Alpha Chi
Alpha Chi is a national college honor society founded February 22, 1922, that admits students from all academic disciplines. SMU is home of the Texas Alpha Omega chapter, inaugurated in September, 2012, with 46 charter members. To be invited to membership in Texas Alpha Omega chapter a student must have at least junior standing and a cumulative GPA of 3.90 or higher.
Contact: Professor Leslie DeArman (dearman@smu.edu, 214-768-4937)
Alpha Kappa Delta
The Beta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta is an organization set out to acknowledge and promote excellence in study of sociology. In addition, this organization serves as a way to unite students together to engage in scholarly discussion about social problems and other intellectual activities.
Contact: Andrea Laurent-Simpson (alaurentsimpson@smu.edu, 214-768-4891)
Beta Gamma Sigma
Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest national recognition a student in business can achieve. Students selected are in the upper ten percent of their class.
Contact: Ali McAfee (amcafee@smu.edu, 214-768-4148)
Chi Epsilon
Chi Epsilon is an honorary organization to recognize outstanding Civil Engineering students who possesses characteristics necessary for the pursuit of a Civil Engineering career. The organization promotes the status of civil engineering as a profession and aids in the development of professionalism in students.
Contact: Dr. Brett Story (bstory@smu.edu, 214-768-1991)
Eta Kappa Nu
Eta Kappa Nu is an engineering honor society, founded in October 1904, that recognizes excellence in the electrical and computer engineering disciplines. SMU is home of the Texas Gamma Omicron chapter. Membership in local chapters is offered to the top 25% of juniors and 33% of seniors at each college.
Contact: Dr. Carlos Davila (cd@smu.edu, 214-768-3197)
Golden Key
Golden Key is an international honor society with more than 400 chapters at colleges and universities around the world. Membership in the Society is by invitation only and applies to the top 15% of university sophomores, juniors and seniors, as well as top-performing graduate students in all fields of study, based solely on their academic achievements. Golden Key is committed to a high standard of scholastic achievement, and an ethos of integrity, innovation, respect, collaboration and diversity.
Contact: Brandilyn Stigler (bstigler@smu.edu)
Hyer Society
Named for the founding President of SMU, the Hyer Society was established in 1983 to recognize SMU’s most intellectually gifted undergraduates who have distinguished themselves through high academic achievement. At a minimum, Hyer Society members must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.85 after 60 SMU credit hours. A transfer student must have 30 SMU graded hours and a cumulative grade point average of 3.85. Members are then chosen by a faculty committee based on academic performance and on an essay written each year on a different topic. Only a small fraction of SMU students are nominated each year for membership, roughly the top 4% of the student body.
Contact: Alexandra Thibeaux (hyersociety@smu.edu, 214-768-2508)
Kappa Tau Alpha
Kappa Tau Alpha is an honor society for Communication Arts that recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship. Membership is a mark of high distinction and honor.
Contact: Rebecca Hewitt (rhewitt@smu.edu, 214-768-1574)
Omega Rho
Omega Rho is a national honor society founded in 1976 that recognizes honor and excellence in the operations research and management science related disciplines. Undergraduates must rank in the top twenty-five percent of the class and have completed at least five semesters or seven quarters of the curricular requirements.
Contact: Dr. Dick Barr (barr@smu.edu, 214-768-2605)
Mortar Board
Mortar Board is a national honor society recognizing college seniors for superior achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. Membership is synonymous with dedication and success. Founded nationally in 1918, it is the first honor society at SMU. The society provides its members with opportunities for continued leadership development, promotes service to colleges and universities and encourages lifelong contributions to the global community.
Contact: Heather DeShon (hdeshon@smu.edu, 214-768-2916)
Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honor society in the liberal arts, was founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary. SMU was granted a chapter in 1949, a true vote of confidence for the intellectual life of what was then a young university. Students elected to the Society must not only fit stringent GPA requirements, but they also must demonstrate an impressive and challenging course of study, with a majority of hours completed in the liberal arts. The motto of Phi Beta Kappa, “Philosophia Biou Kubernetes” means “the love of wisdom is the guide of life.” Students elected to Phi Beta Kappa embody this motto.
Contact: Dr. Daniel Reynolds (reynolds@smu.edu, 214-768-4339)
Pi Kappa Lambda
Pi Kappa Lambda was established in 1915 to honor distinguished students for both academic and musical accomplishment.
Contact: Julie Scott (scottj@smu.edu)
Pi Lambda Theta
In spring 2008, SMU’s Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education, department of Teaching and Learning, joined the Direct Honors program of Pi Lambda Theta (PLT). Founded in 1910, Pi Lambda Theta (PLT) is the most selective national honor society of educators. Pi Lambda Theta extends membership to students and professionals who satisfy academic eligibility requirements. Selection for Pi Lambda Theta for SMU undergraduate students is more rigorous than the national standard. Undergraduates must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.75 and have 18 hours of education courses completed and be voted into membership by the faculty of the department.
Contact: Jill Moore (jillm@smu.edu, 214-768-7797)
Pi Tau Sigma
Pi Tau Sigma recognizes Mechanical Engineering students who possess sound engineering ability, scholarship and personality – all important for success in the field of Mechanical Engineering. Membership is offered to top junior and senior students.
Contact: Dr. Paul Krueger (pkrueger@smu.edu, 214-768-1296)
Psi Chi
Psi Chi is the international honor society in psychology. It was founded in 1929 to encourage excellence in scholarship and to advance the science and application of psychology. The SMU chapter was established in 1930.
Contact: Lindsey Michael (lindseym@smu.edu)
Salute
The SALUTE National Honor Society recognizes the academic accomplishments of student veterans, active duty, National Guard and Reserve members. Students are invited to join SALUTE at the following tiers based on their cumulative grade point averages: Alpha tier for students with a 3.75 GPA or higher; Bravo tier for students with a 3.50 - 3.74 GPA; Charlie tier for students achieving a 3.25 – 3.49 GPA; and Delta tier for students with a 3.0 – 3.24 GPA.
Contact: Brandon Kitchin (bkitchin@smu.edu, 214-768-5318)
Tau Beta Pi
The Tau Beta Pi Association was founded in 1885 to recognize those who have conferred honor upon their Alma Mater by distinguished scholarship and exemplary character as students in engineering, or by their attainments as alumni in the field of engineering.
Contact: Dr. Jennifer Dworak (jdworak@smu.edu, 214-768-1092)
Tau Sigma
Tau Sigma is an academic honor society designed specifically to recognize and promote the academic excellence and involvement of transfer students. Tau Sigma recognizes the academic achievement of the most outstanding transfers nationwide and, in the process, helps universities better serve their transfer population.
Contact: Alyssa Martin (amparrish@smu.edu, 214-768-3619)
Upsilon Pi Epsilon
Upsilon Pi Epsilon is the first and only, existing international honor society in the Computing and Information disciplines. The mission of Upsilon Pi Epsilon is to recognize academic excellence at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in the Computing and Information Disciplines. This honor society is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS). The Kappa chapter at SMU recognizes excellence in scholarship in programs administered by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
Contact: Dr. Michael Hahsler (mhahsler@smu.edu, 214-768-8878)