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