Latin honors

Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in Indonesia, Philippines, United States, and many countries of continental Europe, although some institutions use translations of these phrases rather than the Latin originals. The honours distinction should not be confused with the "postgraduate" (With) Honours or Cum Honore degree, which is the continuation of a completed (Honours) Bachelor's degree program in the same field e.g. in Australian, South African, Canadian, and New Zealand universities.

Generally, a college's or university's regulations set out definite criteria to be met in order for a student to obtain a given honors distinction. For example, the student might be required to achieve a specific grade point average, to submit an honors thesis for evaluation, to be part of an honors program, or to graduate early. Each university sets its own standards, and since these standards may vary widely it is possible for the same level of Latin honors conferred by different institutions to represent contrasting levels of academic achievement. Similarly, some institutions may grant equivalent (or additional) non-Latin honors to undergraduates. The University of Wisconsin-Madison, for example, has a series of plain English grading honors based on class standing.