Honors programs at John Muir College have been established to provide outstanding students with enhanced educational experiences through close interaction with faculty and other honors students.

MUIR HONORS SEMINAR
During the fall quarter of their freshman year, entering freshmen with outstanding high school records are invited to enroll in the Muir 90 Honors Seminar, which is noted on the UCSD transcript for one unit and P/NP. Students meet with a variety of faculty members from different disciplines to learn more about their research and about academic enrichment opportunities at UCSD.

The format consists of eight meetings for Fall Quarters. The program includes discussions about a particular current issue, with professors providing insight based upon their areas of expertise.

Honors programs differ from college to college and year to year. The Muir 90 Honors Seminar is by invitation and focuses primarily on entering freshmen. Please consult the Muir Academic Advising Office for details on the honors program.

CURRICULAR FLEXIBILITY
The Muir College general education requirements are particularly appropriate for outstanding students. Muir Honors students regularly are able to move rapidly toward advanced work in their major fields. Some students complete double majors, and many do research projects in collaboration with members of the faculty.

CONTINUING REGENTS AND NATIONAL MERIT EARLY ENROLLMENT
Continuing Regents and National Merit Scholars who maintain their eligibility on a quarterly basis have priority enrollment each quarter after freshmen orientation. Therefore, commencing Winter Quarter, students will have the best access to classes and normally to some desirable class times.

MUIR COLLEGE CALEDONIAN SOCIETY
John Muir College founded the Caledonian Society as a means of recognizing our best Junior and Senior honors students - those who have earned a grade point average of 3.8 or higher with a minimum of 44 graded units at UCSD. In keeping with John Muir's birthplace - Caledonia is the Latin term for Scotland - students are inducted into the society each year in January, near the birthday of the famous Scottish poet, Robert Burns.

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
Honors students considering graduate or professional school programs are strongly urged to participate in departmental research programs, typically in the Junior and/or Senior year.

Students may want to explore the following structured research programs during the academic year: the Faculty Mentor Program, the Howard Hughes Program, the McNair Program, various departmental opportunities and some Summer programs.

Please refer to the following website for links to these programs and other research opportunities. Many departments offer independent study and small group research activities for which students may earn credit toward their major.
http://www.vcsa.ucsd.edu/indexug.html

TRANSCRIPT NOTATION FOR MUIR COLLEGE PROVOST'S HONORS
The notation of Provost's Honors appears automatically on transcripts of students who complete twelve graded units with a GPA of 3.5 or higher with no grade of D, F, or NP recorded for the quarter. Please note, this is a transcript service and does not entitle students to any special privileges or rights.

GRADUATING SENIOR DEPARTMENTAL HONORS

Qualified students graduate with a degree awarded with distinction, with high distinction, or with highest distinction. Each department may honor outstanding graduating seniors who have completed a special course of study within that department or program. This may entail an honors research project/paper in addition to specific course work. Information on the special courses of study are published in the UCSD General Catalog.

GRADUATING SENIOR UNIVERSITY HONORS

Qualified students graduate with a degree awarded cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude. Eligibility to receive University Honors at graduation is determined according to campus policy. A maximum of fourteen percent of graduating seniors may be so honored. Ranking is based on the GPA for at least eighty quarter-units of graded course work at the University of California. This generally means that the top two percent will graduate summa cum laude; the next four percent, magna cum laude, and the next eight percent, cum laude.

PHI BETA KAPPA

Phi Beta Kappa is America's oldest, most prestigious honor society for the liberal arts and the sciences, and UCSD's Sigma Chapter is among only 255 chapters chartered since the Society's founding in 1776. The objectives of humane learning encouraged by Phi Beta Kappa include not merely knowledge, but also intellectual honesty and tolerance, a broad range of intellectual interests, and understanding.

One cannot apply for membership. Each Spring Sigma Chapter invites students to membership from among those who meet the following criteria for consideration: enrollment at UCSD for five consecutive quarters; successful completion of at least 160 quarter units; a grade point average of 3.65 for all college-level work (higher for third year students); strong grounding in the humanities (the equivalent of at least five courses in history, literature, or philosophy); a year of college-level courses in mathematics or quantitative science; and a year of college-level study (or demonstrated proficiency) in a second language.

In considering a student for membership, the reviewers note the excellence of the academic record, the breadth and quality of the courses taken, and evidence that the student has pursued a rigorous academic program.