Honors at Commencement

Academic Program Honors     Academic Honor Societies

Institutional Honors

Mercy College recognizes the outstanding achievement of its graduates by awarding the following graduation honors, which will be signified with the awarding of a gold honor cord:

Recipients of the Bachelor’s Degree

• Summa Cum Laude - Have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher.
• Magna Cum Laude - Have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.650 to 3.799 inclusive.
• Cum Laude - Have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.500 to 3.649 inclusive.

Recipients of the Associate’s Degree

• Highest Honors - Have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher.
• High Honors - Have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.650 to 3.799 inclusive.
• Honors - Have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.500 to 3.649 inclusive.

Recipients of Certificates

• Certificate Highest Honors - Have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher.
• Certificate High Honors - Have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.650 to 3.799 inclusive.
• Certificate Honors - Have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.5 to 3.649 inclusive.

Student must complete 30 credit hours at Mercy College to be a recipient of Associate’s Degree honors or Certificate honors and must complete 60 hours at Mercy College to be a recipient of Bachelor’s Degree honors.

Commencement ceremony honors are based on the student’s cumulative grade point average achieved at the end of the semester before graduation. Official honors are determined by the final cumulative grade point average.

Honor cords will be distributed with caps and gowns.

Academic Program Honors

Mercy College academic programs recognize the outstanding achievements of their graduates by awarding the following four program honors, which will be announced during the ceremony:

Peer Mentor Award

The Peer Mentor Award is given to a student who has demonstrated compassion by providing academic and/or emotional support to another student, as nominated by College staff and students.

Service Leaning Award

The Service Learning Award is given to a student who has demonstrated concern for those who are poor and disadvantaged by providing a service in their community. This may be demonstrated by community service projects or other service learning endeavors that benefit those less fortunate than themselves, as nominated by College staff, students, or community agency staff members.

Clinical Award

The Clinical Award is given to a student who consistently serves as a role model of reverence, compassion, integrity and excellence in all clinical interactions, going beyond the Mercy expectations in consistency and quality of performance, as nominated by clinical instructors, Mercy Medical Center staff, or other students.

Outstanding Student Award

The Outstanding Student Award is given to a student who is a well rounded role model for peers, demonstrating overall excellence in academics, clinical rotations, service and collegiate life. Academic performance, as demonstrated by grade point average will be a consideration, but the recipient need not have the highest grade point average in the cohort. The award will be given within each academic program as nominated by College staff.

Academic Honor Societies

Alpha Beta Kappa National Honor Society

Mercy College’s Alpha Beta Kappa recognizes the top 10% of the graduates at each commencement, based on their cumulative grade point average in the semester prior to graduation.  ABK is the premier national honor society for America's private career colleges.  The purpose of the Society is to encourage and recognize superior student academic achievement, character and leadership.

Alpha Eta National Allied Health Honor Society

Mercy College’s Alpha Eta Allied Health Honor Society was created December 2009. The purpose is to recognize scholarship in the nine Allied Health Programs. Associate degree, baccalaureate, and post- degree certificate graduates who have maintained and overall scholarship average of 3.5 or better while enrolled in an Allied Health Program are eligible for membership. No more than 20% of the graduating class of a specified program shall be invited to membership. It is the intent of the Society to recognize potential and actual professional attainments. Demonstrated academic, scholarly and clinical excellence are part of the criteria for membership.

Sigma Theta Tau International –Zeta Chi-at-Large

Sigma Theta Tau recognizes outstanding nursing students that have achieved a GPA of 3.5 or higher and are within the top 30% of their class. Students must be working toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, and have completed at least half of their course work to be eligible. Students must also display Mercy Core Values, and represent themselves and the nursing profession with high standards. Upon induction students become members of a worldwide community of nurses who orchestrate a lifetime of excellence through their honor society membership.