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Latin honors are a system of
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
phrases used in some
college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...
s and
universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United State ...
to indicate the level of distinction with which an
academic degree An academic degree is a qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions commonly offer degrees at various levels, usually including und ...
has been earned. The system is primarily used in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. It is also used in some Southeastern Asian countries with European colonial history, such as
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
and the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
, although sometimes translations of these phrases are used instead of the Latin originals. The honors distinction should not be confused with the
honors degree Honours degree has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, or ...
s offered in some countries, or with
honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad h ...
s. The system usually has three levels of honor: ''cum laude'', ''magna cum laude'', and ''summa cum laude''. Generally, a college or university's regulations set out definite criteria a student must meet to obtain a given honor. For example, the student might be required to achieve a specific grade point average, submit an honors thesis for evaluation, be part of an
honors program Honors colleges and honors programs are special accommodation constituent programs at public and private universities – and also public two-year institutions of higher learning – that include, among other things, supplemental or alternati ...
, or graduate early. Each school sets its own standards. Since these standards vary, the same level of Latin honors conferred by different institutions can represent different levels of achievement. Similarly, some institutions grant equivalent (or additional) non-Latin honors to undergraduates. The
University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...
, for example, has a series of plain English grading honors based on class standing. Some colleges and universities, such as Reed College and
Yale Law School Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by '' U.S. News & World ...
, do not use honors at all. These honors, when they are used, are almost always awarded to
undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...
s earning their bachelor's, and, with the exception of law school graduates, much more rarely to graduate students receiving their
master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
or
doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
degree. The honor is typically indicated on the diploma. Latin honors are often conferred upon law school students graduating as a
Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...
or J.D., in which case they are generally based upon class rank or grade point average.


English-speaking countries


United States


Distinctions

In the United States, most colleges and universities use Latin honors for
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...
s and the
Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...
law degree. They are not normally used for any other degrees, such as master's degrees or the
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * '' Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. al ...
and MD degrees. There are three standard levels of Latin honors, listed below in ascending order: *''
cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
'' (), meaning "with praise", typically awarded to graduates in the top 20%, 25%, or 30% of their class, depending on the institution. *''
magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
'' (), meaning "with great praise", typically awarded to graduates in the top 5%, 10%, or 15% of their class, depending on the institution. *'' summa cum laude'' (), meaning "with highest praise", typically awarded to graduates in the top 1%, 2%, or 5% of their class, depending on the institution. Some institutions do not award the ''summa cum laude'' distinction or only award it in extraordinary circumstances.


History

In 1869,
Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher ...
became the first college in the United States to award final honors to its graduates. From 1872 to 1879, ''cum laude'' and ''summa cum laude'' were the two Latin honors awarded to graduates. Beginning in 1880, ''magna cum laude'' was also awarded: In his 1895 history of
Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educati ...
, college historian William Seymour Tyler traced Amherst's system of Latin honors to 1881, and attributed it to Amherst College president Julius Hawley Seelye:


United Kingdom

In the UK the Latin ''cum laude'' is used in commemorative Latin versions of degree certificates conferred by a few universities (e.g. the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1 ...
) to denote a bachelor's degree with Honours, but the honours classification is stated as in English, e.g. ''Primi Ordinis'' for First Class rather than ''summa cum laude'', etc. Official degree certificates currently use English.


Other countries

For undergraduate degrees, Latin honors are used in only a few countries such as
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
, the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
, the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
and
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
. Most countries use a different scheme, such as the
British undergraduate degree classification The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied (sometimes with significant variat ...
(usually used in Commonwealth countries) which is more widely used with varying criteria and nomenclature depending on country, including
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
,
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...
,
Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estima ...
,
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...
, Georgia,
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
,
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...
,
Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
,
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
,
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
,
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
,
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
,
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
,
Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
,
Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...
, the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
,
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...
and many other countries.
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
shows the Latin honors on the degree certificates, but the UK model is shown on the transcript.


Austria

In
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, the only Latin honor in use is ''
sub auspiciis Praesidentis (Latin for ''Doctoral graduation under the auspices of the Federal President''), often abbreviated as doctoral graduation (German: ), is a special form of doctoral graduation and the highest possible distinction for academic achievements for a ...
rei publicae'' (''under the auspices of the president of the republic'') for doctoral degrees. Candidates must have consistently excellent grades throughout high school and university, making it very difficult to attain: only about 20 out of a total of 2,500 doctoral graduates per year (i.e. 0.8%) achieve a ''sub auspiciis'' degree.


Belgium

In
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
, the university degree awarded is limited to: * ''cum fructu'' <68% (''satisfaction'' in French, ''op voldoende wijze'' in Dutch) * ''cum laude'' >68% (''avec distinction'' in French, ''met onderscheiding'' in Dutch) * ''magna cum laude'' >77% (''avec grande distinction'' in French, ''met grote onderscheiding'' in Dutch) * ''summa cum laude'' >85% (''avec la plus grande distinction'' in French, ''met grootste onderscheiding'' in Dutch) * ''summa cum laude with the congratulations of the examination committee'' >90% (''avec la plus grande distinction avec félicitations du jury'' in French, ''met grootste onderscheiding en de gelukwensen van de examencommissie'' in Dutch)


Brazil

In
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, most universities do not provide honors to their students. Among the few universities that do so, the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA—Technological Institute of Aeronautics) awards the ''cum laude'' honor for graduates with every individual grade above 8.5 (out of 10.0), the ''magna cum laude'' honor for graduates with average grade above 8.5 and more than 50% of individual grades above 9.5, and the ''summa cum laude'' honor for graduates with average grade above 9.5. As of 2009, only 22 graduates have received the ''summa cum laude'' honor at ITA. The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro awards the ''cum laude'' honor for graduates with average grade from 8.0 to 8.9, the ''magna cum laude'' honor for graduates with average grade from 9.0 to 9.4, and the ''summa cum laude'' honor for graduates with average grade from 9.5 to 10.0. The
Federal University of Ceará The Federal University of Ceará ( pt, Universidade Federal do Ceará, UFC) is a federal university with campuses in the cities of Fortaleza, Sobral, Barbalha, Russas, Quixadá and Crateús, in the state of Ceará, Brazil. UFC is a public an ...
awards the ''magna cum laude'' honor for undergraduates who have never failed a course, achieved an average grade from 8.5 (out of 10.0) and have received a fellowship of both ''Academic Extension'' and ''Teaching Initiation''.


Estonia

In
Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, an ...
, up until 2010 both ''summa cum laude'' and ''cum laude'' were used. ''Summa cum laude'' was awarded only for very exceptional work. Since 1 September 2010, only ''cum laude'' is used. It is awarded to bachelors, masters and integrated studies graduates. Occasionally the word ''kiitusega'', which means "with praise", is substituted for the usual ''cum laude''. To receive ''cum laude'' one must achieve a 4.60 GPA (out of 5) and receive the highest grade (A - 5.00) for the thesis or the final examination.


Finland

The Finnish Matriculation Examinations at the end of
lukio ''Gymnasium'' (and variations of the word) is a term in various European languages for a secondary school that prepares students for higher education at a university. It is comparable to the US English term '' preparatory high school''. B ...
/ gymnasium uses the grades of: ''improbatur'' (I, failing; "not accepted"), ''approbatur'' (A; "accepted") ''lubenter approbatur'' (B; "willingly accepted"), ''cum laude approbatur'' (C; "accepted with praise"), ''magna cum laude approbatur'' (M; "accepted with great praise"), ''eximia cum laude approbatur'' (E; "accepted with excellent praise") and ''
laudatur This is an article on the grading that is used in Finland. Several systems are in use in different educational institutions in Finland. Comprehensive school The "school grade" system has, historically, been a scale of 0 to 10, but all grades ...
'' (L; "praised"). They are roughly equivalent to Finnish school grades ranging from 4 to 10. Some Finnish universities, when grading master's theses and doctoral dissertations, use the same scale with the additional grade of ''non sine laude approbatur'' (N; "accepted not without praise") between ''lubenter'' and ''cum laude''; technical universities use a numerical scale (1-5) instead.


France

In
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, usually the French honors ''mention très bien'', ''mention bien'' and ''mention assez bien'' are used. However some Grandes Écoles, like the Institut d'études politiques de Paris, HEC Paris, use the Latin and English titles ''"summa cum laude" / "graduated with highest honors"'' for the top 2% and ''"cum laude" / "graduated with honors"'' for the next 5% of a year. Since 2016, honorifics ceased to be used for the completion of a
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * '' Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. al ...
.


Germany

In
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
, the range of degrees is: * ''sub omni canone'' (below any scale, numerical grade 5.0) * ''non sufficit'' or ''non rite'' (insufficient, fail, numerical grade 4.0 ~ 5.0), * ''rite'' ("duly" conferred, that is, the requirements are fulfilled, numerical grade 3.0 ~ 4.0), * ''satis bene'' – or no additional comment (satisfying, numerical grade 3.0), * ''cum laude'' (with honors, numerical grade 2.0), * ''magna cum laude'' (with great honors, numerical grade 1.0), * ''summa cum laude'' (with highest honors, numerical grade < 1.0). These degrees are mostly used when a doctorate is conferred, not for diplomas, bachelor's or master's degrees, for which numerical grades between 1.0 ("very good") and 4.0 ("pass"), and 5.0 ("fail"), are given.


Hungary

In
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
, the range of degrees—similar to the German system—is: ''rite'' ("duly" conferred, that is, the requirements are fulfilled), ''cum laude'' (with honors), ''summa cum laude'' (with highest honors). These degrees are used in university diplomas and in certain fields of sciences (medical, legal and a very few others) only. The grades of degrees are dependent on the received average points from final exams and from average points from the university studies.


Italy

In
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, the ''cum laude'' notation (''"con lode"'' being the equivalent in Italian) is used as an increasing level of the highest grade for both exams (30/30) and degrees (110/110), in all its levels; Passing an exam cum laude (30 e lode) has usually only an honorific meaning, but sometimes it influences the average grade and can be useful to the student so honored (usually weighting 31/30). "30 e lode" is usually awarded after answering correctly a bonus difficult question at the oral examination. In Italy "''110 e lode''" (at institutions using a 110-point system) is the highest rank that can be achieved during the academic studies, and corresponds usually to a final score greater than 110/110 (the specific threshold varies from university to university). Up to 3 bonus points can be awarded for merits, e.g. having an average exams score greater than 28.5/30 (95% equivalent), excellent final project or for graduating on time. More notations include: ''bacio e abbraccio accademico'' ("academic kiss and embrace") ''menzione d'onore'' ("honor mention") and ''dignità di stampa'' ("dignity of printing"), and were given based on various university-specific requirements, but without a legal value.


Malta

In
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, for Bachelor Honours degrees ''Summa Cum Laude'' refers to First Class Honours, ''Magna Cum Laude'' refers to Second Class Honours (Upper Division), ''Cum Laude'' refers to Second Class Honours (Lower Division) whilst ''Bene Probatus'' refers to Third Class Honours. Professional degrees lasting longer than the standard 3 years such as the 5 year Bachelor of Pharmacy are awarded ''Egregia Cum Laude''. Postgraduate Diplomas and master's degrees may be awarded as Pass with Distinction (Summa Cum Laude), Pass with Merit (Magna Cum Laude) or Pass (Bene Probatus).


Mexico

In
Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
, ''cum laude'' (also known as "mención honorífica" in Spanish) is used, by the major universities, to recognize an outstanding dissertation for bachelor's, master's and PhD degrees. Also different awards on public and private universities are given to the student with the highest final grade average (i.e. Presea Lázaro Cárdenas or Gabino Barreda Medal) and a diploma is given as a form of ''cum laude.''


Netherlands

In
the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
two classes of honors may be used for bachelor's, master's and PhD programs: ''cum laude'' (with honor) and ''summa cum laude'' (with highest honor). Typically these distinctions are reserved to mark exceptional achievement above a high minimum grade point average. Sometimes it is lost, despite a high average mark, when the student gets a mark of 6 or lower for one of the many exams (on a scale of 1–10, where 10 is the highest). It may also be awarded based on the weighted average of first achieved grades for each subject only. Generally, less than 2% receive the ''cum laude'' distinction. It is also possible to receive a PhD degree ''cum laude'', although this honor is even rarer than for master's graduates. In view of the difficulty and subjectivity of determining this, some universities and fields of study very seldom award doctorates ''cum laude''. At Dutch University Colleges ''cum laude'', ''magna cum laude'' and, exceptionally, ''summa cum laude'' may be awarded.


Philippines

In the Philippines, Junior High School - Senior High School Students under the new K–12 Curriculum use an honor system using Filipino translations of the Latin original. Students who achieve a final grade average of 90-94 are awarded the title "''May Karangalan''" (''cum laude'') and will receive a bronze medal with the DepEd seal. Those who have a final grade average of 95-97 receive the title of "''May Mataas na Karangalan''" (''magna cum laude'') and a silver medal with the same seal. Students with a final grade average of 98-100 shall be awarded the title of "''May Pinakamataas na Karangalan''" (''summa cum laude'') and a gold medal with the same specification. In College, students are referred to as: ''cum laude, magna cum laude'' and ''summa cum laude'', respectively.


Russia

In
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
, the honor system is based on the grade point averages. At least 4.75 out of 5.0 points are required for the summa cum laude degree ("с отличием" ("s otlichiem") in Russian or "with excellence"). The graduate has to receive a perfect grade on all final examinations. Usually less than 2% of all graduating students accomplish this (depending on the university and year). In military schools, a "red diploma" may be accompanied by a gold medal ("summa cum laude") for outstanding performance. Russian high schools also award a gold medal to the student who achieves a perfect score in all final examinations and in all other subjects not requiring a final exam. A silver medal is awarded to high school students who have one or two grades of 4 ("хорошо" in Russian or "good", being second highest grade) on their final exams or other subjects as listed in the high school diploma ("attestat o (polnom) srednem obrazovanii").


Singapore

In
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
, the Latin honors, ''cum laude'', ''magna cum laude'' and ''summa cum laude'' are used by Singapore Management University. Graduates from Singapore Management University have to achieve GPAs of 3.4, 3.6 and 3.8 out of 4.3 (SMU awards 4.3 for A+ grades) respectively and without any exceptions to qualify for the Latin honors. It is also used by Yale-NUS College, with the top 5% of a graduating class receiving ''summa cum laude'', the next 10% ''magna cum laude'', and the next 20% ''cum laude''. There are no CAP requirements to achieve the Latin honors at Yale-NUS College.


South Africa

In
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
, the Latin honors 'cum laude' is used for bachelor's degrees and master's degrees, and is awarded to students who has achieved an average grade of 70% or higher throughout the degree. Cum laude in South Africa can be considered broadly equivalent to a 1st class degree in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
or a GPA of 3.7 - 4.0 in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
.


Spain

In
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...
, the Latin honors ''cum laude'' is used for PhD degrees only, and is awarded after a secret vote of the jury members, using envelopes that must be opened in a separate session, and requiring unanimity.


Switzerland

In
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, the degrees ''rite'', ''cum laude'', ''magna cum laude'', ''insigni cum laude'' and ''summa cum laude'' are used, but the exact GPA corresponding to each varies by institution.


Ukraine

In
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...
, the university education honor system is based on by-law # 161 (02.06.1993) of The Ministry of Education of Ukraine (3.12.3.5). For a student to graduate a university with a diploma with honors (''cum laude''), students have to receive mark "5" (excellent) at least on 75% of courses, receive mark 4 (good) at max 25% of courses, and pass the state exams only with mark "5" (excellent). Also, students are expected to have participated in research projects with visible results.


See also

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References

{{Reflist


External links


''Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, concerning Latin honors §15, in German''
Academic honours Qualifications Latin words and phrases