Organizations & Services
Honor Societies
Alpha Phi Sigma
Alpha Phi Sigma is the national criminal justice honor society at SPEA Indianapolis. The society recognizes scholastic excellence of students in the field of criminal justice. It was founded in 1942 and was admitted to the Association of College Honor Societies in 1980. To be eligible, undergraduate students must have earned an overall grade point average of at least 3.20 for at least 40 credit hours of course work, and must include at least four criminal justice courses with a minimum 3.20 grade point average. For additional information, students should contact their criminal justice faculty advisor.
Pi Alpha Alpha at SPEA Bloomington
Pi Alpha Alpha is the national honorary society for schools of public affairs and administration. The society acknowledges outstanding scholarship and contributions to these fields. It was founded in 1972 by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) to honor those whose performance in public affairs has been distinguished. The Indiana chapter of Pi Alpha Alpha is a charter chapter. Membership in Pi Alpha Alpha may be compared to membership in Phi Beta Kappa for liberal arts graduates. A person evaluating credentials in the various fields of public service should recognize the professional quality such a membership represents.
Undergraduate students may be eligible for Pi Alpha Alpha membership when they are in the top 10 percent of their graduating class with a minimum grade point average of 3.50 in at least 15 credit hours of SPEA courses, when they are in the last semester of the junior year or in the senior year, and when they have earned a grade point average of at least 3.00 in all course work. These are the national minimum requirements. However, higher minimum requirements may be used and may change annually depending on grade trends.
Alumni are eligible for membership if they meet all the requirements of student membership, even if they graduated before induction by the Indiana chapter.
Honorary membership is available to any person who has achieved distinction in public administration and who has the distinguished qualities that Pi Alpha Alpha fosters.