Honors and Awards

James B. Angell Scholars

Students who achieve an “A” record (all grades of A+, A, or A-) for two or more consecutive terms are recognized as James B. Angell Scholars. The student must have taken a minimum of 14 credit hours each term, including at least 12 credits elected on a graded (A-E) basis. Recipients of this award are recognized during Honors Convocation according to the number of consecutive terms they have earned the Angell Scholar designation.

If a student earns all A’s in a non-qualifying term, it will be ignored in the consecutive term count, but it will not break the Angell sequence. If the student receives a grade other than A+, A, A-, CR, P, S, W, or Y (regardless of the number of credit hours elected), the consecutive term sequence is broken.

The names of all James B. Angell Scholars will appear in the Honors Convocation printed program, and the award designation will appear on the student’s transcript on the day of the Honors Convocation.

University Honors Designation

The University Honors designation is awarded to students who earned a 3.5 grade point average or higher during a term. The student must have taken a minimum of 14 credit hours during the term, including at least 12 credits elected on a graded (A-E) basis. Students who achieve University Honors designation for both the winter term and fall term are recognized at Honors Convocation. Seniors who achieve University Honors for at least one of these two terms are recognized at the Honors Convocation.

William J. Branstrom Award

First-year students in their first-term who rank in the upper five percent of their class within their school or college are awarded the William J. Branstrom Freshman Prize. The student must have taken at least 14 graded (A-E) credits during the fall term to be eligible for this award. Advanced placement credit does not disqualify a student for consideration of this award. Recipients of this award are recognized during Honors Convocation.

The names of all William J. Branstrom Award winners will appear in the Honors Convocation printed program, and the award designation will appear on the student’s transcript on the day of the Honors Convocation.  Recipients of this award will also receive a book prize. For details regarding book prize selection, please visit the Branstrom Book Prize Detail page.

Honors Convocation

Honors Convocation is an annual celebration where undergraduate students who have received one or more of the three awards above are recognized for their distinguished academic achievements. It is one of the University’s most important academic traditions.

Department Awards

Department Awards recognize superior academic performance in the major. Consult the website of the department of your major.

National Honor Societies

Honor Societies are organizations that exist in order to encourage and recognize excellence in student scholarship and leadership. A notation is posted on a student's transcript by the Registrar's Office for induction to Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and Tau Beta Pi. Induction into other honor societies on the U-M Ann Arbor campus is not noted on a student's transcript.

Student Honor Societies

The University of Michigan's Maize Pages include listings of Student Honor Societies.

LSA Returning Student Scholarship

LSA's Scholarship Office provides information about eligibility and requirements for LSA Returning Student Scholarships.

Scholarships Requiring U-M Endorsement

These national scholarship programs accept applications only from students who have been endorsed by the University of Michigan. There is an internal competition for most of these awards and the UM deadlines are set considerably earlier than the national deadlines to accommodate this process. For detailed information regarding these scholarships, see the Provost’s Council for Student Honors website. Information about awards specifically for LSA Honors students is available on the LSA Honors Program website.