Graduation with Honors is the highest academic distinction at the university. This distinction is separate from "Latin honors" - that is based on GPA (summa cum laude, e.g.).

To graduate with Honors from UNCW, students have spent at least 2 semesters working on a departmental honors project in a one-on-one relationship with a faculty member in the major area who serves as supervisor and mentor. Typically, students have spent another semester or more developing the ideas with this mentor before starting the project. Students spend their initial semester(s) learning how to frame a scholarly question, often through a review of the related literature. Then the students learn how to develop and carry out a project that will allow them to answer the question. After the students carry out their projects, they present the projects in written and oral form, and defend their work to their departmental review committee. As the student carries out this project, he or she is learning how to become a junior colleague in the field. It’s quite an accomplishment to bring the project to completion- and to be recognized as graduating with Honors in the major area. Graduate schools and future employers know this; the ability to carry out this type of project essentially shows that the student can conduct independent scholarly work and possesses the types of skills necessary for many jobs and for graduate level work.

There are two designations for graduation with Honors. Students completing the departmental honors project graduate with Honors in the Major. Students who complete the departmental honors project, plus the series of required honors seminars and honors sections of basic studies classes graduate with University Honors with Honors in the Major.

The Honors Medallion signifies completion of the requirements to graduate with honors from UNCW, and is bestowed on the student by the faculty mentor.