Geography Honor Societies

Department of Geography College of Liberal Arts 1250 Bellflower Boulevard California State University Long Beach, CA 90840-1101 USA

Honor Societies for Geography Students

Gamma Theta Upsilon

Gamma Theta Upsilon is an international honor society in geography. Gamma Theta Upsilon was founded in 1928 and became a national organization in 1931. To be initiated as a regular member, a candidate must be a Geography major and have completed at least three geography courses and at least three semesters of college level work, maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA in geography, and must rank in the upper 35% of their class. For more information, please contact Dr. Paul Laris.

Sigma Xi

Sigma Xi is a national scientific honor society designed to encourage active research in all sciences. Membership is by invitation only and requires noteworthy accomplishments in science, such as publication in a refereed journal. Associate membership is also offered to those showing potential as researchers, such as through participation in a research project and presenting research at a conference. For more information about the CSULB chapter, please contact Dr. Donna Alexander or Dr. Suzanne P. Wechsler.

Phi Beta Kappa

Phi Beta Kappa, founded in 1776, is the leading advocate of the liberal arts and sciences. Initiates are normally students in their senior year, majoring in a department normally housed in a College of Arts and Sciences or its equivalent(s). Of the 120 semester units normally taken for the bachelor's degree, at least 90 must be in liberal arts or sciences (not in applied or professional courses). Students must show proficiency in mathematics (completing two years of college-preparatory math courses in high school qualifies) and in at least one foreign language (completion of at least the intermediate level course in a foreign language in college). To learn more about the CSULB chapter, please contact Dr. Harold Schefski.

Golden Key

The Golden Key is an international honor society for excellent students in all disciplines, and the organization provides a lot of opportunities for community service. It is open to the top 15% of juniors and seniors and is limited to those who have achieved a 3.4 cumulative GPA. CSULB chapter members must have at least 60 semester units or, if they transferred here from another institution, must have at least 30 semester units at CSULB. For more information, please contact Dr. Jeane Caveness, Dr. Sharon Guthrie, or Dr. Suzanne P. Wechsler.

Phi Kappa Phi

Phi Kappa Phi, founded in 1897, is an honor society that draws its members from all academic disciplines. Election to membership is by invitation only. Those eligible to be elected to membership include the upper 7.5% last-term juniors (having completed at least 72 semester hours) and the upper 10% of seniors, along with outstanding graduate students, faculty, professional staff, and alumni. For more information about the CSULB chapter, please contact Dean Cloy J. Walter or Dr. Wendy L. Reiboldt.

Pi Gamma Mu

An individual may be invited or may petition to join an active chapter of Pi Gamma Mu when he or she is a junior, senior or graduate student in the upper 35% of the class, with at least 20 semester hours in social science, with an average grade therein of "B" or better. Pi Gamma Mu's constitution defines the social sciences to include the disciplines of history, political science, sociology, anthropology, economics, international relations, criminal justice, social work, social psychology, social philosophy, history of education, and human geography. For more information, please contact Dr. Chris Garrett.

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Last revised: 01/06/06