Honor society
Encyclopedia
In the United States
, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow
, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America
. Chiefly, the term refers to scholastic honor societies, those that recognize students who excel academically or as leaders among their peers, often within a specific academic discipline.
Many honor societies invite students to become members based on the scholastic rank (the top x% of a class) and/or grade point averages of those students, either overall, or for classes taken within the discipline for which the honor society provides recognition. In cases where academic achievement would not be an appropriate criterion for membership, other standards are usually required for membership (such as completion of a particular ceremony or training program). It is also common for a scholastic honor society to add a criterion relating to the character of the student. Some honor societies are invitation only while others allow unsolicited applications. Finally, membership in an honor society might be considered exclusive, i.e., a member of such an organization cannot join other honor societies representing the same field.
Many fraternities and sororities
are referred to by their membership or by non-members as honor societies, and vice-versa, though this is not always the case. Honor societies exist at the high school
, collegiate
/university
, and postgraduate levels, although university honor societies are by far the most prevalent. In America, the oldest academic society, Phi Beta Kappa, was founded as a social and literary fraternity in 1776 at the College of William and Mary
and later organized as an honor society in 1898, following the establishment of the honor societies Tau Beta Pi
for Engineering (1885), Sigma Xi
for Scientific Research (1886), and Phi Kappa Phi
for all disciplines (1897).
The certifying agency in the United States for college and university honor societies is the Association of College Honor Societies
, which has 61 members.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow
Order of the Arrow
The Order of the Arrow is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America . It uses American Indian-styled traditions and ceremonies to bestow recognition on scouts selected by their peers as best exemplifying the ideals of Scouting. The society was created by E. Urner Goodman, with the...
, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
. Chiefly, the term refers to scholastic honor societies, those that recognize students who excel academically or as leaders among their peers, often within a specific academic discipline.
Many honor societies invite students to become members based on the scholastic rank (the top x% of a class) and/or grade point averages of those students, either overall, or for classes taken within the discipline for which the honor society provides recognition. In cases where academic achievement would not be an appropriate criterion for membership, other standards are usually required for membership (such as completion of a particular ceremony or training program). It is also common for a scholastic honor society to add a criterion relating to the character of the student. Some honor societies are invitation only while others allow unsolicited applications. Finally, membership in an honor society might be considered exclusive, i.e., a member of such an organization cannot join other honor societies representing the same field.
Many fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
are referred to by their membership or by non-members as honor societies, and vice-versa, though this is not always the case. Honor societies exist at the high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, collegiate
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
/university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, and postgraduate levels, although university honor societies are by far the most prevalent. In America, the oldest academic society, Phi Beta Kappa, was founded as a social and literary fraternity in 1776 at the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
and later organized as an honor society in 1898, following the establishment of the honor societies Tau Beta Pi
Tau Beta Pi
The Tau Beta Pi Association is the oldest engineering honor society in the United States and the second oldest collegiate honor society in America. It honors engineering students who have shown a history of academic achievement as well as a commitment to personal and professional integrity...
for Engineering (1885), Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society is a non-profit honor society which was founded in 1886 at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a handful of graduate students. Members elect others on the basis of their research achievements or potential...
for Scientific Research (1886), and Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
for all disciplines (1897).
The certifying agency in the United States for college and university honor societies is the Association of College Honor Societies
Association of College Honor Societies
The Association of College Honor Societies , founded in 1925, is a predominantly American organization that serves a number of functions with respect to national collegiate and post-graduate honor societies...
, which has 61 members.
List of scholastic examples
Important national and international honor societies based in or at schools include the following:General Honor Societies
- Alpha ChiAlpha Chi National College Honor SocietyAlpha Chi National College Honor Society is an American collegiate honor society recognizing achievements in general scholarship. It was founded on February 22, 1922 at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas...
, ΑΧ (All academic fields) - Alpha Epsilon Lambda, AEΛ (graduate studentsGraduate schoolA graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
) - Alpha Kappa MuAlpha Kappa MuThe Alpha Kappa Mu National Honor Society is an American collegiate honor society recognizing academic excellence in all areas of study. Juniors, seniors, and graduate students are permitted to join...
, ΑΚΜ (all academic fields) - Alpha Lambda DeltaAlpha Lambda DeltaAlpha Lambda Delta is an honor society for students who have achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher and are in the top 20% of their class during their first year or term of higher education.-History:...
, ΑΛΔ (freshmanFreshmanA freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
scholarship) - Alpha Sigma LambdaAlpha Sigma LambdaAlpha Sigma Lambda is a national honor society for non-traditional undergraduate students who achieve and maintain outstanding scholastic standards and leadership characteristics while adroitly handling additional responsibilities of work and family .The founding chapter was established by Dr...
, ΑΣΛ (Non-traditional students) - Alpha Sigma NuAlpha Sigma NuAlpha Sigma Nu was founded at Marquette University in 1915 by John Danihy, S.J., Dean of Journalism. In his travels and reading, Father Danihy had encountered and admired honor societies...
, ΑΣΝ (general scholarship at JesuitSociety of JesusThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
institutions of higher education) - Gamma Beta Phi, ΓΒΦ (academics)
- Gamma Sigma Alpha, ΓΣΑ (academic achievement in fraternities and sororitiesFraternities and sororitiesFraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
) - Delta Alpha Pi, ΔΑΠ (students with disabilities)
- Delta Epsilon Tau, ΔΕΤ - Distance Education and Training CouncilDistance Education and Training CouncilThe Distance Education and Training Council is a non-profit national educational accreditation agency in the United States specializing in the accreditation of distance education institutions.- History :...
- Delta Epsilon SigmaDelta Epsilon SigmaDelta Epsilon Sigma is a national scholastic honor society that was established in 1939 for students of Catholic universities and colleges in the United States. The society was founded at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa in 1939 by Father Fitzgerald. Requirements for membership are as follows...
, ΔΕΣ (all academic fields at traditionally CatholicRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
colleges and universities) - Delta Epsilon IotaDelta Epsilon IotaDEI is a co-ed Professional academic honor society. The Delta Epsilon Iota Honor Society was founded on December 7, 1994 at the University of Georgia. It is currently headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia...
, ΔΕΙ - (academics - Golden Key International Honour SocietyGolden Key International Honour SocietyThe Golden Key International Honour Society is an Atlanta, Georgia-based non-profit organization founded in 1977 to recognise academic achievement among college and university students in all disciplines....
(academics) - Kappa Theta Epsilon, ΚΘΕ (co-operative education)
- National Society of Collegiate ScholarsNational Society of Collegiate ScholarsThe National Society of Collegiate Scholars is a national nonprofit academic honor society for college students in the United States. NSCS has active chapters at more than 280 colleges and universities in the United States, including in the District of Columbia, and in Puerto Rico, consisting of a...
, NSCS (scholarship/leadership/service) - Phi Eta SigmaPhi Eta SigmaPhi Eta Sigma is an American freshman honor society. Founded at the University of Illinois on March 22, 1923, is the oldest and largest freshman honor society and now has more than three hundred chapters throughout the United States and more than 1 million members.-Eligibility:Any first-year...
, ΦΗΣ (freshman scholarship) - Phi Kappa PhiPhi Kappa PhiThe Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
, ΦΚΦ (all academic fields) - Phi Sigma Theta, ΦΣΘ (general scholarship)
- Phi Sigma PiPhi Sigma PiPhi Sigma Pi is a national coeducational honor fraternity based in the United States. The fraternity is a 501 not-for-profit organization incorporated in the state of Pennsylvania, with the purpose of fostering the ideals of scholarship, leadership and fellowship...
, ΦΣΠ (general scholarship) (Phi Sigma Pi is an Honors Fraternity) - Tau Sigma, ΤΣ (transfer studentsCollege transferCollege transfer is the movement of students from one higher education institution to another and the process by which academic credits are accepted or not accepted by a receiving institution.-Background:...
)
Arts and Sciences
- Alpha Kappa DeltaAlpha Kappa DeltaAlpha Kappa Delta is an international sociology honor society.Founded in 1920 by Emory S. Bogardus, of the University of Southern California sociology department, the name is derived from the Greek anthrôpos meaning mankind, katamanthanô, meaning to examine closely or acquire knowledge, and...
, ΑΚΔ (sociologySociologySociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
) - Alpha Psi OmegaAlpha Psi OmegaAlpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society is an American recognition honor society recognizing participants in collegiate theatre. The Alpha Cast was founded at Fairmont State College on August 12, 1925 by professor Paul F...
, ΑΨΩ (theatreTheatreTheatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
) - Alpha Upsilon AlphaAlpha Upsilon AlphaAlpha Upsilon Alpha is an academic honor society recognizing excellence in reading and language arts at the undergraduate and graduate level...
, ΑΥΑ (reading and language artsLanguage artsTraditionally, the primary divisions in the language arts are Literature and Language, where language in this case refers to both linguistics, and specific languages....
) - Beta Kappa Chi, ΒΚΧ (natural sciences/mathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
) - Gamma Sigma Epsilon, ΓΣE (chemistryChemistryChemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
) - Eta Sigma PhiEta Sigma PhiEta Sigma Phi is a College honor society which grew out of a local undergraduate classical club founded by a group of students in the Department of Greek at the University of Chicago in 1914. This organization later united with a similar organization at Northwestern University and became Phi Sigma...
, ΗΣΦ (classicsClassicsClassics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
) - Theta Alpha KappaTheta Alpha KappaTheta Alpha Kappa is the national honor society for Religious Studies and Theology. It was founded in 1976 at Manhattan College in Riverdale , New York for the purpose of recognizing the academic achievements of religion and theology students...
, ΘΑΚ (religious studiesReligious studiesReligious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
/philosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
) - Kappa Mu EpsilonKappa Mu EpsilonKappa Mu Epsilon is a mathematics honor society founded in 1930 to focus on the needs of undergraduate mathematics students. There are now over 100 chapters at various American universities and colleges, primarily at mid-sized public universities or smaller private institutions...
, ΚΜΕ (mathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
) - Kappa Omicron Nu, KON (human sciencesSocial sciencesSocial science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
) - Kappa Pi, (artArtArt is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
) - Lambda Alpha, ΛΑ (anthropologyAnthropologyAnthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
) - Lambda SigmaLambda SigmaLambda Sigma is an American college sophomore honor society. Originally named the Society of Cwens, the society was established at the University of Pittsburgh in Fall 1922 as a women's honors society, and became a national organization with the 1925 foundation of chapters at Miami University and...
, ΛΣ (student leadership, scholarship, and service) - Mu Alpha ThetaMu Alpha ThetaMu Alpha Theta is a United States mathematics honor society for high schools and two-year colleges. It has over 89,000 student members in more than 1,800 schools worldwide. Its main goals are to inspire keen interest in mathematics, develop strong scholarship in the subject, and promote the...
ΜΑΘ (mathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
) - Mu Beta PsiMu Beta PsiMu Beta Psi National Honorary Musical Fraternity is a service and music fraternity with chapters and colonies at universities throughout the eastern United States. Founded in 1925 at North Carolina State University by the director of bands, Major Percy Walter "Daddy" Price, this group began as a...
, ΜΒΨ (music) - Mu Phi EpsilonMu Phi EpsilonMu Phi Epsilon is a co-ed international professional music fraternity and honor society. It boasts over 75,000 members in 128 collegiate chapters and 74 alumni chapters in the US and abroad.-History:...
, ΜΦΕ (musicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
) - Mu Sigma RhoMu Sigma RhoMu Sigma Rho is the National Statistics Honor Society. Founded in 1968 at Iowa State University, it seeks to promote and encourage scholarly activity in statistics, and to recognize outstanding achievement among students and faculty thereof. Its activities include outreach and professional...
, ΜΣΡ (statisticsStatisticsStatistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
) - Order of OmegaOrder of OmegaThe Order of Omega is an undergraduate Greek society recognizing "fraternity men and women who have attained a high standard of leadership in inter-fraternity activities." It functions as an adjunct to traditional fraternal organizations, rather than a social or professional group in se...
(fraternities and sororitiesFraternities and sororitiesFraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
) - Pi Gamma MuPi Gamma MuPi Gamma Mu or ΠΓΜ is the oldest and preeminent honor society in the social sciences. It is also the only interdisciplinary social science honor society. It serves the various social science disciplines which seek to understand and explain human behavior and social relationships as well as their...
, ΠΓΜ (social sciencesSocial sciencesSocial science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
) - Pi Mu EpsilonPi Mu EpsilonPi Mu Epsilon is the U.S. honorary national mathematics society.The society was founded at Syracuse University on May 25, 1914, by Professor Edward Drake Roe, Jr, and currently has chapters at 337 institutions across the nation.-Goals:...
, ΠΜΕ (mathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
) - Pi Nu EpsilonPi Nu EpsilonPi Nu Epsilon is an honor society for university students in musical performing arts organizations.- Purpose :The purpose of Pi Nu Epsilon is threefold:...
, ΠΝΕ (musicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
) - Pi Sigma AlphaPi sigma alphaPi Sigma Alpha , the National Political Science Honor Society, is the only honor society for college and university students of political science in the United States. Its purpose is to recognize and promote high academic achievement in the field of political science...
, ΠΣΑ (political sciencePolitical sciencePolitical Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
) - Sigma Pi SigmaSigma Pi SigmaSigma Pi Sigma is the National Physics Honor Society. It strives to promote physics at all stages, to promote fraternity between those who excel at physics, and to promote service among its members. It is closely associated with the Society of Physics Students .- External links :*...
, ΣΠΣ (physicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
) - Phi Alpha ThetaPhi Alpha ThetaPhi Alpha Theta is an American honor society for undergraduate and graduate students and professors of history.The society is a charter member of the Association of College Honor Societies and has over 350,000 members, with about 9,500 new members joining each year through 860 local chapters.-...
, ΦΑΘ (historyHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
) - Phi Beta KappaPhi Beta Kappa SocietyThe Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society. Its mission is to "celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences"; and induct "the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities." Founded at The College of William and...
ΦΒΚ (undergraduateUndergraduate educationUndergraduate education is an education level taken prior to gaining a first degree . Hence, in many subjects in many educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a bachelor's degree, such as in the United States, where a university entry level is...
arts and sciences) - Phi Lambda UpsilonPhi Lambda UpsilonPhi Lambda Upsilon National Honorary Chemical SocietyFounded in 1899 at the Noyes Laboratory of the University of Illinois. Phi Lambda Upsilon was the first honor society dedicated to scholarship in a single discipline, chemistry.-Objectives:...
, ΦΛΥ (chemistryChemistryChemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
) - Phi SigmaPhi SigmaPhi Sigma is an honor society for students of biological sciences. Phi Sigma was founded on March 17, 1915 at Ohio State University. It became a member of the Association of College Honor Societies in 1950. The Greek letter, Phi and Sigma, signify "fellows in science." The coat of arms contains...
, ΦΣ (Biological sciencesBiologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
) - Phi Sigma TauPhi Sigma TauPhi Sigma Tau is an international honor society for philosophers. Its essential purpose is to promote ties among philosophy departments in accredited institutions and students in philosophy nationally...
, ΦΣΤ (philosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
) - Chi Beta PhiChi Beta PhiChi Beta Phi National Science Honorary is an honorary scientific society for undergraduates. The object of the organization is to promote interest in science and to give recognition to scholarly attainment in science. Members participate together in events of scientific interest and wholesome...
, XBΦ (scienceScienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and mathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
) - Psi ChiPsi ChiPsi Chi is the International Honor Society in Psychology, founded in 1929 for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. With over 1,050 chapters, Psi Chi is one of the largest honor societies in the United States...
, ΨΧ (psychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
)
Business
- Beta Alpha PsiBeta Alpha PsiΒΑΨ is a national honors business organization for highly successful accounting, finance and information systems students and professionals. It was founded on February 12, 1919 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is currently headquartered in Durham, North Carolina...
, ΒΑΨ (accounting/financeFinance"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
/information systemInformation systemAn information system - or application landscape - is any combination of information technology and people's activities that support operations, management, and decision making. In a very broad sense, the term information system is frequently used to refer to the interaction between people,...
s) - Beta Gamma SigmaBeta Gamma SigmaBeta Gamma Sigma or ΒΓΣ is an honor society for business students and scholars. Founded in 1913 at the University of Wisconsin, it has over 650,000 members, selected from over 500 chapters in AACSB-accredited business schools...
, ΒΓΣ (AACSB accredited businessBusinessA business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
programs) - Delta Mu DeltaDelta Mu DeltaDelta Mu Delta is an international honor society that recognizes academic excellence in Baccalaureate, Master's, and Doctorate degree business administration programs at Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs -accredited schools...
, ΔΜΔ (ACBSP accredited businessBusinessA business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
programs) - Kappa Beta Delta (ACBSP accredited businessBusinessA business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
Programs) - Mu Kappa Tau, ΜΚΤ (marketingMarketingMarketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
) - Omega Rho, ΩΡ (operations researchOperations researchOperations research is an interdisciplinary mathematical science that focuses on the effective use of technology by organizations...
, management science) - Omicron Delta EpsilonOmicron Delta EpsilonOmicron Delta Epsilon is an international honor society in the field of economics. Resulting from the merger of Omicron Delta Gamma and Omicron Chi Epsilon, ODE was founded in 1963 . Its board of trustees includes well-known economists such as Robert Lucas, Kenneth Arrow, and Robert Solow...
, ΟΔΕ (economicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
) - Sigma Beta Delta, ΣΒΔ (businessBusinessA business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
programs at schools without specific business accreditation)
Education
- Kappa Delta PiKappa Delta PiKappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education, was founded in 1911 and was one of the first discipline-specific honor societies. Its membership is limited to the top 20 percent of those entering the field of education. Kappa Delta Pi claims over 600 chapters across North America and...
ΚΔΠ (educationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
) - Kappa Delta Epsilon Society ΚΔΕ (educationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
) - Pi Omega Pi, ΠΩΠ (business education)
- Phi Beta DeltaPhi Beta Delta SocietyThe Phi Beta Delta is an international honor society.Founded at California State University, Long Beach in 1986. As the first honor society dedicated to recognize scholarly achievement in international education, giving scholarships to deserving students and enhancing knowledge about various...
ΦΒΔ (international educationInternational educationInternational education can mean many different things and its definition is debated. Some have defined two general meanings according to its involvement of students...
)
Engineering
- Alpha Epsilon, ΑΕ (agriculturalAgricultural engineeringAgricultural engineering is the engineering discipline that applies engineering science and technology to agricultural production and processing...
/foodFood engineeringFood engineering is a multidisciplinary field of applied physical sciences which combines science, microbiology, and engineering education for food and related industries. Food engineering includes, but is not limited to, the application of agricultural engineering, mechanical engineering and...
/biological engineeringBiological engineeringBiological engineering, biotechnological engineering or bioengineering is the application of concepts and methods of biology to solve problems in life sciences, using engineering's own analytical and synthetic methodologies and also its traditional...
) - Alpha Eta Mu BetaAlpha Eta Mu BetaAlpha Eta Mu Beta is a biomedical engineering honor society founded by Dr. Daniel Reneau of Louisiana Tech University, United States, in 1979. The first chapter of AEMB was founded at Louisiana Tech University...
, ΑΗΜΒ (biomedical engineeringBiomedical engineeringBiomedical Engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology. This field seeks to close the gap between engineering and medicine: It combines the design and problem solving skills of engineering with medical and biological sciences to improve...
) - Alpha Nu Sigma, ΑΝΣ (nuclear engineeringNuclear engineeringNuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of the breakdown as well as the fusion of atomic nuclei and/or the application of other sub-atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics...
) - Alpha Pi Mu, ΑΠΜ (industrial engineeringIndustrial engineeringIndustrial engineering is a branch of engineering dealing with the optimization of complex processes or systems. It is concerned with the development, improvement, implementation and evaluation of integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information, equipment, energy, materials, analysis...
) - Alpha Sigma Mu, ΑΣΜ (metallurgyMetallurgyMetallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
/materials engineering) - Chi EpsilonChi EpsilonChi Epsilon is the national civil engineering honor society in the United States. It honors engineering students who have exemplified the "principles of scholarship, character, practicality, and sociability...in the civil engineering profession." There are currently 136 chapters, of which 130...
, ΧΕ (civil engineeringCivil engineeringCivil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
) - Eta Kappa NuEta Kappa NuEta Kappa Nu is the electrical and computer engineering honor society of the IEEE, founded in October 1904 by Maurice L. Carr at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The organization currently has around 200 student chapters and about 3,000,000 members and is headquartered in Chicago,...
, ΗΚΝ (electrical engineeringElectrical engineeringElectrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
, computer engineeringComputer engineeringComputer engineering, also called computer systems engineering, is a discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer systems. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering, software design, and...
) - Pi Epsilon Tau, ΠΕΤ (petroleum engineeringPetroleum engineeringPetroleum engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the activities related to the production of hydrocarbons, which can be either crude oil or natural gas. Subsurface activities are deemed to fall within the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry, which are the activities of...
) - Pi Tau SigmaPi Tau SigmaPi Tau Sigma is an International Mechanical Engineering Honor Society. Pi Tau Sigma's core values are:*Integrity ,*Service , and...
, ΠΤΣ (mechanical engineeringMechanical engineeringMechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
) - Sigma Gamma TauSigma Gamma TauSigma Gamma Tau is the American honor society in Aerospace Engineering. It seeks to identify and recognize achievement and excellence in the Aerospace field...
, ΣΓΤ (aerospace engineeringAerospace engineeringAerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
) - Sigma Sigma Pi, ΣΣΠ (energy engineeringEnergy engineeringEnergy engineering is a broad field of engineering dealing with energy efficiency, energy services, facility management, plant engineering, environmental compliance and alternative energy technologies. Domain of Energy Engineering expertise combines selective subjects from the fields Chemical,...
) - Tau Alpha Pi, ΤΑΠ (engineering technology)
- Tau Beta PiTau Beta PiThe Tau Beta Pi Association is the oldest engineering honor society in the United States and the second oldest collegiate honor society in America. It honors engineering students who have shown a history of academic achievement as well as a commitment to personal and professional integrity...
, ΤΒΠ (engineeringEngineeringEngineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
) - Tau Sigma Delta, ΤΣΔ (architectureArchitectureArchitecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
) - Phi Alpha EpsilonPhi Alpha EpsilonPhi Alpha Epsilon is the academic, discipline-specific honor society for architectural engineering. The honor society was founded at Kansas State University in the 1980's by Prof. Charles R. Bissey, P.E...
, ΦΑΕ (architectural engineeringArchitectural engineeringArchitectural engineering, also known as building engineering, is the application of engineering principles and technology to building design and construction...
) - Omega Chi EpsilonOmega Chi EpsilonOmega Chi Epsilon is an American honor society for chemical engineering students. The first chapter was formed at the University of Illinois in 1931. The second chapter was formed at the Iowa State University in 1932. The organization is a member of the Association of College Honor...
, ΩΧΕ (chemical engineeringChemical engineeringChemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
)
Journalism and Communications
- Alpha Delta Sigma, ADS (American AdvertisingAdvertisingAdvertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
Federation) - Kappa Tau AlphaKappa Tau AlphaKappa Tau Alpha is an American college honor society which recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication...
, ΚΤΑ (journalismJournalismJournalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
/mass communicationMass communicationMass communication is the term used to describe the academic study of the various means by which individuals and entities relay information through mass media to large segments of the population at the same time...
)
Languages
- Alpha Mu GammaAlpha Mu GammaAlpha Mu Gamma is a national collegiate foreign language honor society founded at Los Angeles City College in 1931. More than three hundred charters have been granted to chapters in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands...
, AMΓ (foreign languageForeign languageA foreign language is a language indigenous to another country. It is also a language not spoken in the native country of the person referred to, i.e. an English speaker living in Japan can say that Japanese is a foreign language to him or her...
) - Gamma Kappa Alpha, ΓΚΑ (ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
) - Delta Phi AlphaGerman National Honor SocietyThe German National Honor Society or Delta Phi Alpha , seeks to recognize excellence in the study of German and to provide an incentive for higher scholarship...
, ΔΦΑ - (GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
) - Pi Delta PhiPi Delta PhiPi Delta Phi is the French National Honor Society for undergraduate and graduate students at accredited public and private colleges and universities in the United States. The society was admitted to membership in the Association of College Honor Societies in 1967.Pi Delta Phi was founded as a...
, ΠΔΦ (FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) - Sigma Delta PiSigma Delta PiSigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society , was established on November 14, 1919, at the University of California at Berkeley. Its insignia is the royal seal of Fernando and Isabel, representing Castille, León and Aragón...
, ΣΔΠ (SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and PortuguesePortuguese languagePortuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
) - Phi Sigma IotaPhi Sigma IotaPhi Sigma Iota, or ΦΣΙ, is an honor society whose members are elected from among outstanding advanced and graduate students of foreign languages and literatures including Classics, Comparative Literature, Philology, Bilingual Education, and Applied Linguistics...
, ΦΣΙ (foreign languageForeign languageA foreign language is a language indigenous to another country. It is also a language not spoken in the native country of the person referred to, i.e. an English speaker living in Japan can say that Japanese is a foreign language to him or her...
, linguisticsLinguisticsLinguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, literatureLiteratureLiterature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
)
Leadership
- Blue Key Honor Society (leadershipLeadershipLeadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
) - Mortar BoardMortar BoardMortar Board is an American national honor society whose purpose is to recognize outstanding students dedicated to the values of scholarship, leadership, and service. The Cornell University Der Hexenkreis chapter, founded in 1892, is the oldest and predates the national society's founding in 1918...
(leadership) - National Residence Hall HonoraryNational Residence Hall HonoraryThe National Residence Hall Honorary, or NRHH, is the premiere honorary dedicated to recognizing leaders in the residence halls and serves as the recognition branch of NACURH. NACURH, as an organization, believes that recognition is necessary in a strong Residence Hall community...
, NRHH (Residence hallDormitoryA dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
leadership/service) - Omicron Delta KappaOmicron Delta KappaOmicron Delta Kappa, or ΟΔΚ, also known as The Circle, or more commonly ODK, is a national leadership honor society. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, by 15 student and faculty leaders. Chapters, known as Circles, are located on over 300...
, ΟΔΚ (juniors and seniors) - Kappa Gamma Pi ΚΓΠ (Leadership at CatholicRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
colleges and universities) - Sigma Alpha Lambda, ΣΑΛ (leadershipLeadershipLeadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
) - Sigma Alpha Pi, ΣΑΠ (leadershipLeadershipLeadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
) - Phi Kappa Alpha, ΦΚΑ (leadership)
Medicine
- Alpha Epsilon DeltaAlpha Epsilon DeltaAlpha Epsilon Delta is a U.S. health preprofessional honor society. The organization currently has more than 144,000 members within 186 chapters at universities throughout the United States, making it the world's largest Honor Society serving all students from different backgrounds in the pursuit...
, ΑΕΔ (pre-medicalPre-medicalPre-medical is a term used to describe a track an undergraduate student in the United States pursues prior to becoming a medical student...
) - Omicron Kappa Epsilon, ΟΚΕ (dental surgeryDental surgeryDental surgery is any of a number of medical procedures that involve artificially modifying dentition, in other words surgery of the teeth and jaw bones.-Types:Some of the more common are:...
) - Sigma Theta TauSigma Theta TauThe Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International exists to improve the health of people by increasing the scientific base of nursing research...
, ΣΘΤ (nursingNursingNursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
)
Military
- Arnold Air SocietyArnold Air SocietyThe Arnold Air Society is a professional, honorary, service organization advocating the support of aerospace power. AAS is open to officer candidates in Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and at the United States Air Force Academy , and is formally affiliated with the Air Force Association...
, (United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
cadetCadetA cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
s) - Pershing RiflesPershing RiflesThe Pershing Rifles is a military fraternal organization for college-level students, founded by then 2nd Lieutenant John J. Pershing in 1894 as a drill unit at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln...
(United States armed forcesUnited States armed forcesThe United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
) - Scabbard and BladeScabbard and BladeScabbard and Blade is a college military honor society founded at the University of Wisconsin in 1904. Although membership is open to R.O.T.C. cadets and midshipmen of all military services, the society is modeled after the U.S. Army and its chapters are called companies and are organized into...
(ROTCReserve Officers' Training CorpsThe Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
cadetCadetA cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
s and midshipmenMidshipmanA midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
) - Semper Fi Society (United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
cadetCadetA cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
s)
Other
- Alpha Delta Mu, ΑΔΜ (social workSocial workSocial Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
) - Alpha Phi SigmaAlpha Phi SigmaAlpha Phi Sigma is the only Criminal Justice Honor Society accredited by the Association of College Honor Societies. Traditionally a national organization serving United States universities, recent expansion into Canadian universities has distinguished Alpha Phi Sigma as an international honor...
, ΑΦΣ (criminal justiceCriminal justiceCriminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
) - Beta Beta Beta, ΒΒΒ (biologyBiologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
) - Beta Phi MuBeta Phi MuBeta Phi Mu is the international honor society for library & information science and information technology. Founded by a group of librarians and library educators, the society's express purpose is to recognize and encourage "superior academic achievement" among library and information studies...
, ΒΦΜ (library scienceLibrary scienceLibrary science is an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and other areas to libraries; the collection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information resources; and the...
/information scienceInformation science-Introduction:Information science is an interdisciplinary science primarily concerned with the analysis, collection, classification, manipulation, storage, retrieval and dissemination of information...
/information technologyInformation technologyInformation technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
) - Chi Epsilon PiChi Epsilon PiChi Epsilon Pi, often denoted XEP, is a national honor society for outstanding students in the field of meteorology/atmospheric sciences. The purpose of the society is mainly twofold: to serve as a means for awarding distinction to students who have high scholastic ability and promise of...
, ΧΕΠ (meteorologyMeteorologyMeteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
) - Delta Sigma Rho - Tau Kappa Alpha, ΔΣΡ-ΤΚΑ (forensicsDebateDebate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
) - Delta Tau Alpha, ΔΤΑ (agricultureAgricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
) - Epsilon Delta Pi,ΕΔΠ (computer information systemsInformation systemsInformation Systems is an academic/professional discipline bridging the business field and the well-defined computer science field that is evolving toward a new scientific area of study...
, computer scienceComputer scienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
) - Epsilon Pi Phi, ΕΠΦ (emergency managementEmergency managementEmergency management is the generic name of an interdisciplinary field dealing with the strategic organizational management processes used to protect critical assets of an organization from hazard risks that can cause events like disasters or catastrophes and to ensure the continuance of the...
, disaster researchDisaster researchDisaster research deals with conducting field and survey research on group, organizational and community preparation for, response to, and recovery from natural and technological disasters and other community-wide crises...
, business continuityBusiness continuityBusiness continuity is the activity performed by an organization to ensure that critical business functions will be available to customers, suppliers, regulators, and other entities that must have access to those functions. These activities include many daily chores such as project management,...
) - Epsilon Pi TauEpsilon Pi TauEpsilon Pi Tau is an international honor society for professions in technology.Membership in Epsilon Pi Tau may be at one of three levels: General Member, Laureate Member, and Distinguished Service Member. The latter two levels are attained through professional performance and accomplishment...
, ΕΠΤ (technologyTechnologyTechnology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
) - Epsilon Tau PiEpsilon Tau PiEpsilon Tau Pi was founded in 1999 at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. The fraternity was formed as a collegiate Honor Society for Eagle Scouts at universities or colleges in the United States.-History:...
, ΕΤΠ (Eagle ScoutsEagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
) - Gamma Nu EtaGamma Nu EtaGamma Nu Eta is the national Information Technology Honor society for students in the United States. It was organized to recognize and promote excellence in the study and the leadership of Information Technology, to offer knowledge and services to its members’ schools and surrounding communities;...
, (information technology) - Gamma Theta UpsilonGamma Theta UpsilonGamma Theta Upsilon is an international honor society in geography.-History:On May 15, 1928, a local professional fraternity by the name of Gamma Theta Upsilon was formed at Illinois State University under the guidance of Dr. R. G. Buzzard. Before that is was the Geography Club at Illinois State...
, ΓΘΥ (geographyGeographyGeography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
) - Gamma Sigma Delta, ΓΣΔ (agricultureAgricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
) - Kappa Kappa PsiKappa Kappa PsiKappa Kappa Psi is a fraternity for college and university band members. It was founded on November 27, 1919 at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. William Scroggs, now regarded as the "Founder," together with "Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi" A...
, ΚΚΨ (band) - Lambda Iota TauLambda Iota TauLambda Iota Tau is an American international honor society for literature, whose purpose is to recognize and promote excellence in the study of literature in all languages...
, ΛΙΤ (literatureLiteratureLiterature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
) - Lambda Pi EtaLambda Pi EtaLambda Pi Eta is the official communication studies honor society of the National Communication Association . As a member of the Association of College Honor Societies , Lambda Pi Eta has over 400 active chapters at four-year colleges and universities worldwide.Lambda Pi Eta was founded in 1985 at...
, ΛΠΗ (communicationCommunicationCommunication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
) - Nu Rho Psi, NRΨ (neuroscienceNeuroscienceNeuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
) - Phi Alpha (Social Work)
- Phi Tau SigmaPhi Tau SigmaPhi Tau Sigma is an honor society for food science and technology students. The organization was founded in 1953 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst by Gideon E. Livingston, a food technology professor...
, ΦTΣ (Food Science and Technology) - Phi Upsilon Omicron, ΦΥΟ (Family and consumer scienceFamily and consumer scienceFamily and consumer sciences is an academic discipline that combines aspects of social and natural science. Family and consumer sciences deals with the relationship between individuals, families, and communities, and the environment in which they live...
) - Pi Alpha AlphaPi Alpha AlphaPi Alpha Alpha is the national honor society for students of public administration. It is administered by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration in the United States....
, ΠΑΑ (public administrationPublic administrationPublic Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
) - Pi Alpha Xi ΠΑΞ (horticultureHorticultureHorticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
) - Pi EpsilonPi EpsilonPi Epsilon is an environmental sciences Honor Society open to both graduate and undergraduate students as well as professionals and scientists working in the field. Pi Epsilon was founded at Wright State University by the Environmental Sciences PhD student body in October, 2003...
, ΠΕ (environmental sciences) - Pi Kappa DeltaPi Kappa DeltaPi Kappa Delta is a Forensics Honor Society for undergraduate university students and a professional organization for graduates, typically university Speech and Debate Coaches....
, ΠΚΔ (forensicsDebateDebate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
) - Pi Kappa LambdaPi Kappa LambdaPi Kappa Lambda is an American honor society for undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors of music. There are currently 205 active chapters and approximately 64,500 individual members....
, ΠΚΛ (MusicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
) - Pi Lambda ThetaPi Lambda Theta- Basic information :Pi Lambda Theta is an honor society and professional association for educators. As an honor society, its purpose is to recognize persons of superior scholastic achievement and high potential for professional leadership...
ΠΛΘ (educationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
) - Pi Theta Epsilon, ΠΘΕ (occupational therapyOccupational therapyOccupational therapy is a discipline that aims to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities. Occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, and/or emotionally disabling condition by utilizing treatments...
) - Rho Chi, ΡΧ (pharmacyPharmacyPharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
) - Sigma Gamma EpsilonSigma Gamma EpsilonThe Society of Sigma Gamma Epsilon is a national honor society to recognize scholarship in the earth sciences founded in 1915 at the University of Kansas. It has chartered more than 200 chapters at colleges and universities across the United States....
, ΣΓΕ (geologyGeologyGeology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
/Earth sciences) - Sigma Iota RhoSigma Iota RhoSigma Iota Rho is a collegiate honor society of international studies founded in 1984 whose members are advanced students with outstanding academic performance in the field, as well as, extracurricular involvement...
, ΣΙΡ (international relationsInternational relationsInternational relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
) - Sigma Lambda AlphaSigma Lambda Alpha honor societySigma Lambda Alpha is a scholastic honor society recognizing academic achievement among students in the field of Landscape Architecture....
, ΣΛΑ (landscape architectureLandscape architectureLandscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions...
) - Sigma Lambda Chi, ΣΛΧ (construction managementConstruction managementConstruction Project Management is the overall planning, coordination and control of a project from inception to completion aimed at meeting a client’s requirements in order to produce a functionally and financially viable project that will be complete mingement is project management that applies...
technology) - Sigma Pi Kappa, ΣΠΚ (historic preservationHistoric preservationHistoric preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
) - Sigma Tau Chi, ΣΤΧ (technical communicationTechnical communicationTechnical communication is a method of researching and creating information about technical processes or products directed to an audience through media. The information must be relevant to the intended audience. Technical communicators often work collaboratively to create products for various...
) - Sigma Tau DeltaSigma Tau DeltaSigma Tau Delta is an international collegiate honor society for students of English. It presently has over 800 active chapters located in Europe, the Caribbean, the United States, and 1 chapter in the Middle East , with more than 1,000 faculty sponsors...
, ΣΤΔ (EnglishEnglish literatureEnglish literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
) - Sigma XiSigma XiSigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society is a non-profit honor society which was founded in 1886 at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a handful of graduate students. Members elect others on the basis of their research achievements or potential...
, ΣΞ (General science researchScientific methodScientific method refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of...
) - Sigma Zeta, ΣΖ (natural sciences/mathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
) - Tau Beta SigmaTau Beta SigmaTau Beta Sigma is a co-educational national honorary band sorority dedicated to serving college and university bands. The Sorority, headquartered at the historic Stillwater Station in Stillwater, Oklahoma, numbers over 3,500 active members in 145 active chapters, and over 40,000 alumni...
, ΤΒΣ (marching bandMarching bandMarching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
) - Theta Chi BetaTheta Chi BetaTheta Chi Beta is a national honor society recognizing excellence in the study of religion. It was founded at Syracuse University and chapter remains active....
, ΘΧΒ (religious studiesReligious studiesReligious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
) - Theta Alpha PhiTheta Alpha PhiTheta Alpha Phi National Theatre Honors Fraternity is an American recognition honor society that accepts members who achieve excellence in the art of theatre. Membership is available to undergraduates and graduate students at member institutions....
, (TheatreTheatreTheatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
) - Upsilon Phi DeltaUpsilon Phi DeltaUpsilon Phi Delta is the national academic honor society for students in healthcare administration in the United States. The organization was formed in 1965 to further the profession of health administration and the professional competence and dedication of its members...
, YΦΔ (health administrationHealth administrationHealth administration or healthcare administration is the field relating to leadership, management, and administration of hospitals, hospital networks, health care systems, and public health systems...
) - Upsilon Pi EpsilonUpsilon Pi EpsilonUpsilon Pi Epsilon : International Honor Society for the Computing and Information Disciplines, is the first and only existing one of its kind....
, ΥΠΕ (computer scienceComputer scienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
/computer engineeringComputer engineeringComputer engineering, also called computer systems engineering, is a discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer systems. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering, software design, and...
) - Xi Sigma Pi, ΞΣΠ (forestryForestryForestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
)
Independent societies
Some universities have their own independent, open honor societies, which are not affiliated with any national or international organization. Such organizations typically recognize students who have succeeded academically irrespective of their field of study. These include:- Aquinas Honor SocietyAquinas Honor SocietyThe Aquinas Honor Society is the official exclusive honor society of the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas.-Membership Requirements:Membership in the Aquinas Honor Society is open to graduating seniors who have a 3.00 cumulative GPA and who have achieved at a 3.30 GPA or better in at least...
at University of St. ThomasUniversity of St. Thomas (Houston)The University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, United States is a comprehensive Catholic university, grounded in the liberal arts... - Boulder Society at the University of VermontUniversity of VermontThe University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
- Burning Spear SocietyBurning Spear SocietyBurning Spear is a leadership honorary society at The Florida State University, created in 1993 and originally named the Charlie Ward for Heisman Coalition.-History:...
at Florida State UniversityFlorida State UniversityThe Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation... - Caledonian Society of John Muir CollegeJohn Muir CollegeJohn Muir College is one of the six undergraduate colleges at the University of California, San Diego . The college is named after John Muir, the environmentalist and founder of the Sierra Club. It has a humanitarian emphasis focused on the "spirit of self-sufficiency and individual choice"...
at the University of California, San DiegoUniversity of California, San DiegoThe University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States... - Cap and SkullCap and SkullCap and Skull is a senior-year coeducational honors society at Rutgers University, founded on January 18, 1900.Admission to Cap and Skull is dependent upon excellence in academics, athletics, the arts, and public service. Leadership as well as character are also considered crucial factors for...
at Rutgers UniversityRutgers UniversityRutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American... - Chimes Junior Honorary at Washington University in St. LouisWashington University in St. LouisWashington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
- Florida Blue KeyFlorida Blue KeyFlorida Blue Key is a student honor and service society at the University of Florida. It is often written and referred to by the initialism "FBK."This organization was started at the University of Florida in 1923 under the presidency of Albert Murphree...
at University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... - Friar Society at the University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
- HGH Senior Honor Society at Brenau UniversityBrenau UniversityBrenau University is a private university in Gainesville, Georgia, USA, that was founded in 1878 as Georgia Baptist Female Seminary, though it has never been affiliated with the Baptist Church. The total enrollment of Brenau University tops 2,500 students in its four schools...
- Iron Arrow Honor SocietyIron Arrow Honor SocietyThe Iron Arrow Honor Society is a highly selective secret society and honor society at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida for students, faculty, staff and alumni...
at the University of MiamiUniversity of MiamiThe University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12... - Konosioni at Colgate UniversityColgate UniversityColgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
- Lion's Paw at the Pennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania State UniversityThe Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
- Lock & Chain Sophomore Honorary at Washington University in St. LouisWashington University in St. LouisWashington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
- Matteo Ricci Society at Fordham UniversityFordham UniversityFordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
- Order of the Crown at Charlotte School of LawCharlotte School of LawCharlotte School of Law is a private, for-profit law school in Charlotte, North Carolina. The campus is located on the western edge of Uptown Charlotte. The school was founded in 2006. The school received full accreditation from the ABA on June 10, 2011.-Ranking:"U.S...
- Order of the Torch at Florida International UniversityFlorida International UniversityFlorida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
- Parmi Nous at the Pennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania State UniversityThe Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
- Phalanx Honor Society and White Key Society at Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteStephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
- Quill and DaggerQuill and DaggerQuill and Dagger is a senior honor society at Cornell University. It is often recognized as one of the most prominent collegiate societies of its type, along with Skull and Bones of Yale University...
at Cornell UniversityCornell UniversityCornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions... - Raven SocietyRaven SocietyThe Raven Society is the University of Virginia's oldest honorary society. Founded in 1904 by University student William McCully James, and named in honor of the famous poem by Edgar Allan Poe .According to its constitution, one of the Raven Society's main goals is "to bring together the best men...
at the University of VirginiaUniversity of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson... - Skull and Bones (Penn State) at the Pennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania State UniversityThe Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
- Skull and Circle at St. John's University (New York)
- Skull and DaggerSkull and Dagger (honor society)The Skull and Dagger Honor Society has only one chapter located at The University of Southern California. Skull and Dagger Honor Society is not related to Skull And Dagger Secret Society.-Skull and Dagger Foundation Scholarships:...
at University of Southern California
- Society of InnocentsSociety of InnocentsThe Innocents Society is the Chancellor's senior honorary society at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, composed of 13 men and women who apply during the spring of their junior year and are selected on the basis of academic excellence, unparalleled leadership, and selfless service to the...
at University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Tiger Brotherhood (Clemson University) at the Clemson UniversityClemson UniversityClemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
- Scarlet Key Honor SocietyScarlet Key Honor SocietyThe "Scarlet Key Honor Society" is a leadership award that recognizes and celebrates the extra-curricular accomplishments of students at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
, at McGill UniversityMcGill UniversityMohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
Post-graduate
- Alpha Omega AlphaAlpha Omega AlphaThe Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, commonly called Alpha Omega Alpha and abbreviated ΑΩΑ or AOA, is a national honor society for medical students, residents, scientists and physicians in the United States and Canada.-History:...
ΑΩΑ (medicineMedicineMedicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
) - Phi zetaPhi zetaPhi Zeta is the only honors society of veterinary medicine in the United States.- History :Phi Zeta was established at Cornell University in 1925 with the assistance of Dr. Veranus Alva Moore - Name and Symbols of the Society :Greek Scholar, Dr. George P...
ΦZ (veterinary medicineVeterinary medicineVeterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...
) - Delta OmegaDelta OmegaDelta Omega is the honorary society for graduate studies in public health. The society was founded in 1924 at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Currently, there are approximately 50 chapters throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.Since Delta Omega's...
ΔΩ (public healthPublic healthPublic health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
) - Chi Sigma Iota, ΧΣΙ (counseling)
- Kappa PsiKappa PsiKappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity, Incorporated, is both the oldest and largest professional pharmaceutical fraternity in the world. It was founded on May 30, 1879, by F. Harvey Smith on the campus of Russell Military Academy in New Haven, Connecticut. The Central Office of Kappa Psi is located...
ΚΨ (pharmacyPharmacyPharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
) - Omicron Kappa Upsilon (dentistryDentistryDentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
) - Order of the CoifOrder of the CoifThe Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. A student at an American law school who earns a Juris Doctor degree and graduates in the top 10 percent of his or her class is eligible for membership if the student's law school has a chapter of the...
(lawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
) - Phi Kappa PhiPhi Kappa PhiThe Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
ΦΚΦ (all academic fields) - Pi EpsilonPi EpsilonPi Epsilon is an environmental sciences Honor Society open to both graduate and undergraduate students as well as professionals and scientists working in the field. Pi Epsilon was founded at Wright State University by the Environmental Sciences PhD student body in October, 2003...
ΠΕ (environmental scienceEnvironmental scienceEnvironmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences, to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems...
) - Sigma Sigma PhiSigma Sigma PhiSigma Sigma Phi abbreviated ΣΣΦ, and commonly called "SSP", is the national Osteopathic Medicine Honors Fraternity of the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine [D.O.]...
ΣΣΦ (osteopathic medicine) or (medicineMedicineMedicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
) - Upsilon Phi DeltaUpsilon Phi DeltaUpsilon Phi Delta is the national academic honor society for students in healthcare administration in the United States. The organization was formed in 1965 to further the profession of health administration and the professional competence and dedication of its members...
, YΦΔ (health administrationHealth administrationHealth administration or healthcare administration is the field relating to leadership, management, and administration of hospitals, hospital networks, health care systems, and public health systems...
)
Secondary school societies
- American Sign Language Honor Society, ASLHS (American Sign LanguageAmerican Sign LanguageAmerican Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
) - Business Honor Society http://www.businesshs.org (business)
- California Scholarship FederationCalifornia Scholarship FederationThe California Scholarship Federation, or CSF, started in 1921 by Charles F. Seymour, seeks to recognize students living in the state of California who possess high standards in academic scholarship, community service and citizenship....
- Cum Laude SocietyCum Laude SocietyThe Cum Laude Society is an organization that honors scholastic achievement at secondary institutions, similar to the Phi Beta Kappa Society, which honors scholastic achievements at the university level. It was founded in 1906 as the Alpha Delta Tau fraternity and changed its name in the 1950s...
(general) - Eta Sigma Gamma (health educationHealth educationHealth education is the profession of educating people about health. Areas within this profession encompass environmental health, physical health, social health, emotional health, intellectual health, and spiritual health...
) - German National Honor Society-Delta Epsilon PhiGerman National Honor SocietyThe German National Honor Society or Delta Phi Alpha , seeks to recognize excellence in the study of German and to provide an incentive for higher scholarship...
(Deutsche Ehrenverbindung) (GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
) - International Thespian SocietyInternational Thespian SocietyThe International Thespian Society is an honorary organization for high-school and middle-school theatre students located at more than 3,600 affiliated secondary schools across the United States, Canada, and abroad. The International Thespian Society was founded in Fairmont, West Virginia...
(theatreTheatreTheatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
) - Japanese National Honor Society (Japanese language) www.ncjlt.net
- Key Club (service, www.keyclub.org)
- National Italian Honor Society (La Società Onoraria Italica) (ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
) - Mu Alpha ThetaMu Alpha ThetaMu Alpha Theta is a United States mathematics honor society for high schools and two-year colleges. It has over 89,000 student members in more than 1,800 schools worldwide. Its main goals are to inspire keen interest in mathematics, develop strong scholarship in the subject, and promote the...
, ΜΑΘ (mathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
) - National Art Honor SocietyNational Art Honor SocietyThe National Art Honor Society was established in 1978 in the United States by the National Art Education Association for high school students grades 10-12, for "the purpose of inspiring and recognizing those students who have shown an outstanding ability in art" from the National Art Honor Society...
(visual artsVisual artsThe visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
) - National Beta ClubNational Beta ClubThe National Beta Club is an organization for 5th-12th graders in the United States, recognizing academic achievement, leadership, character and service....
- National Chinese Honor Society (ChineseChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
) - National Elementary Honor Society (grades 4-6) www.nehs.org
- National English Honor Society (English language) www.nehs.us
- National Forensic LeagueNational Forensic LeagueThe National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
(public speakingPublic speakingPublic speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
) - National Honor SocietyNational Honor SocietyThe National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
(high schoolHigh schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
general) - National Honor Society for Dance Arts (danceDanceDance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
) - National Honorary Beta Club (high schoolHigh schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
general) - National Honorary Junior Beta Club (middle schoolMiddle schoolMiddle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
general) - National Junior Honor Society (middle schoolMiddle schoolMiddle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
general) - Quill and ScrollQuill and ScrollQuill and Scroll is an international high school journalism honor society that recognizes and encourages both individual and group achievements in scholastic journalism. According to the Quill and Scroll website, over 14,104 high schools in all 50 U.S. states and 44 countries have established local...
(journalism) - Science National Honor SocietyScience National Honor SocietyScience National Honor Society is an academic honor society focused on science for high school students within the United States. The society was established in 2000 in Texas and has expanded to over 277 schools in 33 states....
(science) - Société Honoraire de Français (FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) - Spanish National Honor SocietySpanish National Honor SocietySpanish National Honor Society is an academic honor society focused on Spanish language excellence in secondary education and promotes a continuity of interest in Spanish studies. The group, which was established in 1953 in the United States is sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of...
(Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica) (SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
) - Tri-M Music Honor SocietyTri-MTri-M Music Honor Society, formerly known as Modern Music Masters, is a high school and middle school music honor society. Each school has its own chapter, which is run by the students but supervised by an advisor or sponsor, usually a school teacher...
(musicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
)
Two-Year Colleges and Community Colleges
- Alpha Beta GammaAlpha Beta GammaAlpha Beta Gamma is an international business honor society established in 1970 to recognize and encourage scholarship among two-year college students in business curricula. Alpha Beta Gamma provides leadership opportunities, forums for the exchange of ideas and the stimulation of interest in...
, ΑΒΓ (businessBusinessA business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
at two-year colleges) - Alpha Gamma SigmaAlpha Gamma Sigma (honor society)Alpha Gamma Sigma , founded in 1926, is the honor society of the California Community Colleges system. It was conceived as "an intellectual stimulus, comparable to that of Phi Beta Kappa in the higher colleges" for what were then called junior colleges in California.AGS supports its members in...
, ΑΓΣ (California community collegesCalifornia Community Colleges systemThe California Community Colleges System consists of 112 community colleges in 72 community college districts in the U.S. state of California...
) - Chimes Junior Honorary, (scholarshipScholarshipA scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
, leadershipLeadershipLeadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
) - Phi Theta KappaPhi Theta KappaPhi Theta Kappa, also ΦΘΚ or sometimes PTK , is the international honor society of two-year colleges and academic programs, particularly community colleges and junior colleges. It also includes Associate's degree-granting programs offered by four-year colleges...
, ΦΘΚ (All academic fields at communityCommunity collegeA community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
and junior collegeJunior collegeThe term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
s) - Phi Rho Pi, (Forensics at community colleges)
- Psi Beta, ΨΒ (psychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
at two-year colleges) - Sigma Kappa Delta, ΣΚΔ (EnglishEnglish studiesEnglish studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
at communityCommunity collegeA community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
and junior collegeJunior collegeThe term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
s)