Pi Sigma Alpha Rating, Reviews and Requirements. Is it worth it?
REQUIREMENTS
Pi Sigma Alpha is classified as an "upper division, specialized" honor society.
- For undergraduates, completion of ten semester-credits or fifteen quarter-credits in political science, including at least one upper-division course, with an average grade of B or higher in all political science courses, and an overall GPA placing the student in the top one-third of his or her class. Individual chapters may raise the eligibility threshold; they may not lower it.
- For graduate students, completion of nine graduate credits in political science with no grade lower than a B in those courses.
SUMMARY
American Political Science Association-
Pi Sigma Alpha (ΠΣΑ or PSA), the National Political Science Honor Society, is the only honor society for college and university students of political science in the United States. Its purpose is to recognize and promote high academic achievement in the field of political science.\
FAST FACTS
Chapters: Nearly 700
Founded: October 1, 1920
Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
Colors: Red, Black
Type of business: Honor Society
IN DEPTH HISTORY-
- The first chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha was founded in 1920 at the University of Texas at Austin, and the society has grown over the years to over 700 chapters (as of 2012).
- A local chapter may be established at any college or university granting the baccalaureate or higher degrees, which is accredited by a regional or national accrediting association, and which offers a major sequence of courses in political science through an appropriate administrative department, school, or division of the institution, and which conforms to other requirements established by the Executive Council of the society.
- Chapters are guided by faculty advisors and by student officers.
KEY BENEFITS
Pi Sigma Alpha has programs to benefit its student members and their chapters, and the profession of political science. Programs for chapters and members include:
- an annual Chapter Activity Grants competition,
- Best Undergraduate Student Paper and Best Undergraduate Honors Thesis awards,
- Scholarships for Graduate Study in Political Science,
- Scholarship for Washington Internships,
- Best Chapter awards, and
- Chapter Advisor Recognition awards.
For the profession of political science, Pi Sigma Alpha sponsors major speakers at the annual meetings of the American Political Science Association (APSA) and the several regional and state political science associations, and provides Best Paper awards for the APSA Annual Meeting and the regional political science association annual meetings. It also co-sponsors APSA's annual awards for teachers of political science in higher education.
OUR REVIEW
Observation #1: There was not very much information on their website for potential members--it seems geared towards new members or existing members, and it was hard to find a lot of facts about their society,
Observation #2: I searched high and low for notable alumni and while I found a few people who held office between 1930-1960, they don’t seem to have many up to date, current notable alumni or politicians that were in their midst, so we’d like to see more political superstars coming from this society.
Observation #3: They don’t explicitly list benefits, other than access to scholarships, speakers and annual meetings, though these benefits seem more applicable and helpful to the members in the society.
CURRENT RANKING: BRONZE LEVEL
