NIU Honor Societies
This list, while not exhaustive, seeks to feature all active honor societies on the NIU campus. If your honor society is not listed or the information has changed, please contact us at honors@niu.edu. We will be happy to make adjustments. This list is simply designed to be a helpful guide to University Honors students and others on campus.
Need to know the difference between an honor society, departmental Honors, and the University Honors Program? Click here
Name: Adela de la Torre Latino Honor Society
Mission: To recognize and achieve excellence amongst Latinos through scholarship,
to promote leadership in students, and to help render service through a unified effort.
Category: Latino/Latina
Website: http://www.niu.edu/lrc/adala_de_la_torre/index.shtml
Name: Alpha Kappa Delta: International Sociology Honor Society
Mission: A non-secret, democratic, international society of scholars dedicated
to the ideal of investigating humanity for the purpose of service.
Category: Sociology
Website: http://www.niu.edu/sociology/student_organizations/akd/index.shtml
Name: Alpha Pi Mu: Industrial Engineering Honor Society 
Mission: To confer recognition upon the student of industrial engineering who has
shown exceptional academic interests and abilities in his/her field.
Category: Industrial Engineering
Website: http://www.niu.edu/isye/student_orgs/alpha_pi_mu.shtml
Name: Beta Alpha Psi 
Mission: To promote the study and practice of accounting, finance and information systems.
Category: Accountancy
Website: http://www.cob.niu.edu/bap/
Name: Chi Alpha Epsilon: National Honor Society 
Mission: To promote continued high academic standards, to foster increased
communication among its members, and to honor academic excellence
achieved by those students admitted to college through developmental programs.
Category: CHANCE Program
Website: http://www.esp.niu.edu/Xae/
Name: Eta Sigma Gamma 
Mission: To elevate the standards, ideals, competence, and ethics of professionally
trained men and women in the Health Science discipline.
Category: Health Education and Public Health
Website: http://www.chhs.niu.edu/public_health/student_organizations/eta_sigma_gamma.shtml
Name: Golden Key International Honour Society
Mission: To unlock the potential of each member by upholding standards of
excellence in academics, leadership, and service.
Category: International academic, leadership, and service Honour society.
Website: http://www.goldenkey.org/
Name: Honors Student Association
Mission: To build a stronger community among honors students while giving back
to NIU, DeKalb, and the surrounding area.
Category: University Honors Program
Website: http://www.niu.edu/honors/hsa/index.shtml
Name: John Henrik Clarke Honor Society 
Mission: To encourage academic success among African American students and
empower the community through service work and mentoring.
Category: African American/Black
Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/John-H-Clarke-Honor-Society-NIU/403237883089937?fref=ts
Name: Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society 
Mission: To empower leaders through scholarship, research, and leadership.
Category: Human Sciences
Website: http://www.kon.org/aboutkon.htm
Name: Lambda Pi Eta COMS Honor Society 
Mission: To recognize, foster and reward outstanding scholastic achievement in
communication studies.
Category: Communication
Website: http://www.niu.edu/comm/undergraduateprogram/lambda_pi_eta.shtml
Name: Lambda Sigma Sophomore Honor Society 
(Lambda Sigma National Honor Society)
Mission: To foster leadership, scholarship, fellowship, and the spirit of service among
college students.
Category: Sophomore Honors students
Website: http://www.sa.niu.edu/lamsig/index.html
Name: Mortar Board Senior Honor Society
(Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society)
Mission: To advance a spirit of leadership, service, and fellowship to further
high scholastic achievement.
Category: Senior Honors students
Website: http://www.niu.edu/mortarboard/
Name: National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH)
Mission: NRHH is the premier honorary supported by the leading international organization advocating for the interests and welfare of residence hall students, while also providing opportunities for their personal growth and development.
Category: Residence Hall
Website: http://www.niu.edu/housing/getinvolved/nrhh.shtml
Name: National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) 
Mission: NSCS is an honors organization that recognizes and elevates high achievers. NSCS provides career and graduate school connections, leadership and service opportunities and offers nearly half a million dollars in scholarships annually.
Category: Top 20% of students
Website: http://www.nscs.org/
Name: Order of Omega 
Mission: To recognize fraternity men and women who have attained a high
standard of leadership in interfraternity activities.
Category: Greek Life
Website: www.orderofomega.org
Name: Phi Alpha Theta: National History Honor Society 
Mission: To promote the study of history through the encouragement of research,
good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians.
Category: History
Website: http://www.niu.edu/history/undergraduate/phialphatheta.shtml
Name: Phi Beta Delta: Honor Society for International Scholars 
Mission: To recognize and encourage achievements in the areas of international
educational and exchange.
Category: International Education
Website: http://www.niu.edu/international/phibetadelta/index.shtml
Name: Phi Kappa Phi
Mission: To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher
education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.
Category: Undergraduates with a minimum of 24 credit hours
Website: http://phikappaphi.org/web/
Name: Phi Sigma: Biological Sciences Honor Society 
Mission: To recognize academic excellence and achievements, serves to further
develop interests, knowledge, and opportunities in biological sciences.
Category: Biological Sciences
Website: http://www.bios.niu.edu/phisigma/index.shtml
Name: Pi Sigma Alpha: National Political Science Honor Society 
Mission: To recognize academic achievement among NIU undergraduate
Political Science major students.
Category: Political Science
Website: http://www.niu.edu/polisci/engaged_learning/studentorgs/pi-sigma-alpha.shtml
Name: Psi Chi: The International Honor Society in Psychology 
Mission: To encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in scholarship and advance
the science of psychology.
Category: Psychology
Website: http://www.niu.edu/psyc/undergrad/organizations.shtml
Name: Sigma Iota Epsilon: The National Honorary and Professional Management Fraternity
Mission: To encourage and recognize scholastic excellence while promoting cooperation
between the academic and practical aspects of management.
Category: Business
Website: http://www.sienational.com/
Name: Sigma Tau Delta: International English Honor Society 
Mission: To confer distinction for high achievement in English language and literature
in undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies.
Category: English
Website: http://www.engl.niu.edu/STD/index.html
http://www.niu.edu/sigmatd/index.shtml
Name: Sigma Theta Tau International: Honor Society of Nursing 
Mission: To create a global community of nurses who lead in using knowledge,
scholarship, service and learning to improve the health of the world’s people.
Category: Nursing
Website: http://www.chhs.niu.edu/nursing/so/sigma/index.shtml
An honor society is a student organization at a college, university, or secondary school that admits members based on academic merit and notable contributions to society. Departmental Honors is offered by your major department and allows you to earn your degree with departmental honors listed on your transcript. This will focus on courses related to the major during your junior and senior year. The University Honors Program offers Lower Division Honors, Upper Division Honors, and Full University Honors. The University Honors Program allows you to have an academically enriched educational experience with your cornerstone courses that fulfill general education requirements of 100 - 200 level courses. Upper Division courses are focused on topics outside the scope of your major that will allow you to have a well rounded academic experience during your 300 - 400 level courses. The combination of Lower Division Honors with Upper Division Honors constitutes the Full University Honors experience. Students graduate with the University Honors mark of distinction on their degree. The University Honors program is a university wide program that is designed to enhance your education by offering the small liberal arts and college feel at a large research university. Students enjoy the benefits of small Honors only classes with 20 - 25 students, the 'Honors House', priority registration, and much more. It is possible to graduate with University Honors, Departmental Honors, and be a member of an honor society. For more information about the University Honors Program please click here.
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