu)