Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta is an American honor society founded in 1921 for undergraduate and 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.
The mission of Phi Alpha Theta is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication, and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians. The society seeks to bring students, teachers and writers of history together for intellectual and social exchanges that promote and assist historical research and publication by our members in a variety of ways.
UWM’s Delta Phi chapter of Phi Alpha Theta was first organized at the then Wisconsin State College, Milwaukee (aka “Milwaukee State”) in 1953. It is one of the oldest honor societies at UW-Milwaukee. As a local chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, our primary purpose is to contribute to the overall national mission of the society – to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication, and the exchange of ideas among historians.
If you are an undergraduate with at least 12 credits in History, with a minimum 3.1 GPA in your history courses and a minimum 3.0 GPA in your courses overall, you are eligible to join our Delta Phi chapter of Phi Alpha Theta.
To join Phi Alpha Theta:, complete the Application Form.
Once we have reviewed your UWM record, we will be back in touch with you. If you are accepted, we will ask that you mail or drop-off a $25.00 check or money order made out to the UWM Department of History to the address below. Please do not send a check until we notify you of your acceptance. (The one-time membership fee to Phi Alpha Theta is $50.00, but the UWM History Department will cover half of this fee. The one-time initiation fee includes a membership certificate and four issues of The Historian.)
Department of History
Holton Hall 342
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
P.O. Box 413
Milwaukee, WI 53201
Honors College
Students invited to join the UWM Honors College have exclusive access to Honors classes and upon completion of the Honors requirements can graduate with Honors distinctions. Honors courses are typically smaller than average and taught in a seminar style. Freshmen are invited to join based on their admissions application materials demonstrating high achievement in high school. Current students and transfer students can contact the Honors College to inquire about eligibility to apply.
Dean’s Honor List
Students with a major in the College of Letters & Science majors who earn a GPA of 3.750 or above in any semester where 12 or more graded credits are earned will be placed on the Dean’s Honors List for that semester.
Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest honor society. Membership is by invitation only. Just ten percent of U.S. universities have Phi Beta Kappa chapters, and within the UW System, only Milwaukee and Madison have chapters.
Membership criteria include the completion of a broad range of liberal arts coursework spanning the arts, sciences, humanities, social sciences, and languages; and academic achievement with a minimum GPA in these classes of 3.850 for juniors or 3.750 for seniors.
Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi is also recognized as one of the nation’s premier academic honor societies. Membership is by invitation only and is based on class rank — top 7.5% for juniors or top 10% for seniors. All majors are eligible.
Graduation Honors
Undergraduate students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester will receive all-university commencement honors and will be awarded the traditional gold cord at the commencement honors convocation.