Georgetown Honors Top Students at Awards Ceremony

Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) recently hosted the Dean’s Reception for Honors Students to recognize the highest levels of academic achievement for the Spring 2018 and Fall 2018 semesters. The event celebrated outstanding students ranging from first year to graduating seniors.

Every semester, Academic Honors are earned based on a student’s grade point average (GPA) for that semester. And once every academic year, Honors earned over the previous semesters are recognized at a campus reception. Academic Honors are printed on all official transcripts, with First Honors indicating the highest level of achievement and requiring a grade point average of 3.9 and above, and Second Honors awarded for a GPA of 3.7 and above.

The Dean of GU-Q, Dr. Ahmad Dallal, said, “GU-Q continues to attract and enroll top tier students from Qatar and around the world, and we are proud to see these driven and dedicated students take on the challenge of our rigorous curriculum, and succeed. Truly these award winners exemplify the strengths of a liberal arts education and the best of Georgetown.”

The winning students are all pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service degree, an interdisciplinary undergraduate program offered in four majors and built on an international affairs curriculum rooted in the study of economics, political science, history, philosophy, theology, the humanities, and other disciplines.

Associate Professor at GU-Q, Dr. Daniel Westbrook, and Assistant Dean for Curricular and Academic Advising, Dr. Christine Schiwietz, took part in recognizing the students at the Dean’s Reception which began with a congratulatory speech from the Dean. Honorees were awarded certificates of recognition.

Academic Honors are also totaled over the course of a four year education to determine the winners of the traditional Latin Honors, the highest marks of distinction for a university’s graduating class. These include the honorary Latin titles of summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude.

Although not a part of the Dean’s reception, hard-working students who earn an honorable standing of either 3.5 or above in the course of their semester of studies are placed on the Dean’s List, an academic designation that is also reflected in official university transcripts.