Honor Society (Phi Alpha Theta)

Our History department is home to the Eta-Iota Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta (ΦΑΘ), an American honor society for undergraduate, graduate students, and professors of history. The society has over 400,000 members, with some 9,000 new members joining each year through 970 chapters nationwide.

Phi Alpha Theta was established on March 17, 1921 at the University of Arkansas by Professor Nels Cleven, who believed that a fraternity of scholars was important for the study of history.

Mission

Phi Alpha Theta’s mission is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians. It seeks to bring students and teachers together for intellectual and social exchanges, which promote and assist historical research and publication by its members in a variety of ways.

Eligibility

The Phi Alpha Theta faculty advisor will notify eligible students before Spring break every year.

Fees

The initiation cost is $75.00. This is a one-time fee for a lifetime membership in the Honor Society.

Benefits

Benefits to becoming a member include campus fellowship, regional and national meetings, a quarterly journal titled The Historian (free for one year to new initiates—four issues), the opportunity to compete for scholarships and awards, and typically an advantage in pay scale for members who enter federal government service (depending on the particular employer). For more information on benefits, please contact national headquarters at info@phialphatheta.org.

 In addition, new members are honored every year in the departmental May Phi Alpha Theta initiation ceremony, where they receive their graduation cord and membership certificate. Honorees and their loved ones are cordially invited to attend the ceremony, which is certainly encouraged but not mandatory. You may still become a member of Phi Alpha Theta even if you’re unable to attend the ceremony.

As part of becoming an initiate, students with junior standing are expected to participate in department’s events during their senior year.

Contact

For more information about the department’s chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, please contact Dr. Belen Vicens at bxvicenssaiz@salisbury.edu.