Degree recipients from September and January, and degree candidates for May, are considered for the following awards, which are presented either at a Gallatin Graduation Award's Dinner preceding the Gallatin Graduation Ceremony, or during the Gallatin Graduation Ceremony:
School Banner Bearer—An undergraduate student selected by the faculty to carry the school banner and lead the processional during the New York University Commencement Exercises at Yankee Stadium and the Gallatin graduation ceremony at Lincoln Center.
Student Speaker—An undergraduate student selected to deliver the student address at the Gallatin graduation ceremony.
Richard J. Koppenaal Award for Distinguished Interdisciplinary Study—Given by the faculty to an undergraduate student who has completed an exemplary interdisciplinary program of study. This is Gallatin’s top academic award.
Bachelor of Arts Degree Representative—The student selected by the faculty to represent the entire class of Bachelor of Arts degree recipients and candidates at the New York University Commencement Exercises at Yankee Stadium. This award recognizes overall academic excellence.
Master of Arts Degree Representative—The student selected by the faculty to represent the entire class of Master of Arts degree recipients and candidates at the New York University Commencement Exercises at Yankee Stadium. This award recognizes overall academic excellence.
Rahul Hamid Award for Community Spirit (Undergraduate and Graduate Level)— This award honors the legacy of Rahul Hamid, former faculty and administrator at Gallatin. Given to students who best embody Rahul’s signal qualities – deep engagement with New York City and with Gallatin, intellectual curiosity, compassion, and kindness. This award recognizes outstanding scholarship and exemplary participation in community-building activities at Gallatin and NYU.
Léo Bronstein Homage Award (Undergraduate and Graduate Level)—Given by the Léo Bronstein Homage Endowment at Gallatin to a student who exemplifies the scholar/artist model of this great teacher, based on outstanding interdisciplinary achievements in the arts.
Special Service Award (Undergraduate and Graduate Level)—Given by the faculty and Dean in recognition of outstanding service to the Gallatin School and New York University.
Clyde Taylor Award for Distinguished Work in African-American and Africana Studies (Undergraduate and Graduate Level)—This award has been established in honor of the contributions of Clyde Taylor, Professor Emeritus at Gallatin. Given by the faculty to a student who has done distinguished work in African American or Africana Studies.
e. Frances White Award (Undergraduate and Graduate Level)—This award has been established in honor of the contributions of e. Frances White, Professor Emeritus at Gallatin. Given by the faculty to a student whose scholarly or artistic work or practice has impact or significance beyond the academy, particularly in the areas of African History, African American Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Feminist Studies.
Award in Interdisciplinary Academic Excellence (Undergraduate and Graduate Level)—Given to a student for outstanding interdisciplinary work.
Outstanding Service Award—The purpose of the President’s Service Award is to recognize the distinguished achievements of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students and student organizations for their commitment to civic engagement and service in local communities across the University's global network or for their promotion of learning, leadership, and quality of student life at New York University.
Eligibility for Graduation Awards
Graduating Gallatin students can be nominated for graduation awards via the Graduation Awards Nomination Form. Nominations open in mid-January and are due by mid-February. Nominees must be eligible to walk in the May graduation ceremony and can include September and January graduates from that calendar year.
Undergraduate Honors
Founders' Day Award
As a Commencement honor, top-ranking Baccalaureate candidates and graduates are named University Honors Scholars, earning them the NYU Founders’ Day Award. Recipients receive a gold tassel that they can wear during Commencement, as well as a personalized certificate. Baccalaureate candidates and graduates earn the award by obtaining a specific GPA (placing them within the top 40 percent of their school’s graduating class).
For more information on Founders' Day Awards, see the website of the Office of the Registrar.
Latin Honors
Latin honors are awarded to Baccalaureate degree recipients who have achieved academic distinction. The honor will appear on the student's transcript and diploma. There are three levels of Latin honors: summa cum laude, with highest honor; magna cum laude, with great honor; and cum laude, with honor.
Summa cum laude will be awarded to the top 5 percent (by GPA) of Gallatin graduates, magna cum laude to the next 10 percent, and cum laude to the next 15 percent. The cut-off GPA for each of these levels will be determined by the record of the previous year's graduating Gallatin class (e.g., if the top 5% of last year's class graduated with at least a 3.95 GPA, then all students in this year's class with a GPA at or above that level will receive summa). For the specific cut-off GPA's, go to the website of the Office of the Registrar. In addition, students must have a clean record of conduct.
To be eligible for Latin honors from Gallatin, a student must have completed at least 64 credits at NYU for which the letter grades A through D were received. Courses taken at NYU before admission into Gallatin are included in the GPA and in the 64-credit requirement for Latin honors. NYU courses taken for a Pass ("P") grade, noncredit NYU course grades, and grades from courses taken at other institutions are not included in the Latin honors computation.
Gallatin Senior Project
The Senior Project is a semester-long, four-unit, intensive independent research and/or creative project that undergraduates students work on under the guidance of a faculty mentor. To be considered for Honors, students should submit their completed project to their mentor no later than two weeks before the last day of classes. Completed projects should be evaluated and nominated in writing by the faculty mentors to the Gallatin Senior Project Committee no later than one week before the last day of classes. Letters of nomination should provide a description of why the Senior Project merits Honors. Upon review of the Senior Project, the Gallatin Senior Project Committee will award Honors to projects deemed exceptional according to the selection criteria. The Honors designation will appear on students’ transcripts.
Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest academic honor society, which celebrates excellence in the liberal arts and sciences. Invitation to Phi Beta Kappa is a reflection of outstanding academic achievement. Members of Phi Beta Kappa are a select group: only 10 percent of the country’s colleges and universities have Phi Beta Kappa chapters, and only about 10 percent of graduates are invited to be Phi Beta Kappa members.
Gallatin students who are committed to a broad liberal arts education and wish to be considered for Phi Beta Kappa should aspire to meet the criteria for nomination, which include extremely strong academic performance in at least one semester of college math, two semesters of college science (with a lab component), and foreign language proficiency (through the Intermediate II level).