Honors Diplomas (Grandfathered System)

Commonwealth Scholar (Grandfathered System)

This diploma is designed for transfer students and those who enter Honors late in their Virginia Tech career.

In order to receive the Commonwealth Scholar designation, a student must:

• Maintain an overall GPA of 3.50 or above;
• Complete 12 hours of Honors courses (only three hours at the 1000/2000 level), Honors colloquia, or graduate courses that are NOT counted toward a major(s) or minor(s); and
• Order your diploma with Tammy Craft and submit the Commonwealth Scholar Diploma Order Form to Hillcrest 137 during the first month of the semester you plan to graduate.

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Honors Scholar (Grandfathered System)

In order to receive the Honors Scholar degree designation, a student must:

• Maintain an overall GPA of 3.50 or above;
• Complete 18 hours of Honors courses (only one course at the 1000/2000 level), Honors colloquia, or graduate courses that are NOT counted toward a major(s) or minor(s); and
• Order your diploma with Michael Blackwell and submit the Honors Scholar Diploma Order Form to Hillcrest 137 during the first month of the semester you plan to graduate.

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in Honors (Grandfathered System)

In order to receive the in Honors degree designation, a student must:

• Maintain an overall GPA of 3.50 or above;
• Complete 12 hours of Honors courses (only one course at the 1000/2000 level), Honors colloquia, or graduate courses at 5000 level or above that will NOT count toward a major(s) or minor(s);
• Take 6 to 9 hours of undergraduate research with a professor in your major for a grade (A-F); 
• Order your diploma with Russell Shrader and submit the In Honors Diploma Order Form to Hillcrest 137 during the first month of the semester you plan to graduate; and
• Turn in thesis to Russell Shrader with written approval from your mentor two weeks prior to graduation.
  • Download thesis approval form (PDF)
  • Note:  Some departments require graduate courses and public presentations of research findings in lieu of the thesis. The student must meet the departmental requirements.
  • An Honors mentor will serve as a personal advisor and supervise Honors research.  The library privileges accorded to graduate students will be given to a student pursuing an in Honors degree.

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Honors Baccalaureate (Grandfathered System)

In order to receive the Honors Baccalaureate designation, a student must:

• Have a minimum of two majors or a major with two minors;
• Create a committee of advisors with no fewer than two faculty with a minimum of one from each major;
• Complete 12 hours of Honors courses (only one course at the 1000/2000 level);
• Complete a minimum of 6 hours tutorial arrangement with a member of the faculty;
• Complete a minimum of 6 hours of undergraduate research for a grade (A-F);
• Write a thesis on the research and have the committee members sign the approval sheet to be turned into Christina McIntyre before graduation;
  • Download thesis approval form (PDF)
• Meet with plan from Christina McIntyre at least four semesters prior to graduation; and
• Order your diploma with Christina McIntyre and submit the Honors Baccalaureate Diploma Order Form to Hillcrest 137 during the first month of the semester you graduate.

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Scholar in Health Studies (Grandfathered System)

In order to receive the Scholar in Health Studies degree designation, a student must:

• Register with Dr. Tom Sitz, the Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental advisor, as a candidate;
• Complete a total of 12 credits of Honors course work.
• Complete UH 2984: Careers in Medicine;
• Complete BIOL H 3504: Hospital Preceptorship; and
• Complete the minor in Medicine in Society.
• Submit the Scholar in Health Studies Diploma Order Form to Hillcrest 137 during the first month of the semester you graduate.

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Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Program (Grandfathered System)

Application to this program is open to students who have:

• a minimum GPA of 3.50 and
• completed a minimum of seventy-five (75) hours of undergraduate work at the time of application.

It permits up to twelve (12) hours of graduate study while enrolled as an undergraduate student. In order to receive graduate credit, the student must be accepted for graduate study before taking the graduate courses. Some colleges and departments may require that application be delayed until the student completes more credit hours of undergraduate study or require a higher GPA. The graduate courses taken will be accepted in lieu of courses for the completion of the Bachelor’s degree--meaning that the courses taken will count toward both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

The faculty contact for this program is Christina McIntyre.

Application Contents:

• The general application for graduate study at Virginia Tech. These can be picked up in Sandy Hall at the Graduate School reception desk.
• Three letters of recommendation as required by the application. Please have writer place in envelope, seal, and sign over seal.
• An official transcript.
• A program of study detailing what courses will be taken as a graduate student that will also be accepted in lieu of undergraduate courses. The student and the department must agree to specific graduate courses to be taken and which courses in the undergraduate curriculum they will replace.
  • The department must approve this program of study BEFORE the application will be forwarded to the graduate school.
• A $45.00 check for the application fee.

Restrictions

• There will be no exceptions to the 3.50 GPA rule or the 75-hour rule.
• Please note that the use of the name “5-year” is not meant to insure the completion of the Master’s in precisely five years. While in most cases this should be possible, the number of graduate hours completed while an undergraduate, the number of hours required for the Master’s, and the vagaries of thesis research may require a specific student to take longer than five years. A
  student should not seek to enroll in this program unless he or she is reasonably sure that such work will enhance and shorten graduate study.
• Colleges and departments may, at their option, increase the requirements for application to the program. For instance, they may require a higher GPA or more hours of undergraduate study
  before application.
• Colleges and departments may not reduce the requirements without the introduction of new legislation to the relevant Commissions and the University Council.

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