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By Marcelle Richards

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

For students seeking special recognition upon graduating UCLA, the university offers various honors opportunities to those who maintain high grades while committing themselves to other academic or extracurricular projects.

From college and departmental honors to membership in national honors societies, entering students may participate in one or all of the above if eligible.

“The primary goals of the program are to provide the most challenging educational experience possible to students at UCLA,” said G. Jennifer Wilson, director of the College of Letters and Science Honors Programs, stressing that the school offers a wide array of honors courses and resources through seminars, tutorials and independent research projects.

Students may submit an application for College Honors when they apply for admission to UCLA.

College Honors has different requirements for freshmen and transfer students, but both receive priority passes in course and housing enrollment.

Students entering the university with 43 units or fewer must take 44 units of honors course work. Those entering with 44 to 83 units must take 40 units of honors courses and those with 84 or more units must complete 36 honors units.

Transfers must complete 28 honors units, though they may petition to have up to 8 units of previous honors coursework added to their quota.

Participating in College Honors does not necessarily mean taking extra courses. Many honors classes satisfy general education or major requirements.

To remain in the program, students must enroll in at least 8 honors units per year. As these units accumulate, the minimum required GPA slowly rises from 3.1 to 3.5 by graduation.

A thesis route is also available through individual departments, which allows students to complete research in three consecutive quarters. This alternative is ideal for students who wish to pursue departmental honors since the course load is geared toward courses in a student’s major.

Departmental honors are not bestowed upon a student until junior or senior year. Students may apply during this time by submitting a transcript, letters of recommendation and a nomination form. The student must hold at least a 3.5 GPA in both the major and overall coursework.

Upon admission into the program, the student can pursue a bachelor’s and a master’s degree simultaneously, which streamlines the graduate application process and provides the opportunity for graduate-level research.

“The reason the Undergraduate Student Association came up with this idea was because that particular group was graduate school-bound, They wanted to have the best kind of academic writing they could do,” said Beth Gray, staff advisor in art history for undergraduates.

But after implementing the program, Gray said, not many students have proceeded to seek honors. The intimidation shrouding such an extensive research project has been the largest deterrent, she said.

Less daunting are honors societies, which mix social interaction with the academics.

Breaching into the national sector of available honors, Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma claim 550,000 and 575,000 members, respectively.

“Membership in an honors society is an opportunity for students to be involved with other students who have the same desire and goal to seek academic excellence,” said dean of students Joan Nelson.

“It does serve as a club and an organization students can be involved in and find friendships with students of like interests,” she said.

All freshmen with at least a 3.5 GPA after their first quarter are automatically invited to join, though any student with an overall GPA of 3.5 or above is eligible and may contact the dean of students’ office to apply. The GPA is required to enter the society, but does not need to be maintained, since the society trusts that its members will uphold their own academic standards.

Though participation in events is optional, members are encouraged to run for office and get involved in the decision-making process.

“A lot of times, you have to be a junior or senior to be a leader, as far as the level of responsibility goes,” Nelson said. “In these organizations, you can start into leadership as a freshman or sophomore.”

For students looking for honors recognition later in their academic career, other societies offer more cumulative criteria.

The Mortar Board is a national honors organization that recognizes seniors for outstanding academic and community service performance. At graduation, members carry a spiral-bound day planner – the “mortar board” – that signifies scholarship, leadership and service, the group’s motto.

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