Greek Letters Phi Alpha Theta over a yellow background on the right with text underneath reading "Phi Alpha Theta National History Honors Society." On the right is a blue triangle with the Greek letters Iota Kappa and the text "Iota Kappa Est. May 27, 1964" superimposed in the middle.

Phi Alpha Theta

Phi Alpha Theta
The National Honor Society in History

A solid academic record, both in the History Department and overall, could make you eligible for membership in Phi Alpha Theta, the international honor society for history. Phi Alpha Theta is among the most prestigious departmental honor societies in America. To learn more about Phi Alpha Theta, visit www.phialphatheta.org.

Eligibility requirements:

The minimum requirements for undergraduates include 12 hours of History credits, with a GPA of at least 3.1 in history courses and 3.0 overall. Additional considerations for induction include the selection and breadth of courses taken. Ideally, the successful candidate will demonstrate high achievement in courses at various levels and in several subject areas. 

Please note the following:

A one-time fee of $50 (CHECKS made out to Rutgers History Department ONLY) is required for lifetime membership.

At the induction ceremony, you will receive an official certificate validating your membership directly from the Phi Alpha Theta's International Office along with a year's subscription to The Historian, a distinguished historical quarterly. You will then become eligible to apply for prizes, awards, and scholarships available to members only. This distinction will also be noted on your transcript.

For questions specifically about the RU-N chapter, Iota Kappa, contact Professor Daniel Asen.

A list of Phi Alpha Theta Initiates organized by year can be found here.

Phi Alpha Theta Logo

Mission Statement

We are a professional society whose mission is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians. We seek to bring students, teachers and writers of history together for intellectual and social exchanges, which promote and assist historical research and publication by our members in a variety of ways.

PAT Facts 

  • Established March 17, 1921 at the University of Arkansas
  • Charter Member of Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS)
  • 900+ chapters and over 350,000 members
  • Historian journal published quarterly – circulation: 12,500 members and more than 1,000 libraries
  • 2,500 subscribers to The News Letter (published three times annually)
  • 9,500 initiates (annual average)
  • 35 regional meetings nationwide each spring
  • Over 25 scholarships and prizes awarded annually (doctoral and graduate student scholarships, undergraduate student scholarship, paper prizes, book awards, manuscript award, best chapter awards, student history journal awards, world history award, etc.)
  • Membership qualifications (undergraduate)*
    ~At least 3.1 minimum GPA in 12 or more credit hours of history
    ~At least 3.0 minimum overall GPA
    *Graduate students and faculty have separate requirement