If you have a superior academic record at UMGC Asia, you may be eligible to join several honor societies.
UMGC students with superior academic records have the opportunity to join several national honor societies.
Honor Societies
UMGC students are eligible for membership in Alpha Sigma Lambda, the national honor society for students in continuing higher education. To qualify for membership, a student must be pursuing a first bachelor's degree, have completed at least 30 credits at UMGC in courses graded A, B, C, D, or F, and maintained a GPA of 3.7 or higher in all UMGC courses. At least 15 credits, from UMGC or transferred, must be in courses outside the major.
How to join: Students are invited into Alpha Sigma Lambda. Please contact asl@umgc.edu for more information.
Membership in Lambda Pi Eta, the official communication studies honor society of the National Communication Association (NCA), is open to qualified UMGC students. The goals of the honor society are to recognize, foster, and reward outstanding scholastic achievement in communication studies; stimulate interest in the field of communication, promote and encourage professional development among communication students, and provide an opportunity to discuss and exchange ideas in the field of communication among students, faculty, and professionals. To be eligible, students must have earned at least 60 credits toward the bachelor's degree, including at least 12 credits in communication studies, with a GPA of 3.5 or higher both in communication studies and in overall coursework. In addition, students must have completed at least 30 credits at UMGC.
How to join: Please contact commclub@umgc.edu for more information.
The National Society of Collegiate Scholars is an honor society recognizing students who have completed less then 60 credits towards an associate's or bachelor's degree and have shown academic excellence. The honor society encourages students to participate in honor society, campus, and community events, and provides resources for students to focus on their professional and leadership development.
To be eligible, students must be seeking a first associate's or bachelor's degree. Students must have completed at least 12 credits at UMGC in courses graded A, B, C, D, or F and have a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher. In addition, students must have completed between 12 and 59 credits towards their degree.
How to join: Students will be invited to join in the spring term. Please contact umucnscs@umgc.edu for more information.
UMGC students may qualify for membership in Phi Alpha Theta, the international honor society in history. To qualify for membership, students must attain a GPA of 3.5 or higher in at least 12 credits of UMGC History courses, and have an overall UMGC GPA of 3.4.
How to join: Students may contact histclub@umgc.edu if they are interested in becoming a member.
The honor society of Phi Kappa Phi promotes the pursuit of excellence in all fields of higher education and recognizes outstanding achievement by students, faculty, and others through election to membership and through various awards for distinguished achievement. To qualify for membership in Phi Kappa Phi, seniors must have completed at least 90 credits toward the bachelor's degree, at least 45 credits of which must have been for UMGC courses carrying letter grades of A, B, C, D, or F. The candidate's grade point average (GPA) in UMGC courses must be in the top 10 percent of the previous UMGC graduating class.
How to join: Membership is by invitation. Students eligible for Phi Kappa Phi will receive an informational package regarding their nomination.
Pi Gamma Mu is the international honor society for the social sciences and recognizes outstanding scholarship in the social sciences at UMGC. Membership is offered to qualified students interested in anthropology, criminal justice, economics, gerontology, history, political science, social psychology, sociology, and women's studies. Students who are in their last 60 hours of undergraduate study, have earned at least 20 hours of social science credit (at least 9 earned from UMGC), and have a GPA that ranks in the upper 35 percent of their class may be invited to join.
How to join: Membership is by invitation. Students may contact marylandtheta@umgc.edu for more information.
Membership in Sigma Tau Delta is the international English honor society, is open to qualified UMGC students with a major in English. To be eligible, students must have earned at least 45 credits toward a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.5 or high. At least 30 credits must have been earned through UMGC and must include 12 credits in English, not ENGL 101 (now WRTG 101), and 6 upper-level credits. Students must also have earned a GPA of 3.6 in English coursework at UMGC.
How to join: Students may contact englclub@umgc.edu if they are interested in becoming a member.
Sigma Phi Omega (SPO) is a national academic honor and professional society in gerontology. SPO was established in 1980 to recognize excellence among students studying gerontology and aging and to recognize 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. SPO seeks to promote scholarship, professionalism, friendship and services to older persons and to recognize exemplary attainment in gerontology/aging studies and related fields.
Student membership in SPO is open to undergraduate students majoring or minoring in Gerontology and Aging Services (GERO/GERA), Social Science majors focusing on Gerontology and students in related fields with an interest in aging. Students must be in at least their second term of enrollment at UMGC, have completed a minimum of 12 credits hours, and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3.
How to join: For more information about joining UMGC's chapter of Sigma Phi Omega, Upsilon Chi, contact spo@umgc.edu.
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.
Graduate eligibility requirements: Membership is open to graduate students pursuing a MS in Information Technology with one of the following specializations: Database Systems Technology, Information Assurance, Informatics, Software Engineering, or Telecommunications Management. Students must have completed at least 18 credits towards their degree at UMGC, with a cumulative GPA of a 3.5 or higher.
Undergraduate eligibility requirements: 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 UMGC (in graded coursework) and at least 15 credits from the Computer Information Systems and Technology department. 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 Computer Information Systems and Technology department.
How to join: Students who are eligible to join the chapter are sent invitations in the fall or spring semesters. Please e-mail upe@umgc.edu for more information.