There are three types of Latin honors commonly used in the academic institutions of the United States.
cum laude, meaning “with honor”
magna cum laude, meaning “with great honor"
summa cum laude, meaning “with highest honor”While the use of Latin honors for undergraduate degrees is most prevalent in the academic institutions of the United States, their use with doctorate degrees is common worldwide.
In fact, Latin honors receive worldwide use amongst high schools, colleges, universities, and professional programs. They are commonly used to establish relative rank for diplomas, honor societies memberships, and advanced degrees. No organization has exclusive rights to the terms, so their use varies widely from group to group.
It should be noted that each college or university sets its own policies and standards for assigning Latin honors, if any (some schools use them, others do not), to degrees awarded from the institution. As these policies and standards often vary greatly among universities, membership in The National Scholars Honor Society is awarded independently of a college or university's degree, and does not equate to any school's degree designations, and likewise, receiving Latin honors from your school does not guarantee membership in this honor society. The two are independent: neither mutually exclusive nor commensurate.
No. Membership in The National Scholars Honor Society, or any other honor society, is awarded independently of a college or university's degree, and does not equate to any school's degree designations, and likewise, receiving Latin honors from your school does not guarantee membership in this honor society. The two are independent: neither mutually exclusive nor commensurate.