Honors and Recognition

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Admission With Distinction

“Admission With Distinction” is awarded to a freshman or transfer student who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in past academic work. For first-time freshmen with no previous college units earned, a grade-point average of 3.6 on a four-point scale must be earned in the coursework considered for admission to the university. Students who have completed fewer than 60 transferable semester units of credit must meet the grade-point average for first-time freshmen and must also have earned a 3.5 grade-point average on all transferable college work attempted. Students who have completed 60 or more transferable semester units are eligible, if a grade-point average of 3.5 is earned in all transferable college work completed.

President’s Scholars Program

The President’s Scholars Program at Cal State Fullerton is based solely on merit and recognizes incoming first-time freshmen who have demonstrated excellence in academic achievement, leadership ability and community service. President’s Scholars hold a prestigious position at the university. Scholarship benefits last for four years, as long as individual scholars maintain program eligibility, and include annually: payment of CSU tuition and campus (excluding houseing) fees, $750 for books and supplies, personal use of a laptop computer, automatic admittance to the University Honors Program, priority registration for classes, complimentary parking permits for fall and spring semesters, personalized academic coaching, student leadership opportunities, and holistic support services from the Center for Scholars.

Applicants to Cal State Fullerton’s President Scholars Program must meet the following requirements:

1. apply to Cal State Fullerton as a first-time freshman prior to applying to the President’s Scholars Program. Applications for the scholarship from students who have not applied for general university admission will not be considered;
2. be a resident of the state of California (residency is determined by the Office of Admissions for fee purposes);
3. have earned an academic grade-point average of at least 3.75; and
4. demonstrate evidence of significant contributions to school leadership and community service activities during high school.

The online application is available starting in November every year. For more information, visit the Center for Scholars website at fullerton.edu/scholars or call 657-278-3458.

Dean’s Honors List

Academic achievement is recognized each fall and spring semester for undergraduate students whose grade-point averages for the term are 3.5 or better for 12 units of graded coursework. Students are notified in writing by their college dean’s office when they have earned this distinction and a notation is placed on the student’s academic record for that semester.

Departmental Honors Programs

In addition to the University Honors Program, students are offered other opportunities to participate in an honors community. The College of Business and Economics has a Business Honors Program that provides select students the opportunity to take academically appealing honors courses and participate in unique in-class and out-of-classroom learning experiences. Interested students may contact the college directly to learn how to apply.

Honors at Graduation

Honors designations at graduation are awarded to baccalaureate recipients based on overall performance and have been defined by the Academic Senate in three classifications:

Honor Societies

Departmental and College-Based Honor Societies

Several honor societies have been chartered at Cal State Fullerton to recognize students who demonstrate superior scholarship and leadership in specific academic fields.

Alpha Phi Sigma

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/alphaphisigma

The criminal justice honor society, Alpha Phi Sigma, provides students with references for possible careers in the field of criminal justice, as well as opportunities to participate in field trips to gain insight into the field. Open to juniors, seniors and graduate students.

Beta Alpha Psi

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/csufbap

Beta Alpha Psi encourages and gives recognition to scholastic and professional excellence in the field of accounting. Open to juniors, seniors and graduate students.

Chi Sigma Iota, Kappa Omega Chapter

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/CSI

Chi Sigma Iota, Kappa Omega chapter has active members, including current students, alumni and faculty. The organization focuses on promoting excellence in the profession of counseling and hopes to get members more involved in professional development, community engagement, wellness and more.

Delta Sigma Pi

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/deltasigmapi

Delta Sigma Pi is a Professional Fraternity organized to foster the study of business in universities; to encourage scholarship, social activity and the association of students for their mutual advancement by research and practice; to promote closer affiliation between the commercial world and students of commerce, and to further a higher standard of commercial ethics and culture and the civic and commercial welfare of the community.

Eta Sigma Gamma Professional Health Education Honorary

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/esg

Eta Sigma Gamma promotes and recognizes achievement in the field of health education. Open to all class levels.

Gamma Iota Sigma

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/csufgis

Gamma Iota Sigma (GIS) is the international fraternity for Insurance, Risk Management, and Actuarial Science. We work to connect students to prospective employers through connections with professionals in the industry.

Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society for the Human Sciences

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/ko

Kappa Omicron Nu promotes scholarship, research and the spirit of inquiry in the fields of kinesiology, human services, and child and adolescent studies. Open to sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students.

Lambda Alpha, ETA Chapter

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/lambdaalpha

The Lambda Alpha national anthropology honors society is dedicated to assisting anthropology undergraduates, graduates and alumni with their professional growth through workshops, field trips, conferences and establishing networks.

Lambda Pi Eta

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/lambdapieta

Lambda Pi Eta is the National Communication Association’s official honor society at four-year colleges and universities. LPH, Tau Epsilon chapter, recognizes, fosters and rewards outstanding scholastic achievement while stimulating interest in the communication discipline.

Mu Phi Epsilon

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/muphiepsilon

Mu Phi Epsilon promotes high standards in education and performance in the professional world of music. Open to sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students.

Phi Alpha Theta

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/phialphatheta

Phi Alpha Theta is the national history honor society. CSUF’s Theta Pi chapter, established in 1962, promotes academic excellence through research, publications, conference participation, visits to historical sites and museums, as well as social events.

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/sinfoniaomicronpi

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is the world’s oldest and largest secret national fraternal society in music. For more than a century, Sinfonians in nearly every field of study and professional endeavor have transformed music in America. The opportunity of becoming a Sinfonian is offered to as many men as possible who, through a love for music, can assist in the fulfillment of the Fraternity’s Object and ideals either by adopting music as a profession, or by working to advance the cause of music in America

Pi Alpha Alpha

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/pialphaalpha

Pi Alpha Alpha is the Global Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration. The purpose of Pi Alpha Alpha is to encourage and recognize outstanding scholarship and accomplishment in public affairs and administration. Its objectives, such as fostering integrity, professionalism, and effective performance, promote the advancement of quality in the education and practice of the art and science of public affairs and administration. PAA membership identifies those with the highest performance levels in educational programs preparing them for public service careers.

Pi Sigma Alpha

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/psa

Pi Sigma Alpha recognizes and encourages productive scholarship in the subject of government among junior, senior and graduate students.

Pi Sigma Epsilon

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/pse

Pi Sigma Epsilon has grown to be the premiere organization for motivated and dedicated students looking to maximize their college experience. PSE’s goal is to provide collegiate students with practical business experience through sales, sales projects, marketing, marketing research and community service projects.

Psi Chi

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/psichi

Psi Chi advances and maintains scholarship in the science of psychology. Membership is open to graduates and undergraduates.

Sigma Alpha Iota

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/sigmaalphaiota

Sigma Alpha Iota is an international women’s music fraternity that specializes in projects and events for the purpose of empowering others through music. Membership includes music majors, music minors, and non-majors who wish to continue their passion for music with other women who are as passionate as they are.

Sigma Phi Omega

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/sigmaphiomega

Sigma Phi Omega is the national academic honor and professional society in gerontology, established in 1980 to recognize excellence of those who study and work in the field of aging. SPO seeks to promote scholarship, professionalism, friendship and services to older persons, and to recognize exemplary attainment in gerontology/aging studies and related fields.

Sigma Tau Delta

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/csufsigmataudelta

Sigma Tau Delta confers distinction for high achievement in undergraduate, graduate and professional studies in English language and literature. The aim of Sigma Tau Delta is to promote a mastery of written expression, to encourage worthwhile reading, and to foster a spirit of good fellowship among students of the English language and literature.

Sigma Upsilon Mu

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/sigmaupsilonmu

Sigma Upsilon Mu (SUM) is a co-ed entrepreneurship business fraternity. Sigma Upsilon Mu strongly believes in its pillars A.B.L.E (achievement, brotherhood, leadership, entrepreneurship) and emphasize these principles to all our members.

Tau Beta Pi

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/tbp

Tau Beta Pi promotes and encourages scholastic excellence and service among the top eighth of junior and the top fifth of senior students in all engineering disciplines.

Theta Tau

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/thetatau

Theta Tau is a coed professional engineering fraternity. As defined by the fraternity, “The purpose of Theta Tau is to develop and maintain a high standard of professional interest among its members, and to unite them in a strong bond of fraternal fellowship.” The goals of the fraternity are to promote the social and professional development of its members during and after their college years.

Special Interest Honor Societies

The following societies also recognize specialized groups of individuals or areas of interest, but are not limited to a specific academic field:

Alpha Sigma Lambda

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/alphasigmalambda

Alpha Sigma Lambda’s aim is to recognize the special achievements of adults who accomplish academic excellence while facing competing interests of home and work. Its motto is “First in Scholarship and Leadership.”

Golden Key International Honor Society

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/goldenkey

The Golden Key International Honor Society promotes and recognizes scholastic excellence and service among juniors and seniors at CSUF.

The National Residence Hall Honorary

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/nrhh

The Titan chapter of The National Residence Hall Honorary is a community service and recognition based organization. It focuses on spreading recognition throughout the housing community and serves the Fullerton community by hosting community service events.

National Society of Collegiate Scholars

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/nscs

The National Society of Collegiate Scholars recognizes outstanding academic achievement and assists students in achieving their career objectives. Open to freshmen and sophomores, the organization encourages members to become and remain involved in community service and leadership activities throughout their college experiences and beyond.

Order of Omega

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/csuforderofomega

Order of Omega honors and recognizes the top 3 percent of the CSUF fraternity and sorority members based on leadership, scholarship and service. The Order of Omega also serves to bring together the most representative fraternity and sorority members and to create an organization in which will help to mold the sentiment of the institution in a question of local and intercollegiate affairs.

Phi Beta Delta

fullerton.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/csufphibetadelta

Phi Beta Delta honors excellence among international students, faculty who have studied or done research abroad, and students who have studied abroad.

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