A variety of different opportunities exist for Letters & Science students.
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.
Other Honor Societies
Students often receive invitations or solicitations to join various honor societies. Many are legitimate and some are not. It is important to research the organization before paying any dues to understand the value of a particular society and the benefits you receive. Reliable advice for vetting an organization can be found on the Association of College Honor Societies web page.
In addition to the ones mentioned above, the following societies all have formal affiliation with UWM and should be considered if you are invited to join.
Open to all Letters & Science majors:
- Golden Key International
- Mortar Board (for seniors)
- Alpha Lambda Delta (for freshmen)