IU holds all its graduates in high esteem and has an added measure of pride in those of you who have excelled in your academics.
If you’re attending Spring Commencement, you’ll be notified by your program(s) in March if you’re eligible to wear honor cords. If you’re attending Winter Commencement, you’ll be notified in November. You may be entitled to one or more of the following cords:
Candidates who graduate with Distinction (crimson), High Distinction (cream), and Highest Distinction (cream and crimson) are entitled to wear cords called fourragères on their left shoulders.
Recorders in each school distribute fourragères to qualified students before Commencement.
Schools and departments offer honors programs for students who excel academically and seek an enriched and challenging learning environment.
Graduates who fulfill the requirements of these programs receive a notation on their diplomas and are eligible to wear gold honor cords, which are provided by the participating schools and departments. The requirements for graduating with honors are different for each school. Contact your recorder for more information.
Service members on active duty or in the National Guard or Reserves, as well as veterans of the United States Armed Forces, including Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard, are entitled to wear a twisted cord of red, white, and blue. ROTC graduates who will commission on or immediately after graduation are also eligible.
Armed service cords may be worn only by the individual who has served, is serving, or will serve; friends, relatives, and beneficiaries are not eligible. Graduates should check with the Center for Veteran and Military Students to obtain a cord. Proof of service, such as DD214 or a military ID card, is required.
A wide array of honors organizations recognize outstanding achievement in service, philanthropy, and scholarship.
Graduates who have been admitted to any of the nationally recognized honor societies listed below may wear the appropriate cords, which are available for purchase directly from the various society headquarters.
Fourragères should be worn pinned to the left shoulder of your gown. Pin the fourragères halfway between the shoulder seam and the collar. The loop will drape over the outside of the sleeve with two cords hanging in front and two in the back of the sleeve. Your arm should not go through the loop.
Undergraduates who graduate with Highest Distinction, High Distinction, and Distinction are entitled to wear Cream and Crimson honor cords (fourragères). Criteria vary by school. Select your school from the list for further information:
The tentative honors list is composed of seniors who have completed at least 60 graded credit hours at Indiana University, and whose grade point averages are 3.900 for Highest Distinction, 3.800 for High Distinction, and 3.700 for Distinction.
The tentative honors list is composed of seniors who have completed at least 60 graded credit hours at Indiana University, and whose grade point averages are 3.900 for Highest Distinction, 3.800 for High Distinction, and 3.700 for Distinction.
The tentative honors list is composed of seniors who have completed at least 60 graded credit hours at Indiana University, and whose grade point averages are 3.900 for Highest Distinction, 3.800 for High Distinction, and 3.700 for Distinction.
The tentative honors list is composed of students receiving bachelor’s degrees with three levels of distinction: Distinction, High Distinction, and Highest Distinction in each of the three baccalaureate degrees. In each of the three separate degree categories, students whose cumulative grade point averages are 4.00 will receive Highest Distinction. In the Bachelor of Music degree, students whose grade point averages are between 3.95–3.99 will receive High Distinction, between 3.90–3.94 will receive Distinction. In the Bachelor of Music Education degree, between 3.85–3.99 will receive High Distinction, between 3.75–3.84 will receive Distinction. In the Bachelor of Science degree, between 3.90–3.99 will receive High Distinction, between 3.85–3.89 will receive Distinction.
The tentative honors list is composed of seniors with the following GPA cutoffs: 3.90–4.0 with Highest Distinction; 3.800–3.899 with High Distinction; 3.700–3.799 with Distinction.
The tentative honors list is composed of seniors who have completed at least 60 graded credit hours at Indiana University, and whose grade point averages are 3.9 for Highest Distinction, 3.8 for High Distinction, and 3.7 for Distinction.
Students have been tentatively selected to receive honors based on their cumulative grade point average at the end of the first semester of the current academic year: Summa Cum Laude, top 1 percent; Magna Cum Laude, top 10 percent; Cum Laude, top 30 percent.
The tentative honors list is composed of seniors who have completed at least 60 graded credit hours at Indiana University, and whose grade point averages are 3.900 for Highest Distinction, 3.800 for High Distinction, and 3.700 for Distinction.
The O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs recognizes outstanding academic achievement by awarding bachelor’s degrees with three levels of distinction: 4.00–3.90 for Highest Distinction, 3.89–3.80 for High Distinction, and 3.79–3.70 for Distinction.
The tentative honors list is composed of students who have completed a minimum of 60 credit hours at Indiana University with the following grade point averages: with Highest Distinction, 3.90–4.00; with High Distinction, 3.75–3.89; with Distinction, 3.60–3.74.
The tentative honors list is composed of seniors who are in the upper 10 percent of their graduating class, who have completed at least 60 credit hours at Indiana University, and whose grade point averages are 4.00–3.83 for Highest Distinction, 3.82–3.66 for High Distinction, and 3.65–3.50 for Distinction.
The tentative honors list for the baccalaureate degree is composed of students who have been in residence at least three semesters in the School of Optometry with the following cumulative grade point average: 3.90, with Highest Distinction; 3.80, with High Distinction; 3.70, with Distinction. The tentative honors list for the Doctor of Optometry degree is composed of students who have recorded the following cumulative grade point average after seven semesters in the professional curriculum: 3.90, with Highest Honors; 3.80, with High Honors; 3.70, with Honors. Candidates for the Associate of Science degree will receive honors for academic achievement at an award reception at the School of Optometry.
The tentative honors list is composed of students who have completed a minimum of 60 GPA credit hours at Indiana University with the following grade point averages: with Highest Distinction, 3.90; with High Distinction, 3.75; with Distinction, 3.50.
The School of Social Work recognizes outstanding achievement by awarding distinction to the top 10% of the graduating class according to the following criteria: program GPA of 3.95 or higher earns Highest Distinction; program GPA of 3.85-3.94 earns High Distinction; and the remaining students in the top 10% with a program GPA of 3.84 or below earn Distinction.