Academic Honor Societies

As the premier professional business and financial information fraternity, Beta Alpha Psi recognizes academic excellence and complements members formal education by providing interaction among students, faculty and professionals, and fosters life-long growth, service and ethical conduct. BAΨ is a national scholastic and professional accounting, finance and M.I.S. honor society. Scholars in these fields are recognized by achieving a 3.0 overall grade point average.

The purpose of Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society is to function as an honor and professional society for students of the biological sciences. Its activities shall be designed to stimulate interest, scholarly attainment and investigation in the biological sciences and to promote the dissemination of information and new interpretations among students of the life sciences.

The mission of Beta Gamma Sigma is to encourage and honor academic achievement and personal excellence in the study and practice of business. It is the only scholastic honor society recognized by the International Association of Management Education (AACSB). Membership is open to both M.B.A. students and undergraduate students with a major in accounting, business administration or management information systems who are tapped by the Perdue School of Business. To be tapped, undergraduate students in their junior year must be in the top 7 percent of their class or seniors in the top 10 percent of their class. M.B.A. students must be in the top 20 percent of their class. Of approximately 300,000 students receiving M.B.A. accounting, business administration or management information systems degrees nationally in any given year, approximately 15,000 are tapped for membership in Beta Gamma Sigma.

Chi Alpha Sigma recognizes college student athletes who earn a varsity letter in at least one sport while maintaining a 3.4 or higher cumulative grade point average throughout their junior and senior years. Chi Alpha Sigma's purposes are as follows: To encourage and reward high academic scholarship of college athletes at four-year accredited colleges and universities. To recognize outstanding academic achievement by intercollegiate varsity letter winners. To encourage good citizenship, moral character, and friendship among the high academic achievers in college athletics. To recognize and honor the individual athlete, his/her team, sport, athletic department, and college or university. To mentor and to provide leadership to other athletes.

Delta Alpha Pi (DAP) recognizes high-achieving students who are attending colleges and universities as undergraduate or graduate students. This dynamic organization celebrates and supports academic achievement, leadership, and advocacy for post-secondary students with disabilities. Undergraduate students must present with a documented disability and work with one of the advisors in the Disability Resource Center, or self-identify as an individual with a disability, complete a minimum of 24 credits, maintain an overall Quality Point Average of 3.10, and demonstrate an interest in disability issues. Graduate students must present with a documented disability and work with an advisor, or self-identify as an individual with a disability, complete a minimum of 18 credits, maintain an overall Quality Point Average of 3.30, and demonstrate an interest in disability issues.

Notification of eligibility is given to prospective members by the Disability Resource Center. 

Eta Sigma Gamma is the only national health education honorary. Founded in 1967 at Ball State University, its mission is to promote the highest possible standards in education, research, and service within the discipline of health education through student-led chapters in colleges and universities across the United States. The Epsilon Xi chapter at SU is open to any Public Health major or Health minor who meets established eligibility requirements. Chapter Advisor: Brandye D. Nobiling, Ph.D., CHES

The Zeta Eta chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, an international honor society in geography, was established at SU in 1980 to recognize scholarly achievement and to foster professional growth and geographic research. Junior or senior geography majors are eligible for membership by completing at least 18 credit hours of geography with a minimum grade point average of 3.25 and an overall grade point average of 3.0.

Notification of eligibility is given by the organization to prospective members.

The purpose of the Honors Student Association is to provide students with cultural, intellectual and social activities outside of the classroom setting and to promote community service. The group also serves as a liaison between students enrolled in the Clarke Honors College and the Clarke Honors College Committee. It makes recommendations for honors course offerings and advises the committee on matters relating to program requirements and changes.  

Kappa Delta Pi is an international honor society in education. Founded in 1911, the organization has more than 55,000 members in 665 chapters worldwide. The Rho Eta chapter of Kappa Delta Pi promotes excellence in and recognizes outstanding contributions to education. This honor society endeavors to maintain a high degree of professional fellowship and growth among its members. Qualifications for membership include a 3.2 GPA and completion of certain education courses.

The Lambda Beta Honor Society for Respiratory Care at SU was formed to bring together those who are interested in a career in respiratory care. The purpose of the honor society is to promote, recognize and honor scholarship, achievement, service and character of students, graduates and faculty members of the SU Respiratory Therapy Program. Junior and senior student members are available to mentor those wishing to pursue a career in respiratory care. Students will be invited to become members of the SU chapter of Lambda Beta after completing the first semester as a respiratory major with a GPA of 3.0. Students in the top 25 percent of their class will be inducted into the national level of Lambda Beta during the spring semester of their senior year.

Lambda Pi Eta is the official undergraduate communications honor society of the National Communication Association. Its purpose is to recognize, foster and reward outstanding scholastic achievement, stimulate interest in the field of communication studies, and to promote and encourage professional development among communication majors.

The Lambda Tau Honor Society is the national honor society for Medical Laboratory Science students. Its purpose is to develop a spirit of cooperation and unity among students entering the profession of Medical laboratory Science; to stimulate a higher scholastic effort; to develop the professional character of a Medical Laboratory Scientist; to encourage research; to interest other students in this profession; and to receive the benefit of mutual discussions and associations with others with common interests. Faculty, both university and clinical, are also accepted as full members. Salisbury University is home to the Sigma Upsilon official chapter of Lambda Tau.

Omicron Delta Epsilon is the International Economics Honor Society. The primary purpose of Omicron Delta Epsilon is to recognize scholastic attainment in economics, but it is also intended to establish closer ties between students and faculty in economics. Students are eligible if they have an overall grade point average of at least 3.0, and at least twelve credits in economics with an average of at least a 3.0 GPA or better. Notification of eligibility is given by the faculty advisor to prospective candidates.

Omicron Delta Kappa is a national leadership honor society for recognizing the top 1% of campus leaders. The group encourages superior scholarship, leadership, and exemplary character among college juniors and seniors, faculty, and staff. The society also recognizes achievement in athletics, campus or community service, social and religious activities, speech and the mass media and the creative and performing arts. Notable members include Peyton Manning, President Joe Biden, Bob Hope, Sheryl Crow, Cokie Roberts, and many more. Applicants must be nominated by a faculty or staff member or a current ODK member.

The Chi Eta chapter of the social work honor society encourages high scholastic attainment, provides a closer bond among students of social work and promotes humanitarian goals and ideas.

The Eta Iota chapter of Phi Alpha Theta international honor society in history was established in 1959 to serve the needs of those students who have maintained a high scholastic average and who are interested in the further study and teaching of history. Membership is restricted to juniors and seniors. Notification of eligibility is given by the organization.

Phi Epsilon Kappa is a national professional fraternity, which brings to its members an appreciation of their duties toward life, toward their profession, and toward their constituents. Founded on April 12, 1913 at the Normal College of the American Union in Indianapolis, Indiana, Phi Epsilon Kappa Fraternity is a national professional fraternity for persons engaged in or pursuing careers in Physical Education, Health, Human Performance, Exercise Science, and Sports Medicine. Chartered in 1999, the Salisbury University Epsilon Theta Honors Chapter extends an invitation to juniors and seniors in the Department of Health and Sport Sciences who have achieved and maintained a 3.0 GPA or higher.

Phi Eta Sigma is a national honor society whose goal is to encourage and reward academic excellence among freshmen in institutions of higher learning. Freshmen are invited to join if their cumulative grade point average at the end of their freshman year is 3.5 or higher. Membership is recognition of personal accomplishment and serves as an incentive for continued high scholarship. It provides members the opportunity to meet freshmen scholars from all academic disciplines and to join them in promoting academic excellence. Members may apply for scholarships available from national and local chapters. View a list of 2022 inductees.

Membership in the honor society is by invitation only. Since the society is interdisciplinary, it elects members from all recognized branches of academic endeavor-arts, sciences, business, education and professional studies.

Selection criteria include the following:

• Juniors must have completed 72 credit hours, 45 of those credits must be from SU. The top 7.5 percent of juniors are invited.
• Seniors must have completed 90 credit hours, 60 of those credits must be from SU. Seniors must be in the top 10 percent of their class.

Please contact Dr. Meghan East for information.

Phi Sigma Iota is the highest academic honor in the field of foreign languages and is accredited by the Association of College Honor Societies. It recognizes outstanding accomplishment in the study or teaching of the academic fields related to foreign language, literature, or culture. To become a member, a student must be a major or minor in French, German or Spanish, have completed 45 semester hours or its equivalent, have passed at least one upper-level college course (300 or 400-level) in French, Spanish or German, and have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all language courses and a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.

The Maryland Zeta chapter of Phi Sigma Tau, an international honor society in philosophy, considers its organization instrumental in the day-to-day existence of the University. It serves as a means for developing and honoring academic excellence as well as philosophical interest. In addition to providing a means of awarding distinction to students having high scholarship and interest in philosophy, the society also promotes interest in philosophy among the general collegiate public. The society gives notification of eligibility.

Pi Delta Phi, the National French Honor Society, is the highest academic honor in the field of French and the oldest academic honor society for a modern foreign language in the United States. It is also officially endorsed by the American Association of Teachers of French. To become a member, a student must have passed at least one upper-level French college course (i.e. beyond the intermediate-level), be at least a sophomore with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all French courses and a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and rank in the top 35% of their class.

Pi Gamma Mu is an international honor society in the social sciences. To qualify for membership, a student must be a junior, senior or graduate student in the upper 35 percent of the class; have at least 20 semester hours in one or more of the five core areas (economics, history, international relations, political science, sociology/anthropology) and in some other social science disciplines such as social psychology, criminal justice or human geography; and have a GPA of a B or better. Membership and leadership in the collegiate chapter are shared equally between faculty and students. Pi Gamma Mu gives recognition to good scholarship and actively promotes it all year long through enriching activities, service projects, a scholarship program and a lectureship program.

Pi Mu Epsilon is a national honor society dedicated to the promotion and recognition of scholarly activity in the mathematical sciences. The Maryland Zeta Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon was established at Salisbury University in 2001. To qualify for membership, a student must complete at least two semesters of calculus plus two additional courses in mathematics at or above the calculus level, have at least a 3.0 GPA overall, and have at least a 3.0 GPA in mathematics courses.

The Pi Xi chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, a national honor society in political science, was established in 1987 to recognize the scholarly achievement of outstanding political science students. To qualify for membership, a student must complete 18 hours of political science courses, be a junior or senior, have a 3.0 overall grade point average and have a 3.25 grade point average in political science courses.

Psi Chi, a national honor society in psychology, was founded in 1929. The Salisbury chapter was established in 1974 to advance the science of psychology and to encourage, stimulate and maintain scholarship of its members in all fields, particularly psychology. The requirements for membership in Psi Chi start with the completion of 12 semester hours in psychology and satisfying grade point requirements.

SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society is an honor society that not only symbolizes the academic achievement of our veterans through the pursuit of knowledge, but also our commitment as a group to honor those among us that are the tip of the spear. Service, Academics, Leadership, Unity, Tribute, Excellence are the foundation blocks of our honor society and the foundation of your success. Eligible students must provide documentation of their military service and honorable discharge (DD214). A minimum of 15 credit hours must be completed at SU. Students are accepted on a tier system: Graduate students are Gold level at a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher; Undergraduate student levels are Delta 3.00-3.24, Charlie 3.25-3.49, Bravo 3.50-3.74, Alpha 3.75-4.0. For more information or to join contact: Shannon James, Veterans Coordinator, HH 125 or by email: smjames@salisbury.edu

Sigma Delta Pi is the largest foreign language honor society in existence and is accredited by the Association of College Honor Societies. To become a member, a student must have completed three years of college-level Spanish, including at least three semester hours in Hispanic literature or Hispanic culture with a minimal grade point average of 3.0 in all Spanish courses and a cumulative grade point average of 3.0.

Sigma Iota Rho is a national honor society in international studies, founded at American University in 1984. The Salisbury chapter, Zeta Omicron, was founded in 2015, and serves to recognize achievement in the field of international studies while promoting cooperation and scholarship among students in the major. Membership options are open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors in any of the concentrations of the international studies major, provided that they meet the course and GPA requirements established by the national chapter. Benefits of membership in Sigma Iota Rho include graduation regalia, special internship opportunities, and involvement in chapter events throughout the year.

Sigma Pi Sigma exists to honor outstanding scholarship in physics, to encourage interest in physics among students at all levels, to promote an attitude of service, and to provide a fellowship of persons who have excelled in physics. Election is a lifelong membership and includes a one-year complimentary membership in the Society of Physics Students (SPS). Sigma Pi Sigma is an organization of the American Institute of Physics, and a member of the Association of College Honor Societies. Founded in 1921, there are more than 90,000 historical members.

Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honor society, recognizes excellence in scholarship, leadership and research in nursing. To qualify for membership in SUs Lambda Eta chapter, an undergraduate student must have completed one-half of the nursing curriculum, rank in the upper 35 percent of the graduating class and demonstrate potential for or achievement in nursing leadership. A graduate student is required to have a 3.5 GPA, to have completed one-fourth of the program of study and have potential for leadership in the nursing profession.

Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE) is an international honor society in computing and information disciplines. It is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS), and affiliated with the two largest computer organizations in the world, the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the IEEE Computer Society. It is also a charter member of the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES). The mission of Salisbury University Chapter of UPE is to stimulate students’ interest in computer science, promote high scholarship, and recognize academic excellence. The UPE SU chapter was established in Spring 2017. Computer science students are eligible for membership by completing at least 60 semester hours of undergraduate credit including 16 semester hours in the computer science courses, an overall grade point average of at least 3.0, a grade point average of at least 3.0 in all computer science coursework, and must rank in the top 35 percent of computer science students at SU.