Tuesday October 30, 2001

Honors designation on resumes may also help graduates entering job market

Graduating with honors might hold more than bragging rights for students looking to go directly to a job or enroll in graduate school.

The Honors College helps to prepare students whether they plan to attend graduate school or choose to enter into the job market, said Richard Kissling associate dean of the Honors College.

"Graduating with honors is a testament to one's ability to work creatively and independently in their field of study," Kissling said. "They (Honors students) have a more colorful pallet for their future job."

To graduate with honors, a student entering as a freshman or sophomore must complete 30 honors credits. Six of those credits are designated for an honors thesis that students must also complete.

Entering juniors or seniors must complete 18 honors credits, including the six credits necessary for their honors thesis.

There are 3,900 students enrolled in the Honors College.

Some of the advantages for students in the Honors College are priority registration with the juniors, extended library checkouts for an entire semester, an honors listserv and access to honors dorms.

One honors student said he agrees that there are some advantages to being in the Honors College like smaller classroom size and accessibility to honors dorms.

"If there is an honors class I've opted to take it," said Eric Kennedy, biology and math senior.

He also said that he believes graduating with honors is important, if a student is planning to go on to graduate school.

"It's like taking (Advanced Placement) classes in high school, it better prepares you," Kennedy said.

For students planning to enter the job market, having honors on their resume is a factor employers look at when hiring new college graduates, said Sara Hammond, a spokeswoman for Raytheon, which is Tucson's largest private employer.

"(Honors) is certainly a positive factor for a job seeker," she said.

But, other factors such as extra-curricular activities are also taken in account she added.

Honors students must maintain a 3.5 GPA in order to remain within the Honors College.

Students looking to enter the Honors College after their admittance into the University of Arizona can do so if they have the required minimum GPA and have completed 12 hours of graded coursework.