University of Virginia Library

DEGREES WITH HONORS

The courses required for the cultural B.A. and B.S. degrees are adapted
to the powers of the average student, and any graduate of an accredited
school, who has, either by certificate or examination satisfied the requirements
for admission to the College of Arts and Sciences, if he is reasonably
industrious and regular in his studies, should obtain one of these degrees
without great difficulty in four sessions' work. In every body of students,
however, there are a number who possess greater ability and application
than the average, and whose ambition aims higher than a bare pass-mark
on their work. For the proper stimulation of such students toward the
best that they can do, and for due and authoritative recognition of unusual
ability and high achievement in studies, the Academic Faculty has instituted
the following system of Special Honors:

Intermediate Honors

A certificate of Intermediate Honors is conferred by the Academic Faculty
on the student who, during his first two regular sessions in the College
of Arts and Sciences of this University, has passed on not less than 30
session-hours, including all required A courses, without failure or reexamination

on any course, and with an average grade on all courses of 85 per cent. or
more each session.

The holder of a Certificate of Intermediate Honors, so long as he has no
grade below 75 per cent. on the work of any term in any course, is not subject
to the rules limiting absence from the University, nor does absence from any
class entail on such student any penalty, affecting class-standing, imposed for
absence alone.

The Certificates of Intermediate Honors are publicly conferred at the
Annual Convocation of the University following the session in which the honors
have been attained. The names of the holders of these certificates are
published under a separate heading in the annual catalogue of the University.

Final Honors

Final Honors are conferred only on graduation, and the diploma of B.A.
or B.S. with Final Honors states that the honors were won in a given academic
school.

A student who wishes to attain Final Honors must be accepted as a candidate
for honors two sessions before graduation. Any student who has met the
requirements for the Dean's List for two sessions may apply to become a candidate
for Final Honors. Application must be made first to the Dean, and, if
approved by him, must also be approved by one of the academic schools
which offer work for honors. A list of such schools is published annually.

Final honors are conferred on the basis of a final comprehensive examination,
both oral and written, on some field of knowledge, and not for work done in
any or all of the regular courses required for a baccalaureate degree. Honors
work involves wide and independent reading for two years, under the general
direction of the professors of an academic school. It does not require regular
attendance upon lectures or the passing of any tests or examinations, except the
final examination, though consultations and reports may be required. Its aim
is the development of a capacity for scholarly work in a field of knowledge,
rather than a mastery of required details of subject matter.

The completion of work for Final Honors may be counted as credit towards
a B.A. or cultural B.S. degree in lieu of six session-hours of electives-at-large
or major-electives. In the event that the work for honors is not of sufficiently
high quality for Final Honors to be conferred, six session-hours' credit
toward a degree without honors may be granted upon recommendation of the
academic school in charge.