The following information is for students graduating with honors recognition or distinction.
Academic Honors
Students graduating with academic honors wear medallions signifying their honors designations.
Academic honors designations are for bachelor’s degree recipients only. Students graduating with academic honors must have earned at least 60 credits at Ball State and a total of at least 120 credits including transfer credits.
Your Ball State grade point average must be:
- 3.6 to 3.799 for cum laude
- 3.8 to 3.899 for magna cum laude
- 3.9 to 4.0 for summa cum laude
If final grades change the honors designation, the new designation will be printed on the diploma and transcript.
Undergraduate students who qualify for a medallion will be sent instructions from the Registrar’s Office regarding pick-up options. Medallions will also be available on the day of Commencement before the ceremony begins.
For more questions about medals, contact Cardinal Central.
Honors College
Honors College graduates who have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.33 or higher wear red and white honors cords. Please contact the Honors College for more information about these.
Associate Degrees with Academic Distinction
Students who earn associate degrees will have the designation “Academic Distinction” noted on their transcript and diplomas if they:
- maintain a GPA of at least 3.6
- earn at least 30 graded credits from Ball State.
Military Honor Cords
Graduating students who have served in, are currently serving in, or are commissioning upon graduation into the military are permitted to wear red, white, and blue honor cords as part of their Commencement regalia. We proudly recognize these students and their service to our country.
For more information about Veteran cords, email Veterans Affairs. The Veteran stole is available for purchase on Oak Hall’s cap and gown ordering portal. It can be found under the “Accessories” category.