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The Claw Fountain. Photo: Linda A. Cicero / Stanford News Service

Awards and Graduation Honors

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Stanford students can receive university awards for their academic, research, and writing excellence. The student awards included below are administered or supported by offices of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.

Graduation Honors

Past Graduation Honors


Academic Awards

Golden, Firestone, and Kennedy Awards

The Golden, Firestone, and Kennedy Thesis Awards recognize the top honors theses written each year in an annual VPUE event.  Recipients and their families are invited to this special ceremony during Commencement Weekend.

Phi Beta Kappa 

Phi Beta Kappa is a nationwide society honoring students for the excellence and breadth of their undergraduate scholarly achievements.

To be considered, a student must take three courses of 3 units or more at Stanford with a grade of ‘B-’ or better in three domains of knowledge. These domains are humanities; science, engineering, and math; and social sciences. Students’ academic records are automatically reviewed, so no special action is required for students who wish to be considered for membership.

Tau Beta Pi

The California Gamma chapter of Tau Beta Pi at Stanford University serves the Stanford community by acting as a representative entity for academic excellence, leadership, and continued service to our community.

Writing and Presentation Awards

The Boothe Prize

The Boothe Prize recognizes outstanding examples of expository and argumentative writing from first-year students.

The Lunsford Award for Oral Presentation of Research

The Lunsford Award for Oral Presentation of Research recognizes innovative multimedia presentations that students create in their PWR 2 classes. This award is for second-year students in the Program in Writing and Rhetoric.

The Hoefer Prizes for Writing in the Major

The Hoefer Prizes for Writing in the Major recognize outstanding Stanford undergraduate writing in the Writing in the Major courses.

The Award for Excellence in Honors Thesis Presentation

The Award for Excellence in Honors Thesis Presentation is granted by departments and programs to students whose honors presentation exemplifies the highest standards. It is coordinated by the Oral Communication Program and is separate from the thesis medals process. For more information, please contact Doree Allen, Ph.D., Oral Communication Program Director, (650) 725-4149.

See also

Office of the University Registrar: University Awards