Academic Honor Societies

A national honor society that recognizes academic achievement among first-generation students. Students who complete a minimum of 36 credit hours and earn at least a 3.2 GPA in all coursework are eligible for membership.

A national honor society that recognizes academic achievement among first-year students. Students who earn at least a 3.5 grade point average in their first year and are in the top 20 percent of the first-year class are eligible for membership throughout the remainder of their Linfield years.

A national honor society for students in the social sciences.

Lambda Alpha, an international honor society, recognizes academic achievement among juniors and seniors who are majoring or have demonstrated serious interest in anthropology.

The following criteria must be met:

• At least 12 credits of anthropology (ANTH) and sociology (SOAN) courses completed
• An overall GPA of at least 3.0
• As well as a 3.3 GPA in anthropology courses

Delta Mu Delta-Epsilon Psi Chapter, a national honor society in business recognizes and encourages academic excellence of students. Juniors and seniors with GPAs in the top 20% of their classes are invited to join.

Pi Kappa Delta, Oregon Alpha Chapter, is a national forensics honorary. Requirements for membership include academic excellence and active participation in the Linfield Forensics Program.

Lambda Pi Eta, Iota Beta Chapter, is a national speech communication honorary. Requirements for membership include junior class standing, completion of four communication arts courses and academic excellence.

Omicron Delta Epsilon-Oregon Beta Chapter is a national honorary society that recognizes economics majors and minors on the basis of their academic achievement.

Linfield’s chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society in education, elects undergraduate students to membership who exhibit the ideals of scholarship, high personal standards and excellence in teaching.

The English Department sponsors the Alpha chapter of the international English honor society Sigma Tau Delta. Election for membership can occur throughout the undergraduate careers of literature and creative writing majors as soon as the following criteria have been met:

1. Completion of at least three Linfield English classes earning an average of B+ or better
2. Attainment of a 3.5 overall GPA. Initiates to Sigma Tau Delta have opportunities to attend national conferences, publish in the honor society’s two journals and develop programming that fosters an appreciation of the literary arts on campus and within the broader community

Criteria for Outstanding Senior in Environmental Studies:

• GPA of 3.5 or higher
• Exhibit great initiative and/or service related to the environment (e.g., service to the community, research with faculty, going above and beyond in a class project, etc.)
• Writing a senior thesis is not required but doing so earns you honors

Xi Iota, the Linfield chapter of Pi Delta Phi, is the French honor society for undergraduate and graduate students at accredited public and private colleges and universities in the United States.

Phi Epsilon Kappa Fraternity, founded in 1917, is a national professional fraternity for persons engaged in, or pursuing, careers in health and human performance. Members are selected based on academic excellence and service to their field.

Linfield’s chapter of the national History honorary society, Phi Alpha Theta, is open by invitation to any interested student in history with appropriate academic qualifications.

Linfield’s chapter of the Kappa Tau Alpha recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication. Membership is earned by students in the top 10% of the graduating class in the journalism and media studies major.

Pi Mu Epsilon (PME), the national mathematics honor society, was founded in 1914 at Syracuse University for the purpose of promoting scholarly activity in mathematics among students. The Linfield University Oregon Epsilon chapter was installed in May 2007.

New members are elected to the chapter each year from among those students who have:

1. A minimum of 20 credits that count toward a major in mathematics
2. A least a 3.3 GPA in mathematics major courses
3. And a college GPA of at least 3.0

Linfield’s chapter of the national honorary, Mu Phi Epsilon, is open to all qualified music students with a GPA in music of 3.0 and an overall average of 2.5. This organization is dedicated to the personal and collegiate advancement of music. It works very closely with the Department of Music in helping to provide ushers for concerts and aides for receptions, assisting in special service projects within the department and sponsoring several recitals or concerts during the year.

The School of Nursing sponsors the Xi Mu chapter of the International Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Nursing. Nursing students who meet the membership criteria are invited to join the chapter after completion of half of the nursing program. Induction to Sigma Nursing is held annually.

Qualified students are invited to membership in Phi Sigma Tau, the national honorary society in philosophy. Linfield’s chapter is known as Oregon Alpha.

Sigma Pi Sigma was founded at Davidson College in North Carolina in 1921, became a national society in 1925 and now has about 2,500 active members in over 300 chapters and almost 40,000 alumni members. The Linfield University chapter was installed on April 17, 1959, with 29 charter members. New members are elected by the chapter each year from among those students who have completed at least three semesters of college work, rank in the upper third of their college class in overall scholarship, have completed at least three full semester courses in physics, and have earned a minimum grade point average of 3.0 overall and 3.2 in physics courses.

Chi Omega is Linfield’s chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society. Upper division students are elected to membership based on appropriate academic qualifications.

The Department of Psychology maintains an active chapter of the national honorary, Psi Chi, and invites interested students to consider membership and participation.

Alpha Kappa Delta, an international honor society, recognizes academic achievement among juniors and seniors who have a major or demonstrated serious interest in sociology. Students must have completed at least four sociology courses and maintain an overall GPA of 3.0, as well as a 3.0 GPA in their sociology courses.

Alpha Psi Omega, Sigma Cast, is a national dramatic honorary. Requirements for membership include successful completion of two theatre courses and active participation in theatre productions.