Honor societies are national organizations that celebrate the scholarship and leadership of students in specific fields of study. As a member, you'll have the opportunity to enrich the UMUC community, attend regional and national conferences, and meet scholars and leaders from other universities.
Membership is an honor and privilege that can enhance your academic and professional stature. Certain academic criteria apply.
Alpha Sigma Lambda is a nationally recognized honor society that celebrates the scholarship and leadership of adult students in higher education. Members of Alpha Sigma Lambda are highly motivated adult students who are continuing their undergraduate education and managing the responsibilities of work and family while studying.
Membership is by invitation only.
You must be pursuing a first bachelor's degree, have completed at least 24 credits at UMUC in courses carrying letter grades, and maintain a GPA of 3.7 or higher in all UMUC courses. At least 15 credits, from UMUC or transferred, must be in courses outside the major.
Lambda Epsilon Chi is the national honor society founded by the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE), which recognizes the scholarship and leadership of students in higher education. There are over 170 chapters throughout the United States and thousands of inductees who have been honored for their outstanding academic achievements.
Membership is by invitation only.
You must an undergraduate student who demonstrates "superior academic performance" as evidenced by an overall GPA of at least 3.25, plus a GPA in paralegal/legal studies classes of at least 3.50.
To learn more and request membership, e-mail Lambda Epsilon Chi's UMUC chapter.
The National Society of Collegiate Scholars is an honor society recognizing students who have completed less than 60 credits toward a bachelor's or associate degree and have demonstrated academic excellence. The honor society encourages students to participate in honor society, campus, and community events, and it provides resources for students to focus on their professional and leadership development.
Membership is by invitation only.
You must be seeking a first associate or bachelor's degree and have completed at least 12 credits at UMUC in courses carrying letter grades, with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.4 or higher. In addition, you must have completed between 12 and 59 credits toward your degree.
Phi Alpha Theta is a nationally recognized honor society that brings together students and faculty who are interested in the field of history.
This honor society is open to all students in any major. Membership is by invitation only.
You must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher in at least 12 credits of UMUC history courses and have an overall UMUC GPA of 3.4.
As the oldest and most selective of the nation's honor societies, Phi Kappa Phi promotes the pursuit of excellence in all fields of higher education. It recognizes the outstanding achievements of students, faculty, and others through election to membership and through awards for distinguished scholarly achievement.
Membership is by invitation only.
You must have completed at least 90 credits toward a bachelor's degree, at least 45 of which must have been for UMUC courses carrying letter grades. Your GPA in UMUC courses must be in the top 10 percent of the previous UMUC graduating class.
To qualify, you must be in the final session of your degree coursework and in the top 10 percent of your graduating class.
Pi Gamma Mu is the international honor society that recognizes outstanding scholarship in the social sciences at UMUC. Students interested in anthropology, criminal justice, economics, gerontology, history, political science, social psychology, sociology, and women's studies may qualify for membership. The society recently named UMUC's Maryland Theta chapter to its Roll of Distinction, the highest honor that the society grants.
Membership is by invitation only.
You must be in your last 60 credits of undergraduate work with at least 20 credits in social science. Your GPA in UMUC courses must be in the top 35 percent of your class.
Pi Lambda Theta is the most selective national honor society of educators. It is associated with the Future Educators Association (an organization for high school students interested in the field of education) and Phi Delta Kappa (an international professional association for educators). Pi Lambda Theta honors the accomplishments of exemplary educators and supports the continuing development of knowledge and skills aimed at providing leadership for colleagues and enhanced learning for students.
This honor society is open to students in the Master of Arts in Teaching program. Membership is by invitation only.
You must have completed at least 12 credits in the program with a minimum GPA of 3.5.
SALUTE is a nationally recognized honor society for military and veteran students at two-year and four-year institutions of higher education. Established in 2009, SALUTE is the first national honor society for active-duty military servicemembers, National Guard members, reservists, retirees, and veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.
To be eligible for SALUTE, you must be currently enrolled at UMUC, currently serving or have received an honorable discharge, have completed at least 12 credit hours with UMUC, have served as a mentor in the One2One mentoring program for at least one term or be an active Mil-Vet Checkpoint communicator (posting feedback on articles or to the social wall at least twice per month), display the highest ethical standards, and maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 as an undergraduate student or 3.5 as a graduate student. After induction, you will receive a challenge coin, certificate, and a braided honor cord. You are eligible to apply for higher tiers based on your cumulative GPA.
Undergraduate members can earn special recognition by earning a higher GPA.
Alpha Tier (GPA: 3.75–4.0)
Bravo Tier (GPA: 3.50–3.74)
Charlie Tier (GPA: 3.25–3.49)
Delta Tier (GPA: 3.0–3.24)
Graduate members can join the Gold Tier by obtaining a GPA of 3.5 to 4.0.
Sigma Phi Omega is a national academic honor and professional society in gerontology. It was established in 1980 to recognize excellence among students studying gerontology and aging and to acknowledge the outstanding service of professionals who work with or on behalf of older persons. The society provides a much-needed link between educators, practitioners, and administrators in various settings where older persons are served. Sigma Phi Omega seeks to promote scholarship, professionalism, friendship, and services to older persons and to recognize exemplary attainment in gerontology and aging studies and related fields.
Student membership in Sigma Phi Omega is open to undergraduate students majoring or minoring in gerontology and aging services, social science majors focusing on gerontology, and students in related fields with an interest in aging.
You must be in at least your second term of enrollment at UMUC, have completed a minimum of 12 credits, and have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.3.
Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society, has more than 880 active chapters located in the United States and abroad. Nationally recognized, its purpose is to provide opportunities to associate with students, alumni, and faculty members who have a common interest in writing and in English language and literature.
Membership in Sigma Tau Delta is open to qualified UMUC students with a major in English.
To be eligible, you must have earned at least 45 credits toward a bachelor's degree, with an overall grade-point average of 3.5 or higher. At least 30 credits must have been earned at UMUC and must include 12 credits of English beyond ENGL 101 and 6 upper-level credits. Students must also have earned a GPA of 3.6 in English coursework at UMUC.
Upsilon Phi Delta is the national academic honor society of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration.
The purposes of Upsilon Phi Delta are to
Elevate the standards, ideals, competence, and ethics of professionally educated women and men in health administration and leadership
Recognize and encourage scholarship in healthcare administration
Recognize students who achieve distinction in healthcare administration studies in universities and colleges
Provide financial assistance through scholarships to outstanding students pursuing a degrees in healthcare administration
Motivate academic excellence in students studying healthcare administration
Membership is open to students pursuing a major in health services management. To be eligible, UMUC undergraduate students must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 or higher and at least 18 credits of health services management coursework, with a grade-point average of 3.25 or higher in those courses.
Membership in Upsilon Phi Delta is limited to individuals who are actively pursuing their graduate degrees in UMUC's health care administration program, meet the national eligibility standards of a minimum grade-point average of 3.5, have completed 18 credits, and are invited to become a member of the collegiate chapter.
Upsilon Pi Epsilon is the international honor society for the computing and information disciplines. Formed in 1967, the purpose of Upsilon Pi Epsilon is to promote the computing and information sciences and to encourage the enhancement of knowledge in the field. Upsilon Pi Epsilon is open to both undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing a degree in the computing and information disciplines.
Membership is by invitation only. Inductions are held during the spring and fall semesters only.
Membership is open to students majoring in one of the computing disciplines. Students must have completed at least 45 credit hours towards their degree, including 30 or more credits at UMUC (in graded coursework) and at least 15 credits from information technology and computer science courses. Students need to have a cumulative GPA of a 3.5 or higher and a GPA of 3.5 or higher in all coursework taken from the information technology and computer science courses.
Membership is open to graduate students pursuing a master’s degree in cybersecurity management and policy, cybersecurity technology, data analytics, or digital forensics and cyber investigation; a master’s degree in information technology with a specialization in database systems technology, informatics, information assurance, software engineering, or telecommunications management; or a legacy master’s degree in cybersecurity. Students must have completed at least 18 credits towards their degree at UMUC, with a cumulative GPA of a 3.5 or higher.
(Required within the first 6 credits of graduate study for all new graduate students, except MBA students). An overview of the skills needed for academic and professional success. Focus is on enhancing communication and critical thinking skills. Assignments provide familiarity with tools such as social media and library and information resources. APA style and resources are also addressed.
