Honors Opportunities

As a selective liberal arts college, Saint Michael’s fosters intellectual inquiry and challenges and rewards academic achievement. The College is one of only 280 institutions in the country, and one of only four Catholic colleges in the Northeast, to shelter a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most widely known academic honor society.

Honors Program

The Saint Michael’s College Honors Program provides unique opportunities and challenges for our highest-achieving students throughout their college careers. Select incoming first-year students are invited into the program as part of the admissions process, or may be invited into the program later based on superior academic achievement during their first year at Saint Michael’s.

Phi Beta Kappa

Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and largest academic honor society, is dedicated to promoting excellence in the liberal arts. As the Gamma Chapter of Vermont, Saint Michael’s College is one of only three Vermont institutions to have a Phi Beta Kappa chapter.

Delta Epsilon Sigma

Delta Epsilon Sigma, the national honor society for colleges and universities with a Catholic tradition, has had a chapter at Saint Michael’s since 1941.

Honor Societies in Fields of Study

A number of national and international honor societies induct many of Saint Michael’s finest students each year. Nine discipline-specific honor societies are active on campus.

Chi Alpha Sigma

Saint Michael’s College is the Vermont Beta chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society, after becoming the second college in Vermont to join the organization, in 2013. Chi Alpha Sigma is the first national scholar-athlete society to honor collegiate student-athletes who have excelled in both the classroom and in athletic competition.

Latin Honors

Graduating seniors earn Latin Honors based on cumulative grade point average. Summa cum laude is awarded for a GPA of 3.9 and above; Magna cum laude for a GPA of 3.7 to 3.9; and Cum laude for a GPA of 3.5 to 3.7.

Honors Work in the Major

Many academic departments support honors work independent of the invitation-only Honors Program. Students interested in honors work in their major should consult the catalog descriptions and department chairs of individual majors for guidance.