SUNY Canton Honors Program
What is the Honors Program?
The Honors Education Program at SUNY Canton serves to recognize student academic excellence and encourage intellectual curiosity. It is characterized by in-class and extracurricular activities that allow students to experience deeper and more complex learning beyond their standard curriculum. You will need to maintain a 3.25 GPA to stay eligible and depending on whether you are a 2-year or 4-year degree student, complete requirements that include special coursework, research and other applied experiences, and presenting your work at conferences or other formal events.
How is an Honors Program different from an Honor Society, an Honors List, and Latin Honors on your diploma?
Honors Education Program
An Honors Education Program is a specialized academic track designed to give students in-depth and stimulating learning experiences beyond their standard curriculum; you complete extra assignments, activities, and programming in addition to the regular coursework that all students complete. When you graduate, you get a special “Honors” designation on the commencement program, and your transcript will list you as an Honors graduate.
Honor Society
An Honor Society is a discipline-specific organization that recognizes student achievement. For example, if you are a Criminal Justice student, you might have a GPA that ranks you among the top 35% of all students; this would gain you an invitation to Alpha Phi Sigma. We have chapters for several societies across multiple disciplines; you can learn more in the Student Handbook, Section 20 and at the link below. Membership is based on criteria such as GPA, class rank, or leadership experience. You are typically invited by the organization as a reward for succeeding in your courses and extracurriculars, and joining is considered a mark of distinction to enhance your resume or graduate school application. There is no additional work to be completed, other than applying/submitting your personal information upon invitation.
Honors List
An Honors List (e.g., President’s List or Dean’s List) is an academic recognition based on GPA during a specific term. Each semester, Honors Lists recognize the achievement of high grades across campus. These recognitions never require an application or extra work; they are awarded automatically based on your GPA. At the end of the academic year, the best GPA in each program for each year (i.e., First Year, Sophomore, Junior, Senior) is recognized at the Honors Convocation ceremony.
Latin Honors
Latin Honors (Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude) are academic distinctions awarded at graduation, and are based on GPA. They appear on your diploma and are based on cumulative GPA to December 31 of the year prior to commencement: Cum Laude = 3.25-3.49; Magna Cum Laude = 3.50-3.74; Summa Cum Laude = 3.75-4.0.
Beyond these Honors-specific distinctions, there are multiple opportunities for campus recognition and awards (and not all of them are academic in nature). At SUNY Canton, we want you to achieve your highest potential both personally and professionally; you will have a chance to thrive and be recognized for this success both in and out of the classroom.
Honors Program Director
Barat Wolfe, Ph.D.
MacArthur Hall 418
315-386-7842
honors@canton.edu