Academic Honors

Dean’s List

To be eligible for the Dean’s List at the close of any fall or spring semester, an undergraduate student must have earned a minimum Grade Point Average of 3.5 in that semester on at least 12 credit hours. Hours and grades earned through Texas State correspondence, testing and developmental courses are not counted in the hours required to be eligible for Dean’s List nor in the GPA calculation for Dean’s List. Extension courses and Graduate courses do count for Dean's List calculation.

Graduation with Academic Honors

Students earning a GPA of 3.40-3.59 will graduate cum laude; 3.6-3.79 will graduate magna cum laude; 3.8-4.0 will graduate summa cum laude.

Effective fall 2021, to be eligible for graduation with academic honors, a student seeking a baccalaureate degree must have completed at least 48 semester credit hours at Texas State preceding graduation. Calculation of the GPA to determine academic honors status is based on all Texas State work applied to the first baccalaureate degree, including work completed in the final semester.

Hours earned through Texas State correspondence courses and extension courses count toward GPA and academic hours eligibility. Hours earned through Texas State credit-by-examination, work/life experience and other courses that offer only "CR" (pass/fail) grades also count toward academic honors eligibility, but they do not count toward GPA. All coursework to count toward academic honor eligibility must be evaluated and graded by Texas State faculty. 

Transfer students who have earned at least 48 semester hours at Texas State are eligible to graduate with academic honors if their Texas State GPA meets the above criteria. Students earning second baccalaureate degrees are eligible for graduation with academic honors if they complete 48 or more semester credit hours at Texas State, meeting the GPA criteria, in pursuit of a second degree. All coursework to count towards academic honors eligibility must be evaluated and graded by Texas State faculty.

Honor Societies

The following honor societies are open to qualified Texas State students. More information may be obtained through the Student Organizations Council (SOC). For a complete list of all Honor Societies, see the get involved website at www.getinvolvedlbjsc.txst.edu.

Alpha Chi

Alpha Chi is a national honor society, which promotes academic excellence and exemplary character among undergraduate college and university students and honors those who achieve such distinction. To qualify for membership at Texas State, a student must be a first-time undergraduate, a junior or senior (having attained no less than 60 credit hours), have a minimum Texas State GPA of 3.50 on at least 45 semester hours at Texas State. Graduate students with a 4.0 and at least 15 hours of graduate course-work at Texas State also qualify for Alpha Chi membership. Alpha Chi is the oldest honor society at Texas State, founded in 1922. For more information about Alpha Chi at Texas State, contact advisors Dr. Peter Golato in the Idea Center, Dr. Ronald Brown in History, Dr. Paula Williamson in Biology, or Dr. Erika Nielson in Education. The national website (https://alphachihonor.org/) discusses the national activities, the professional journal for student members, its annual conferences, and national scholarship opportunities for members of Alpha Chi National Honor Society.

Alpha Lambda Delta

Alpha Lambda Delta is a national academic honor society for freshmen that honors academic excellence during a student’s first year in college. Its purpose is to encourage superior academic achievement, to promote intelligent living and a continued high standard of learning, and to assist women and men in recognizing and developing meaningful goals for their roles in society. Membership is open to all freshmen who are registered for a full course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree, who achieve a minimum scholastic average of 3.50 (based on grades of the first full semester or on the cumulative average of the first year in college), and who have paid the initiation and lifetime membership fee. For more information, contact the Honors College at honorsadvising@txstate.edu.

Golden Key National Honor Society

Golden Key recognizes and encourages scholastic achievement and excellence in all undergraduate fields, supports the faculty and administration in developing and maintaining high academic standards, provides economic assistance by means of annual scholarships, and promotes altruistic conduct through volunteer service to Texas State and community. The Golden Key National Honor Society accepts students who have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.40, have completed 60 college hours (25 of which must have been taken at Texas State), have filed a Member Data Form, and have paid the initiation and lifetime membership fee.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest, largest, and most selective collegiate honor society for all disciplines. This prestigious honor society was chartered at Texas State in 2013 and 30 members of the faculty, staff, and administration signed the charter petition. To qualify for membership, undergraduates must be juniors who are in the top 7.5 percent or seniors in the top 10 percent of their respective classes. Graduate students must rank in the upper 10 percent of their class. Students who are invited to become members may join by paying the initiation and membership fee and participating in an induction ceremony. In addition to numerous membership benefits, the national organization awards over $1 million in scholarships and fellowships each biennium. The local chapter website is www.txst.edu/honors/opportunities/engaged-learning/organizations/phikappaphi.html