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Association of College Honor Societies

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Association of College Honor Societies
ACHS
FoundedDecember 30, 1925; 100 years ago (1925-12-30)
United States
TypeUmbrella
AffiliationIndependent
StatusActive
EmphasisHonor societies
ScopeNorth America
Members68 societies active
Headquarters30 North Gould Street #29147
Sheridan, Wyoming
United States
Websitewww.achshonor.org

The Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) is a voluntary membership organization composed of national collegiate and post-graduate honor societies. Founded in 1925, ACHS publishes standards for its member organizations and evaluates applicants based on those criteria. ACHS is a voluntary professional association and is not a governmental accrediting agency.

History

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ACHS was established on December 30, 1925, by six organizations: Alpha Omega Alpha, the Order of the Coif, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi, and Tau Beta Pi.[1] The association was created to develop shared standards and facilitate cooperation among affiliated honor societies.[2]

Since its founding, additional societies have joined ACHS; as of 2026, the association had 68 active member organizations.[3] Membership is voluntary, and not all honor societies are affiliated with ACHS.

The standards published by ACHS are referenced in guidance issued by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) concerning eligibility for certain federal employment classifications.[4]

Several early member societies later withdrew from ACHS, including Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi, and Omicron Delta Kappa.[5][6][7] These organizations are no longer affiliated with ACHS. The four societies subsequently established the Honor Society Caucus, a separate voluntary association that operates independently of ACHS.[8]

List of member organizations

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As of 2026, 68 organizations are affiliated with the ACHS.[9][10]

Society Greek letters Discipline Founded Joined ACHS References
Alpha Beta Gamma ΑΒΓ Business and Professional Studies 1970 1996
Alpha Chi ΑΧ All Academic Fields February 22, 1922 February 1955
Alpha Epsilon ΑΕ Agricultural, Food, and Biological Engineering May 14, 1959 1968 (Associate);
1970 (Full)
Alpha Epsilon Delta ΑΕΔ Premedical April 28, 1926 April 22, 1945 [11]
Alpha Epsilon Rho ΑΕΡ Electronic Media April 30, 1943 2009 [12][a]
Alpha Eta Mu Beta ΑΗΜΒ Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering March 15, 1979 2013
Alpha Iota Delta ΑΙΔ Decision, Information, and Operations Sciences 1971 2009
Alpha Kappa Delta ΑΚΔ Sociology November 21, 1920 1967
Alpha Kappa Mu ΑΚΜ General Scholarship November 26, 1937 1952
Alpha Lambda Delta ΑΛΔ First-year Success/Freshmen May 31, 1924 1939
Alpha Phi Sigma ΑΦΣ Criminal Justice January 1942 1981
Alpha Pi Mu ΑΠΜ Industrial Engineering January 5, 1949 February 1952 (Associate);
February 1959 (Full) 		[13]
Alpha Sigma Lambda ΑΣΛ Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning 1946 2011
Alpha Sigma Mu ΑΣΜ Materials Science and Engineering January 1932 1965
Alpha Sigma Nu ΑΣΝ General Scholarship - Jesuit Institutions of Higher Education June 4, 1915 1975 [b]
Beta Gamma Sigma ΒΓΣ Business and Management February 19, 1913 February 27, 1937;
1990 (Readmitted)
Beta Kappa Chi ΒΚΧ Natural Sciences and Mathematics January 31, 1923 1961
Beta Phi Mu ΒΦΜ Library and Information Studies and Information Technology August 1948 1969
Chi Sigma Iota ΧΣΙ Counseling January 1, 1985 2001
Delta Epsilon Sigma ΔΕΣ General Scholarship in Colleges and Universities with a Catholic Tradition April 13, 1939 1967
Delta Mu Delta ΔΜΔ Business Administration November 18, 1913 1963
Epsilon Pi Phi ΕΠΦ Emergency Management 2006 2017
Epsilon Pi Tau ΕΠΤ Professions in Technology March 13, 1929 2005
Gamma Theta Upsilon ΓΘΥ Geography May 15, 1931 1976
Kappa Mu Epsilon ΚΜΕ Mathematics April 18, 1931 1968
Kappa Omicron Nu ΚΟΝ Human Sciences February 21, 1990 February 25, 1951 [14][c]
Kappa Tau Alpha ΚΤΑ Journalism and Mass Communication March 10, 1910 February 25, 1951 [14]
Lambda Pi Eta ΛΠΗ Communication 1985 February 1996 [15]
Lambda Sigma ΛΣ Student Leadership, Scholarship and Service November 7, 1922 1981 [d]
Mortar Board Scholarship, Leadership, and Service February 15, 1918 February 27, 1937
Mu Kappa Tau ΜΚΤ Marketing 1966 1996
National Society of Collegiate Scholars Scholarship, Leadership, and Service April 30, 1994 2004
Omega Chi Epsilon ΩΧΕ Chemical Engineering Spring 1931 1967
Omega Rho ΩΡ Operations Research, and Management Science April 1, 1976 1983 (Associate);
1986 (Full)
Omicron Delta Epsilon ΟΔΕ Economics January 1, 1963 1965-1973;
1981 (Readmitted) 		[12][16]
Phi Alpha Honor Society ΦΑ Social Work 1962 February 14, 2019 [17]
Phi Alpha Theta ΦΑΘ History March 17, 1921 April 22, 1945 –2012;
2017 (Readmitted) 		[11]
Phi Beta Delta ΦΒΔ International Education February 27, 1986 2013 [18]
Phi Eta Sigma ΦΗΣ Freshman Scholarship March 22, 1923 February 27, 1937 – 2011;
2018 (Readmitted)
Phi Lambda Sigma ΦΛΣ Pharmacy Leadership March 1965 2018 [19]
Phi Sigma ΦΣ Biological Sciences, All Pure and Applied Fields March 17, 1915 1950
Phi Sigma Iota ΦΣΙ Foreign Language, Literature, and Cultures October 1922 1950
Phi Sigma Tau ΦΣΤ Philosophy October 21, 1955 1958 [12]
Phi Upsilon Omicron ΦΥΟ Family and Consumer Sciences February 10, 1909 1979
Pi Delta Phi ΠΔΦ French 1906 1967
Pi Gamma Mu ΠΓΜ Social Sciences December 1, 1924 1953
Pi Kappa Lambda ΠΚΛ Music May 17, 1918 February 24, 1940 [11]
Pi Sigma Alpha ΠΣΑ Political Science October 1, 1920 1949
Pi Tau Sigma ΠΤΣ Mechanical Engineering March 16, 1915 March 1, 1947
Pi Theta Epsilon ΠΘΕ Occupational Therapy 1959 February 1996 [20]
Psi Beta ΨΒ Psychology at Two-Year Colleges November 5, 1981 1994
Psi Chi ΨΧ Psychology September 4, 1929 1965
Rho Chi ΡΧ Pharmacy May 19, 1922 March 1, 1947
Sigma Beta Delta ΣΒΔ Business, Management, and Administration January 16, 1994 1994
Sigma Delta Pi ΣΔΠ Spanish November 14, 1919 1966
Sigma Lambda Alpha ΣΛΑ Landscape Architecture September 24, 1977 1983 (Associate);
1986 (Full) 		[21]
Sigma Lambda Chi ΣΛΧ Construction Management Technology April 30, 1949 1991
Sigma Pi Sigma ΣΠΣ Physics and Astronomy December 11, 1921 1945 [11]
Sigma Tau Delta ΣΤΔ English Language and Literature December 12, 1922 1972 [12]
Sigma Theta Tau ΣΘΤ Nursing October 4, 1922 1959
Tau Beta Pi ΤΒΠ Engineering June 15, 1885 December 30, 1925 [e]
Tau Sigma Delta ΤΣΔ Architecture and Allied Arts May 1913 February 28, 1948 [22]
Theta Alpha Kappa ΘΑΚ Religious Studies and Theology Fall 1976 1985 (Associate);
1986 (Full)
Upsilon Pi Epsilon ΥΠΕ Computing and Information Disciplines January 10, 1967 1997 [23]
Xi Sigma Pi ΞΣΠ Forestry November 24, 1908 1966–1999;
2017 (Readmitted)
  1. ^ Founded as Beta Epsilon Phi on December 1, 1941.
  2. ^ Merged with Gamma Pi Epsilon March 30, 1973.
  3. ^ Kappa Omicron Nu founded in 1990 through consolidation of Omicron Nu (founded April 1912) and Kappa Omicron Phi (founded December 11, 1922)). (Omicron Nu admitted to ACHS 1951, readmitted 1968, Kappa Omicron Phi admitted 1972)
  4. ^ November 7, 1922 as Cwens, March 6, 1976 as Lambda Sigma
  5. ^ Association of College Honor Societies founding organization.

Former members

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While ACHS continues to operate as a voluntary membership association of honor societies, some former members have resigned from ACHS membership to operate independently. Of these, several have emerged into successor groups that remain part of the ACHS or have gone dormant.

Four former member societies, including three founding members of ACHS, subsequently formed the Honor Society Caucus.[24][25]

Society Greek letters Discipline Founded Joined ACHS Left ACHS Status References
Alpha Delta Mu ΑΔΜ Social Work Fall 1976 1983 (Associate);
1986 (Full) 		February 9, 2007 Independent [26][27]
Alpha Omega Alpha ΑΩΑ Medical August 25, 1902 December 30, 1925 1977–1998 Independent [12][a]
Chi Epsilon ΧΕ Civil Engineering May 22, 1922 1953 2023 Independent [12][b]
Delta Phi Delta ΔΦΔ Art January 10, 1909 1961 1977–1988 Independent [12][c]
Delta Sigma Rho ΔΣΡ Forensics April 13, 1906 February 1955 August 18, 1963 Merged into Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha [28][d]
Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha ΔΣΡ-ΤΚΑ Forensics August 18, 1963 February 27, 1937 (ΤΚΑ);
February 1955 (ΔΣΡ) 		November 2013–January 2014 Independent [28][d]
Delta Tau Alpha ΔΤΑ Agriculture March 19, 1960 1992 2023
Eta Kappa Nu ΗΚΝ Electrical and Computer Engineering October 28, 1904 March 1, 1947 2008 Independent
Golden Key General November 29, 1977 2005 December 31, 2013 Independent
Iota Sigma Pi ΙΣΠ Women in the sciences, especially chemistry 1900 or 1902 February 1955 1957–1963 Independent [12][29]
Kappa Delta Pi ΚΔΠ Education March 8, 1911 1974 2008 Independent
Lambda Iota Tau ΛΙΤ Literature of all Languages December 3, 1953 1965 2015 Merged with Sigma Tau Delta [29]
National Collegiate Players/Pi Epsilon Delta ΠΕΔ Theatre Honors June 8, 1919 1963 1977–1988 Independent
Omicron Delta Kappa ΟΔΚ Leadership and Scholarship December 3, 1914 March 3, 1930 2005 Honor Society Caucus
Omicron Nu ΟΝ Human Sciences April 23, 1912 February 25, 1951;
1968 (Readmitted) 		1990 Merged into Kappa Omicron Nu
Order of the Coif Law 1902 December 30, 1925 1947–1957 Independent [30][a]
Phi Beta Kappa ΦΒΚ Liberal Arts December 5, 1776 December 30, 1925 December 15, 1937 Honor Society Caucus [11][a]
Phi Kappa Phi ΦΚΦ All Fields March 15, 1897 December 30, 1925 2006–2007 Honor Society Caucus [a]
Pi Alpha Alpha ΠΑΑ Public Affairs and Administration 1974 1983 (Associate);
1984 (Full) 		2017 Independent
Pi Omega Pi ΠΩΠ Business Education Teachers June 13, 1923 1965 2023
Scabbard and Blade, National Society of Reserve Officer Training Corps Fall 1904 2010 2022 Independent
Sigma Gamma Tau ΣΓΤ Aerospace Engineering February 28, 1953 February 27, 1965 2001 Independent [31]
Sigma Tau ΣΤ Engineering February 24, 1904 March 3, 1930 1963 Merged into Tau Beta Pi [12][e]
Sigma Xi ΣΞ Scientific Research November 1886 December 30, 1925 1933 Honor Society Caucus [12][a]
Tau Alpha Pi ΤΑΠ Engineering Technology 1953 2000 2023
Tau Kappa Alpha ΤΚΑ Forensics May 13, 1908 February 27, 1937 August 18, 1963 Merged into Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha [28][d]
  1. ^ a b c d e Association of College Honor Societies founding organization.
  2. ^ Founded by two groups of civil engineering students at the University of Illinois in 1922.
  3. ^ Founded as Pallet Club at U of Kansas on January 10, 1909. On May 28, 1912, plans for a national organization were completed, Delta Phi Delta adapted as name
  4. ^ a b c Delta Sigma Rho and Tau Kappa Alpha merged on August 18, 1963, to form Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha.
  5. ^ Merged with Tau Beta Pi in 1974.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Anchora of Delta Gamma January 1929
  2. ^ "Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education". cas.edu. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  3. ^ "History". Association of College Honor Societies. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  4. ^ "General Schedule Qualifications". Office of Personnel Management. U.S. Government. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  5. ^ "About Sigma Xi". Sigma Xi.
  6. ^ "About Phi Kappa Phi". University of Southern California Libraries.
  7. ^ "Honor Society Caucus". Omicron Delta Kappa.
  8. ^ "Honor Society Caucus Statement" (PDF). Honor Society Caucus. 2014.
  9. ^ "Certified Societies (Member Directory)". Association of College Honor Societies. Archived from the original on 2024-10-08. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
  10. ^ Lasher, George Starr, ed. (1957). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (16th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: George Banta Co. OCLC 19297015.
  11. ^ a b c d e Maurice L. Moore. "Historical Information".
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Anson, Jack L.; Marchesani Jr., Robert F., eds. (1991). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. ISBN 978-0-9637159-0-6. OCLC 25278937.
  13. ^ "About Alpha Pi Mu". Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-06-12.
  14. ^ a b The Biologist. Phi Sigma Society. 1950. p. 135.
  15. ^ Sample Induction Ceremony for Honors Membership in Lambda Pi Eta
  16. ^ Gunther, William D. “The History of Omicron Delta Epsilon: The International Honor Society in Economics.” The American Economist, vol. 58, no. 2 (2013): 90-91. JSTOR 43664745
  17. ^ Phi Alpha Chapter Handbook 2021
  18. ^ Oswego - Phi Beta Delta
  19. ^ "Fifty years of leadership". www.pharmacist.com. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  20. ^ "Pi Theta Membership Handbook" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-09-11. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  21. ^ Michael Richard Hodges and Miriam Easton Rutz, "An Historical Summary of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture", Landscape Journal, Vol. 16, No. 1 (Spring 1997), pp. 108–114.
  22. ^ Tau Sigma Delta Mss.0345 Records of the Grand Chapter Recorder
  23. ^ Upsilon Pi Epsilon Initiation Ceremony
  24. ^ "Honors Societies | Honors College". Purdue University. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  25. ^ "The Phi Kappa Phi Difference". Phi Kappa Phi. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  26. ^ "Alpha Delta Mu Social Work National Honor Society – North Carolina A&T State University". Archived from the original on 2017-09-23. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
  27. ^ "ACHS History: Promoting Honor Since 1925". Association of College Honor Societies. Archived from the original on 2014-08-31. Retrieved 2025-02-05 – via Wayback Machine.
  28. ^ a b c "Delta Sigma Rho - Tau Kappa Alpha Honor Society - Forensics". Association of College Honor Societies. February 11, 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-04-08. Retrieved 2025-02-05 – via web.archive.org.
  29. ^ a b Iota Sigma Pi -About
  30. ^ National conference on college fraternities and societies 1947
  31. ^ University of Texas - Cactus Yearbook 1968 p 302
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