Honorary Societies

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In addition to the student life organizations listed in other places in this Catalog, Stetson University also encourages academic excellence and leadership through a range of honorary societies and disciplinary clubs, including the most prestigious societies nationally in the liberal arts and sciences (Phi Beta Kappa), business (Beta Gamma Sigma), and music (Pi Kappa Lambda).

Arts and Sciences

Phi Beta Kappa, Gamma of Florida. In 1982, Stetson University was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, America's oldest and most prestigious academic honorary society. Fewer than ten percent of institutions nationally have been awarded chapters, and Stetson was the first private university in the state of Florida to be so honored.

Membership in Phi Beta Kappa recognizes academic merit and scholarly distinction in the liberal arts and sciences. To be considered for membership, students must achieve a high grade point average (3.75 or higher) in a B.A. or B.S. degree program in the College of Arts and Sciences. They must complete a broad program of liberal study in General Education, including courses in Quantitative Reasoning and Modern Languages (through the 201 level or exhibiting native language fluency). Finally, they must meet the standards of academic seriousness and good character expected of members of Phi Beta Kappa. Students typically are elected to membership in the spring of their senior year, though students with exceptional records are considered in the spring of their junior year.

The Chapter regularly hosts Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholars and engages in other activities in support of liberal study. Each year, the Chapter recognizes an outstanding faculty member in the liberal arts and sciences with the John Hague Teaching Award. This award is named in honor of Emeritus Professor of American Studies John Hague, who with President Pope Duncan led efforts to establish a Phi Beta Kappa chapter at Stetson.

Humanities

  • Delta Pi Alpha, a national German honor society
  • Theta Alpha Kappa, the national honor society for religious studies and theology
  • Theta Alpha Phi, a national drama honorary society
  • Lambda Pi Eta, a national communication honor society
  • Pi Delta Phi, a national French honor society
  • Sigma Delta Pi, a national Spanish honor society
  • Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society for undergraduates, graduate students, and professional writers, founded in 1924

Sciences

  • AMSA (American Medical Student Association), an organization for students with an interest in health professions and medical school
  • Beta Beta Beta, a national biology honorary organization
  • MedEx (Medical Experience), an organization supporting volunteer experiences in the health professions
  • Q.E.D., a student chapter of the Mathematical Association of America
  • Sigma Pi Sigma, the national honor society in physics
  • Society of Physics Students, an organization for physics students
  • Student Chapter of the A.C.M., an undergraduate affiliate of the Academic Computing Society, for computer science majors
  • Student Affiliates of the ACS (SAACS), an organization for chemistry students affiliated with the American Chemical Society

Social Sciences

  • Alpha Kappa Delta, Zeta Chapter, an international honor society for sociology
  • Omicron Delta Epsilon, a national honorary society for students of economics
  • Phi Alpha Delta, an honorary society for pre-law students
  • Phi Alpha Theta, a national honorary society for students of history
  • Psi Chi, an international honorary society for students of psychology
  • Pi Sigma Alpha, an honorary society for political science students
  • Sigma Iota Rho, an honorary society for international studies students

Education

  • Florida Future Educators of America, an organization providing opportunities for education students to interact with professional educators and to learn more about educational issues
  • Kappa Delta Pi, an international education honor society
  • Chi Sigma Iota, an international honor society that values academic and professional excellence in counseling

Business

  • Beta Gamma Sigma. Stetson University was awarded a chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma in 1996. International Beta Gamma Sigma was founded in 1913 as the first national honor society to recognize outstanding achievement in business programs accredited by AACSB International. Election to Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest scholastic honor that can be awarded to a student in business administration. Only those students ranked at the junior, senior, or graduate level and who are in the top 10 percent of their class for undergraduate students or top 20 percent of their class for graduate students are eligible for membership in Beta Gamma Sigma
  • Alpha Kappa Psi, a professional business fraternity
  • American Marketing Association, an organization for business and non-business students interested in marketing
  • Beta Alpha Psi, a National Honorary Society for undergraduate Accounting, Finance, and Management
    Information Systems majors and for MAcc students

Music

  • Collegiate National Association for Music Educators, Stetson chapter
  • American Choral Directors Association, Stetson chapter for students
  • Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, Xi Nu Chapter
  • Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women, Eta Pi Chapter
  • Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, Beta Gamma Chapter
  • New Music Machine, student organization dedicated to the appreciation of modern art music
  • School of Music Student Advisory Council

University-Wide

Alpha Alpha Alpha (or Tri-Alpha) recognizes the academic achievements of first-generation college students (both undergraduate and graduate). These students come from a family where neither parents nor any legal guardians earned a bachelor’s degree.  Undergraduate students must have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours, must have an overall GPA of at least 3.2 in all coursework; Transfer students must have completed at least one semester at Stetson; Graduate students must have completed a minimum of 9 credit hours, must have an overall GPA of at least 3.5 in all coursework. Like Stetson, Alpha Alpha Alpha values the holistic development of students by allowing them to meet other first-generation scholars from all academic disciplines and by promoting academic excellence while creating a supportive environment for first-generation college students. Alpha Alpha Alpha helps foster personal growth, intellectual development, and global citizenship through mentorship, community, and leadership opportunities that connect them to the outside world.

Omicron Delta Kappa. The National Leadership Honor Society, Omicron Delta Kappa, recognizes and encourages superior scholarship, leadership, and exemplary character. It recognizes achievement in scholarship; athletics; campus or community service, social and religious activities, and campus government; journalism, speech, and the mass media; and the creative and performing arts. Emphasis is placed on the development of the whole person.

Phi Eta Sigma. Founded in 1923 at the University of Illinois, Phi Eta Sigma is the nation’s oldest and largest honor society for first-year college and university students in all disciplines. Those elected to membership include those who have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale at the end of any first year, full-time curricular period, provided they have carried a normal academic load acceptable toward a bachelor’s degree and rank in the upper twenty percent of their class. Stetson's chapter was founded in 1978 and reactivated in 2011.