Campus Awards

Duval Scholarship

Bettina and Glenn Duval generously endowed a scholarship in honor of their son Bennett for students who are in the College of Letters and Science Honors Program and who are pursuing a double major.

Students who meet the following criteria are encouraged to apply:

  • Are in good standing in the College Honors Program
  • Will have at least 90 units completed by the end of the spring quarter in which they are applying
  • Will be registered full-time students at UCSB throughout the next academic year
  • Have declared a double major (or pre-major).

Selection criteria will include GPA, overall academic achievement, and motivation for pursuing a double major. Some consideration will be given to financial need; however, eligibility for financial aid is not a criterion for application. The recipient will be announced by the end of spring quarter.

To apply, complete the online Duval Scholarship Application (to be opened in late February) by the deadline of Monday, April 1, 2024.

Please address any questions via email to Alicia Melero, Assistant to the Dean, at amelero@ltsc.ucsb.edu.

Kirby-Jones Scholarship

Marvel and Robert Kirby generously endow scholarships in honor of their granddaughters, for students in the College of Letters and Science Honors Program. 

Students who meet the following criteria are encouraged to apply:

  • Are in good standing in the College Honors Program
  • Will have at least 90 units completed by the end of the spring quarter in which they are applying
  • Will be registered full-time students at UCSB throughout the next academic year
  • Have been residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, or Kern Counties for a majority of their lives and/or have graduated from a high school in one of these counties.

Selection criteria will include GPA, and overall academic achievement. Some consideration will be given to financial need; however, eligibility for financial aid is not a criterion for application. The recipients will be announced by the end of spring quarter.

To apply, complete the online Kirby-Jones Scholarship Application (to be opened in late February) by the deadline of Monday, April 1, 2024.

Please address any questions via email to Alicia Melero, Assistant to the Dean, at amelero@ltsc.ucsb.edu.

Departmental Senior Honors Programs

Many departments within the College of Letters & Science offer senior honors programs, this is separate from the L&S Honors Program. Departmental senior honors programs allow students to engage in research and independent study within their major field. Typically, students are chosen for these programs at the end of their junior year. During their senior year, they dedicate a significant portion of their time to developing and completing an original research project or senior thesis.

Students who participate in departmental honors programs and excel in their project or thesis may be nominated by their departments for the Distinction in the Major award. This recognition highlights exceptional achievement in their field of study.

Any courses taken as part of a Departmental Senior Honors program are automatically applied toward participation in and completion of the L&S  Honors Program. Participants in Departmental Senior Honors programs also enjoy special privileges, such as access to UCSB Davidson Library resources usually reserved for graduate students. Additionally, they have the opportunity to apply for research funding through the office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities

For more information about departmental senior honors programs, contact your department or refer to the General Catalog.

University Honors

Honors at Graduation

Honors at graduation are awarded to the top 20 percent of graduating students who complete 60 or more letter-graded University of California units, as follows:

  • Highest Honors – Top 2.5 percent
  • High Honors – Next 6 percent
  • Honors – Next 11.5 percent

Please visit the Office of the Registrar’s website for grade-point average thresholds for the current academic year.

Honors at Graduation are automatically awarded by the University based on the criteria above.You do not need to file any separate paperwork to receive Honors at Graduation if you are eligible. When the graduating class is finalized, the appropriate honors level is noted on the diploma and transcript as: "Honors," or "High Honors" or "Highest Honors." Questions regarding Honors at Graduation may be emailed to the Registrar's Office at GraduationMatters@sa.ucsb.edu

Please note regarding Commencement-related honors levels:  For graduating students, the College will receive a list of "potential" honors levels from the Registrar's Office on which to base Commencement-related designations, for any publications and for the honors fourragere cord eligibility list that the UCSB Bookstore will receive.  Questions regarding Commencement-related honors levels can be directed to Honorsmail@ltsc.ucsb.edu. Students eligible to purchase honors fourragere cords at the bookstore will be emailed in mid-May regarding eligibility based on potentially earning at least one of the following honors at graduation:  Highest Honors, College Honors, a City Club Prize, or one of the L&S Honors Graduation Awards.

College Honors

College Honors are awarded to graduating students in the College of Letters and Science who have completed 135 or more letter-graded University of California units with a GPA of 3.85 or higher.

College Honors are automatically awarded by the College of Letters and Science based on the criteria above. You do not need to file any separate paperwork to receive College Honors if you are eligible. “College Honors” is noted on transcripts.

Dean's Honors

Dean’s Honors are granted at the end of each quarter to all students who have earned a GPA of 3.75 or higher on 12 or more letter-graded units for the quarter, with no NP grades. Dean’s Honors are noted on transcripts.

If you have an update to your record for a quarter and feel you are now eligible for Dean’s Honors, please submit a Dean’s Honors Update Request form to the College Advising Office (1117 Cheadle Hall).