summa cum laude
#1
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Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Garden State
Posts: 280
summa cum laude
Hi, anyone put summa cum laude or magna cum laude on their resume as an equivalent to first, 2:1 etc? Is there a direct translation? Just wondering as I doubt US employers really know what a first is! I had to explain to my current boss what it means as UK does not have GPA's and he asked me if it is equivalent to summa cum laude and i said, yes, kind of.
#3
Re: summa cum laude
There are typically three types of Latin honors. In order of increasing level of honor, they are:
cum laude, "with honor"; direct translation: "with praise"
magna cum laude, "with great honor"; direct translation: "with great praise"
summa cum laude, "with supreme honor"; direct translation: "with supreme praise"
Tell them it means you were so good ..the Queen bestowed it on you ..
cum laude, "with honor"; direct translation: "with praise"
magna cum laude, "with great honor"; direct translation: "with great praise"
summa cum laude, "with supreme honor"; direct translation: "with supreme praise"
Tell them it means you were so good ..the Queen bestowed it on you ..
#4
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 14,577
Re: summa cum laude
There are typically three types of Latin honors. In order of increasing level of honor, they are:
cum laude, "with honor"; direct translation: "with praise"
magna cum laude, "with great honor"; direct translation: "with great praise"
summa cum laude, "with supreme honor"; direct translation: "with supreme praise"
Tell them it means you were so good ..the Queen bestowed it on you ..
cum laude, "with honor"; direct translation: "with praise"
magna cum laude, "with great honor"; direct translation: "with great praise"
summa cum laude, "with supreme honor"; direct translation: "with supreme praise"
Tell them it means you were so good ..the Queen bestowed it on you ..
In short, because the system varies from uni to uni the honors classification is irrelevant, unless it's from a top uni.
#5
Re: summa cum laude
Just tell them it's an honors degree and leave it at that. If pressed, make it up! I would say cum laude = 3rd, magna cum laude = 2.1 and 2.2 and
summa cum laude = 1st. However, I think the US system is just based on your GPA flat and doesn't cap any of the categories whereas the UK version has certain levels capped so each year only a certain number of students can get into each category. At least that's how it worked at my uni.
summa cum laude = 1st. However, I think the US system is just based on your GPA flat and doesn't cap any of the categories whereas the UK version has certain levels capped so each year only a certain number of students can get into each category. At least that's how it worked at my uni.
#6
Re: summa cum laude
Just tell them it's an honors degree and leave it at that. If pressed, make it up! I would say cum laude = 3rd, magna cum laude = 2.1 and 2.2 and
summa cum laude = 1st. However, I think the US system is just based on your GPA flat and doesn't cap any of the categories whereas the UK version has certain levels capped so each year only a certain number of students can get into each category. At least that's how it worked at my uni.
summa cum laude = 1st. However, I think the US system is just based on your GPA flat and doesn't cap any of the categories whereas the UK version has certain levels capped so each year only a certain number of students can get into each category. At least that's how it worked at my uni.
#7
Re: summa cum laude
That's what I thought, you get a certain GPA you get a certain honor. It's not the way honors degree titles are given in the UK, or at least not at the uni I went to. It was something like the top 1% get a 1st, 2-5% get 2.1, 6-8% get 2.2 and the rest completing the requirements for an honors degree get a 3rd. The grade goals changed each year depending on how well people did so it's impossible to match up with a static system.
#8
Re: summa cum laude
That's what I thought, you get a certain GPA you get a certain honor. It's not the way honors degree titles are given in the UK, or at least not at the uni I went to. It was something like the top 1% get a 1st, 2-5% get 2.1, 6-8% get 2.2 and the rest completing the requirements for an honors degree get a 3rd. The grade goals changed each year depending on how well people did so it's impossible to match up with a static system.
GPA 3.7-3.99/4.0 = magna cum laude
GPA 4.0/4.0 = summa cum laude
Sounds like it varies a smidge based on the school - but that should be a good estimate.
#9
Re: summa cum laude
Hi, anyone put summa cum laude or magna cum laude on their resume as an equivalent to first, 2:1 etc? Is there a direct translation? Just wondering as I doubt US employers really know what a first is! I had to explain to my current boss what it means as UK does not have GPA's and he asked me if it is equivalent to summa cum laude and i said, yes, kind of.
Multiply the number of credit hours for the class by the grade that you received for the class.
So, let's assume your class was 3 credit hours, a grade would have the following points:
'A' = 4 points
'B' = 3 points
'C' = 2 points
'D' = 1 point
'F' = 0 points
So if you received an A for your 3 hour class, you multiply 4x3 = 12 points, if you got a B, multiply 3x3 = 9pts, a C would be 2x3=6pts, etc. Then add up all the points you received for all classes, and then add up the total credit hours you took to complete your degree.
Your GPA is then calculated by dividing your total grade points by the total credit hours. So if your total grade points were 400 and your total credit hours were 100, then your GPA would be 400/100 = 4.0
Don't know if this helps at all given that the grading scale in the UK is typically tougher in the UK. When I studied over there, and transferred my grades back to my US uni, my university considered a B an A, and a C a B.
#10
Re: summa cum laude
Or if you're really lucky, pluses and minuses count too.
For grad school it was this:
A = 4 points
A- = 3.66 points
B+ = 3.33 points
B = 3 points
etc.
A bit of a pain really.
For grad school it was this:
A = 4 points
A- = 3.66 points
B+ = 3.33 points
B = 3 points
etc.
A bit of a pain really.
#12
Re: summa cum laude
Hi, anyone put summa cum laude or magna cum laude on their resume as an equivalent to first, 2:1 etc? Is there a direct translation? Just wondering as I doubt US employers really know what a first is! I had to explain to my current boss what it means as UK does not have GPA's and he asked me if it is equivalent to summa cum laude and i said, yes, kind of.
#14
Re: summa cum laude
The trouble with using terms like these is that some of the more, ahem, attentive, employers may see it as falsifying your record. I wouldn't use them unless you have one of those silly 'certified' translations.
My last two jobs have required me to back up my CV with original certificates.
My last two jobs have required me to back up my CV with original certificates.
#15
Re: summa cum laude
I would not put the US terms directly on your resume as if it were a statement of fact, because it would be a false statement and that can be a source of trouble (an acquaintance of mine was hired by Oracle this year; they later found some trivial error on his resume, and terminated him based on a company policy). You could say, perhaps, 'equivalent to...' - if you have room.
However - unless you are a fresh graduate, and don't have any practical experience, I don't think anyone is going to care much about the finer points of your degree; I usually glance quickly at the 'education' part of a resume, but focus more on 'what they did' at their previous employers. When I read a resume, I'm just looking for a 'spark' to make me want to bring the person in for an interview, OR, looking for a 'negative' to reject the resume. If I saw someone fussing over trivial information such as the finer points of their 'score', I'd be tempted to discard the resume assuming they would focus on irrelevant details if hired.
However - unless you are a fresh graduate, and don't have any practical experience, I don't think anyone is going to care much about the finer points of your degree; I usually glance quickly at the 'education' part of a resume, but focus more on 'what they did' at their previous employers. When I read a resume, I'm just looking for a 'spark' to make me want to bring the person in for an interview, OR, looking for a 'negative' to reject the resume. If I saw someone fussing over trivial information such as the finer points of their 'score', I'd be tempted to discard the resume assuming they would focus on irrelevant details if hired.