Honor society

For other uses, see Honor society (disambiguation).

"Honor Societies", illustration from the 1909 Tyee (yearbook of the University of Washington)

In the United States, an honor society is an organization that recognizes individuals who excel in various domains such as academics, leadership, and other personal achievements, not all of which are based on ranking systems. These societies acknowledge excellence among peers in diverse fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the National Honor Society of the Boy Scouts of America. While the term commonly refers to scholastic honor societies, which primarily acknowledge students who excel academically or as leaders among their peers, it also applies to other types of societies.

History

The origins of honor societies in the United States can be traced back to the establishment of Phi Beta Kappa in 1776 at the College of William and Mary, which began as a debating society and did not initially impose grade point average (GPA) restrictions for membership.

Many honor societies invite students to become members based on the scholastic rank (the top x% of a class) and/or grade point averages, 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). Scholastic honor societies commonly add a criterion relating to the student's character. Most honor societies are invitation-only, and 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 honor societies are referred to by their membership or by non-members as fraternities and sororities. Honor societies exist at the high school, collegiate/university, postgraduate, and professional levels, although university honor societies are by far the most prevalent. In the United States, the oldest academic society, Phi Beta Kappa, was founded as a social and literary fraternity in 1776. Other honor societies were established a century later, including Tau Beta Pi for engineering (1885), Sigma Xi for scientific research (1886), and Phi Kappa Phi for all disciplines (1897). Mortar Board was established in 1918 and was the first national honor society for women who were college seniors.

During the era of honor society expansion in the early 20th century, these organizations were generally supportive of cultural changes that challenged racism, classism, and sexism. Like other aspects of academia, honor society integration and diversity grew with the expansion of an increasingly multicultural and co-educational student body. There were some holdouts, but academia in general, and its honor societies as a reflection, were on the vanguard of change. Several Jewish-only organizations merged into (or absorbed) formerly Christian-exclusive societies. Title IX forced most single-sex societies to admit women, though many had already opted to embrace this change. Racial barriers, where they existed, were challenged and retired, with any holdouts subject to significant criticism. The presence of these holdovers and the demise of those that exhibited overt racism offer an opportunity for a critical reassessment of the criteria and culture within honor societies.

While changes sparked from within these societies were prevalent between the massive influx of students after World War II and before and after the adoption of Title IX, additionally, the demand for recognition of racially diverse scholars spurred the 2005 founding of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society by Yale University and Howard University. Rather than adopting the traditional tapping to identify top students from a given academic class based on merit, a distinct aspect of this society's nomination process is its focus on self-nominations. A Ph.D. or Ph.D. track is required, among other qualifications. Modern honor societies are increasingly focused on creating supportive environments that promote the academic and personal development of all scholars, especially those from traditionally underrepresented groups. This evolution reflects a broader movement within academic institutions towards a more equitable and comprehensive recognition of student excellence.

Regalia

Academic robes and regalia identifying by color the degree, school, and other distinctions, are controlled under rules of a voluntary Intercollegiate Code. In addition, various colored devices such as stoles, scarves, cords, tassels, and medallions are used to indicate membership in a student's honor society. Of these, cords and mortarboard tassels are most often used to indicate membership. Most institutions allow honor cords, tassels, and/or medallions for honor society members. Stoles are less common, but they are available for a few honor societies. Virtually all, if not all honor societies have chosen such colors and may sell these items of accessory regalia as a service or fundraiser.

Umbrella organizations

The Honor Society Caucus and Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) are two voluntary associations for national collegiate and post-graduate honor societies. ACHS formed in 1925 to establish and maintain desirable standards for honor societies. Later, four prestigious founding members of ACHS established the Honor Society Caucus, expressing that the ACHS had diluted and lost sight of the mission of its founding members. While ACHS membership is a certification that the member societies meet these standards, not all legitimate honor societies apply for membership in ACHS.

Collegiate honor societies

Notable national and international honor societies based in or at schools include the following:

General and leadership societies

General collegiate societies are open to all academic disciplines, although they may have other affinity requirements. Leadership societies recognize leadership, with a multi-disciplinary scholarship component.

Society	Symbols	Emphasis	Colors
Alpha Chi	ΑΧ	General, all academic fields	Emerald green and   Sapphire blue
Alpha Kappa Mu	ΑΚΜ	General, all academic fields
Alpha Lambda Delta	ΑΛΔ	Freshman scholarship
Alpha Sigma Lambda	ΑΣΛ	Non-traditional students	Burgundy and   Gold
Alpha Sigma Nu	ΑΣΝ	General scholarship and service at Jesuit institutions of higher education	Maroon and   Gold
Bouchet Graduate Honor Society		General, Doctoral and Post-Doctoral
Chi Alpha Sigma	ΧΑΣ	General, student athletes
Delta Alpha Pi	ΔΑΠ	General, students with disabilities
Delta Epsilon Sigma	ΔΕΣ	General. traditionally Catholic colleges
Delta Epsilon Tau	ΔΕΤ	General, Distance Education Accrediting Commission institutions
Epsilon Tau Pi	ΕΤΠ	General, Eagle Scouts
Golden Key International Honour Society		General	Blue and   Gold
Ku Klux Klan (defunct)		Interfraternity, Juniors
Lambda Sigma	ΛΣ	Scholarship, leadership, and service	Blue and   Gold
Mortar Board		General, Seniors	Gold and   Silver
National Residence Hall Honorary		Residence hall leadership and service
National Society of Collegiate Scholars		Scholarship, leadership, and service	Purple and   Gold
Omicron Delta Kappa	ΟΔΚ	Leadership and scholarship, upperclassmen and graduate students
Order of Omega		General, fraternities and sororities	Blue and   Gold
Phi Eta Sigma	ΦΗΣ	General, freshman
Phi Kappa Phi	ΦΚΦ	General, all academic fields
Phi Sigma Pi	ΦΣΠ	General, all academic fields	Purple and   Gold
Phi Tau Phi	ΦΤΦ	General, all academic fields	Blue and   Gold
Sigma Alpha Lambda	ΣΑΛ	General and Leadership
Tau Sigma	ΤΣ	General, transfer students
Tu–Mas (defunct)		Interfraternity, Juniors

Liberal arts

These societies are open to the traditional liberal arts disciplines and may be department-specific. Some are grouped by discipline subheading.

• Alpha Iota Sigma, ΑΙΣ (interdisciplinary studies)
• Alpha Kappa Delta, ΑΚΔ (sociology), color:   Teal
• Alpha Upsilon Alpha, ΑΥΑ (reading and language arts)
• Chi Sigma Iota, ΧΣΙ (counseling)
• Delta Epsilon Chi, ΔΕΧ (divinity)
• Eta Sigma Phi, ΗΣΦ (classics)
• Gamma Theta Upsilon, ΓΘΥ (geography)
• Kappa Omicron Nu, ΚΟΝ (human sciences), colors:   Burgundy and   Cream
• Lambda Alpha, ΛΑ (anthropology)   Red,   White and   Black
• Lambda Iota Tau, ΛΙΤ (literature)
• Phi Alpha, ΦΑ (social work), colors:   Blue and   Gold
• Phi Alpha Theta, ΦΑΘ (history)
• Phi Beta Kappa, ΦΒΚ (undergraduate arts and sciences), colors:   Pink and   Sky blue
• Phi Sigma Tau, ΦΣΤ (philosophy)
• Phi Upsilon Omicron, ΦΥΟ (Family and consumer science), colors:   Violet,   Gold and   Cream
• Pi Alpha Alpha, ΠΑΑ (public administration), colors:   Blue and   Gold
• Pi Gamma Mu, ΠΓΜ (social sciences)
• Pi Sigma Alpha, ΠΣΑ (political science)
• Psi Chi, ΨΧ (psychology), colors:   Navy blue and   Platinum
• Sigma Iota Rho, ΣΙΡ (international relations)
• Sigma Tau Delta, ΣΤΔ (English)
• Theta Alpha Kappa, ΘΑΚ, (Religious Studies/Theology/Philosophy)
• Theta Chi Beta, ΘΧΒ (religious studies)

Business

• Alpha Iota Delta, ΑΙΔ (decision sciences)
• Alpha Mu Alpha, ΑΜΑ (marketing), color:   Red
• Beta Alpha Psi, ΒΑΨ (accounting and finance)
• Beta Gamma Sigma, ΒΓΣ (AACSB accredited business programs), colors:   Gold and   Yale Blue
• Delta Mu Delta, ΔΜΔ (ACBSP accredited business programs)
• Eta Sigma Delta, ΗΣΔ (International Hospitality Management Honor Society, ICHRIE)
• Mu Kappa Tau, ΜΚΤ (marketing), colors:   Blue and   Gold
• Nu Lambda Mu, ΝΛΜ (nonprofit management)
• Omega Rho, ΩΡ (operations research, management science)
• Omicron Delta Epsilon, ΟΔΕ (economics), colors:   Blue and   Gold
• Sigma Beta Delta, ΣΒΔ (business, management and administration)
• Sigma Nu Tau, ΣΝΤ (entrepreneurship)

Education

• Kappa Delta Pi, ΚΔΠ (education), colors:   Jade Green and   Violet
• Pi Lambda Theta, ΠΛΘ (education), colors:   Blue and   Gold
• Pi Omega Pi, ΠΩΠ (business education)
• Phi Beta Delta, ΦΒΔ (international education)
• Eta Sigma Gamma, ΗΣΓ (health education)

Fine arts

• Alpha Psi Omega, ΑΨΩ (theatre), colors:   Blue and   Gold
• Chi Tau Epsilon, ΧΤΕ (dance)
• Delta Phi Delta, ΔΦΔ (art), colors:   Red and   Bright blue
• Kappa Pi, ΚΠ (art)
• Kappa Kappa Psi, ΚΚΨ (music - band), colors:   Blue and   Gold
• Mu Beta Psi, ΜΒΨ (music)
• Pi Kappa Lambda, ΠΚΛ (music)
• Pi Nu Epsilon, ΠΝΕ (music)
• Tau Beta Sigma, ΤΒΣ (music - band), colors:   Blue and   Gold
• Theta Alpha Phi, ΘΑΦ (theatre)

Journalism and communications

• Kappa Tau Alpha, ΚΤΑ (journalism/mass communication), colors:   Light blue and   Gold
• Lambda Pi Eta, ΛΠΗ (communication)
• Society for Collegiate Journalists, (SCJ) (journalism)

Languages

• Alpha Mu Gamma, ΑΜΓ (foreign languages), color:   Gold
• Delta Phi Alpha, ΔΦΑ - (German), colors:   Black,   Red and   Gold
• Pi Delta Phi, ΠΔΦ (French), colors:   Blue,   White and   Red
• Sigma Delta Pi, ΣΔΠ (Spanish and Portuguese), colors:   Red and   Gold
• Phi Sigma Iota, ΦΣΙ (modern foreign languages, Classics, linguistics, philology, comparative literature, bilingual education, second language acquisition), colors:   Purple and   White

Law

• The Order of Barristers (law)
• Order of the Coif (law)
• Phi Delta Phi, ΦΔΦ, (law), colors:   Garnet and   Pearl blue
• Alpha Phi Sigma, ΑΦΣ, (Criminal Justice, law)
• Lambda Epsilon Chi, ΛΕΧ, (Paralegal)

Military

These are collegiate-based honor societies for students in the armed forces. Other non-collegiate honor societies serve military branches and are often listed as professional fraternities.

• Arnold Air Society (United States Air Force cadets)
• Pershing Rifles (United States armed forces)
• SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society (veterans)
• Scabbard and Blade (ROTC cadets and midshipmen)

Science and technology

These societies are open to students in the STEM disciplines and may be department-specific. Some are grouped by discipline subheader.

Society	Symbols	Emphasis	Gender restictions	Colors
Beta Beta Beta	ΒΒΒ	Biology		Blood red and   Leaf green
Beta Kappa Chi	ΒΚΧ	Natural Scinece and Mathematics		Blue and   Gold
Chi Beta Phi	ΧΒΦ	Science and Mathematics
Chi Epsilon Pi	ΧΕΠ	Meteorology
Gamma Sigma Epsilon	ΓΣΕ	Chemistry
Iota Sigma Pi	ΙΣΠ	Chemistry and related fields	Women
Phi Lambda Upsilon	ΦΛΥ	Chemistry
Phi Sigma	ΦΣ	Biological sciences
Phi Tau Sigma	ΦΤΣ	Food Science and Technology
Pi Epsilon	ΠΕ	Environmental science
Sigma Gamma Epsilon	ΣΓΕ	Geology and Earth science		Gold,   Blue, and   Silver
Sigma Pi Sigma	ΣΠΣ	Physics and Astronomy		Forest Green and   Ivory
Sigma Xi	ΣΞ	Research in Science and Engineering		Blue and   Gold
Sigma Zeta	ΣΖ	Natural sciences, Mathematics, and Computer science		Blue and   Gold

Agriculture

• Delta Tau Alpha, ΔΤΑ, (Honor Society of Agriculture)
• Gamma Sigma Delta, ΓΣΔ, (Honor Society of Agriculture) colors:   Sand and   Forest Green
• Pi Alpha Xi, ΠΑΞ (horticulture), colors:   Nile green and   Cerulean blue
• Xi Sigma Pi, ΞΣΠ (forestry), colors:   Green and   Gray

Architecture

• Sigma Lambda Alpha, ΣΛΑ (landscape architecture), colors:   Gold and   Green
• Tau Sigma Delta, ΤΣΔ (architecture), colors:   White and   Gold

Engineering

Within the larger group of STEM disciplines, these societies serve engineering disciplines.

• Alpha Epsilon, ΑΕ (agricultural/food/biological engineering)
• Alpha Eta Mu Beta, ΑΗΜΒ (biomedical engineering)
• Alpha Nu Sigma, ΑΝΣ (nuclear engineering)
• Alpha Pi Mu, ΑΠΜ (industrial engineering)
• Alpha Sigma Mu, ΑΣΜ (metallurgy/materials engineering)
• Chi Epsilon, ΧΕ (civil engineering), colors:   Purple and   White
• Eta Kappa Nu, ΗΚΝ (electrical engineering, computer engineering), colors:   Navy blue and   Scarlet
• Omega Chi Epsilon, ΩΧΕ (chemical engineering), colors:   Maroon and   White
• Phi Alpha Epsilon, ΦΑΕ (architectural engineering)
• Pi Epsilon Tau, ΠΕΤ (petroleum engineering and related fields) colors:   Gold and   Black
• Pi Tau Sigma, ΠΤΣ (mechanical engineering), colors:   Teal and   Maroon
• Rho Beta Epsilon, ΡΒΕ (robotics), colors:   Crimson,   Gold, and   Black
• Sigma Gamma Tau, ΣΓΤ (aerospace engineering)
• Sigma Lambda Chi, ΣΛΧ (construction management technology)
• Tau Alpha Pi, ΤΑΠ (engineering technology)
• Tau Beta Pi, ΤΒΠ (engineering, all types), colors:   Brown and   White
• Upsilon Pi Epsilon, ΥΠΕ (computer science/computer engineering)

Health sciences

This section includes all healthcare-related fields, including veterinary science.

• Alpha Epsilon Delta, ΑΕΔ (pre-medical), colors:  Red and   Violet
• Alpha Eta, ΑΗ (allied health professions)
• Alpha Omega Alpha, ΑΩΑ (medical students and physicians),   Forest Green,   Gold and   White
• Beta Sigma Kappa, ΒΣΚ (Optometry)
• Delta Omega, ΔΩ (public health)
• Iota Tau Alpha, ΙΤΑ (Athletic Training)
• Nu Rho Psi, ΝΡΨ (Neuroscience)
• Omicron Kappa Upsilon, ΟΚΥ (Dentistry)
• Phi Zeta, ΦΖ (veterinary medicine)
• Pi Delta, ΠΔ (podiatry)
• Pi Theta Epsilon, ΠΘΕ (occupational therapy)
• Rho Chi, ΡΧ (pharmacy), colors:   Purple and   White
• Sigma Theta Tau, ΣΘΤ (nursing), colors:   Orchid and   White
• Sigma Phi Alpha, ΣΦΑ (dental hygiene)
• Sigma Phi Omega, ΣΦΩ, (Gerontology)
• Sigma Sigma Phi, ΣΣΦ (osteopathic medicine) or (medicine)
• Tau Upsilon Alpha, ΤΥΑ (human services)
• Upsilon Phi Delta, ΥΦΔ (health administration)

Information technology

• Beta Phi Mu, ΒΦΜ (library science/information science/information technology)
• Epsilon Pi Tau, ΕΠΤ (technology)
• Order of the Sword & Shield, ΟΣΣ (homeland security, intelligence, emergency management, and all protective studies)
• Upsilon Pi Epsilon, ΥΠΕ (computer information systems, computer science)

Local honor 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.

Society	Symbols	Emphasis	Institution	References
Aquinas Honor Society		Seniors	University of St. Thomas
Burning Spear Society			Florida State University
Cap and Skull		Seniors	Rutgers University
Cannon and Castle		Miitary	Yale University
Florida Blue Key		Leadership	University of Florida
Friar Society			University of Texas at Austin
Iron Arrow Honor Society			University of Miami
Matteo Ricci Society			Fordham University
Owl and Key		Seniors	University of Utah
Phalanx			Clarkson University
Phalanx Honor Society			Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
QEBH		Seniors	University of Missouri
Quill and Dagger			Cornell University
Raven Society			University of Virginia
Society of Innocents		Seniors	University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Skull and Bones			Pennsylvania State University
Skull and Dagger		Seniors	University of Southern California
Sphinx Head		Seniors	Cornell University
Dean William Tate Society			University of Georgia
Texnikoi Engineering Honorary		Engineering	Ohio State University
White Key Society			Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Community college, junior college, and vocational school honor socieites

Society	Symbols	Emphasis	Colors
Alpha Beta Kappa	ΑΒΚ	Private Certificate, Vocational and Trade Schools
Alpha Beta Gamma	ΑΒΓ	Business at two-year colleges
Alpha Gamma Sigma	ΑΓΣ	California community colleges
Delta Psi Omega	ΔΨΩ	Theatre at two-year colleges	Blue and   Gold
Epsilon Phi Delta	ΕΦΔ	German at two-year colleges
Kappa Beta Delta	ΚΒΔ	Business at community colleges
La Sociedad Honoraria de la Lengua Española		Spanish at two-year colleges
Mu Alpha Theta	ΜΑΘ	Mathematics at two-year colleges	Blue and   Gold
National Technical Honor Society		Workforce vocational education institutions
Phi Rho Pi	ΦΡΠ	Forensics at two-year colleges
Phi Theta Kappa	ΦΘΚ	General, community and junior colleges	Blue and   Gold
Psi Beta	ΨΒ	Psychology at two-year colleges	Blue and   Gold
Sigma Kappa Delta	ΣΚΔ	English at community and junior colleges

Secondary school honor societies

Commonly referred to as high school societies. THis list also includes middle school societies.

Society	Symbols	Emphasis	Colors
California Scholarship Federation		General	Blue and   Gold
Computer Science Honor Society		Computer science
Cum Laude Society		General	Blue and   Gold
Delta Epsilon Phi	ΔΕΦ	German
International Thespian Society		Theatre	Blue and   Gold
Mu Alpha Theta	ΜΑΘ	Mathematics	Blue and   Gold
National Art Honor Society		Visual arts
National Beta Club		General	Blue and   Gold
National English Honor Society		English
National Honor Society		General	Blue and   Gold
National Honor Society for Dance Arts		Dance
National Junior Classical League		Latin and Greek
National Junior Honor Society		General	Blue and   Gold
National Speech and Debate Association		Public speaking	Red and   Silver
National Technical Honor Society		Vocational education
Quill and Scroll		Journalism	Blue and   Gold
Rho Kappa	ΡΚ	Social studies
Science National Honor Society		Science
Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica		Spanish and Portuguese
Technology Student Association		STEM	Red   blue   White
Tri-M Music Honor Society	MMM	Music	Pink

Community-based honor societies

Society	Symbols	Emphasis	Colors
Firecrafter		Boy Scouts Crossroads of America Council
Order of the Arrow		Ntional Boy Scouts of America
Tribe of Mic-O-Say		Boy Scouts Heart of America Council and Pony Express Council

See also

• Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS)
• Honor Society Caucus
• Honor Cords
• Professional fraternities and sororities