Phi Alpha Theta
National Headquarters
University of South Florida
4202 East Fowler Avenue, SOC107
Tampa, Florida 33620-8100
President:
James A. Ramage, Northern Kentucky University
Vice President:
Sandra Horvath-Peterson, Georgetown University
Executive Director:
Graydon A. (Jack) Tunstall, Jr., University of South Florida
Editor, The Historian:
Kees Boterbloem, University of South Florida
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.
All members of the honor society are inducted through the local Phi Alpha Theta chapter at their respective college or university. Individual memberships sent directly to the National Office are not acceptable and will be returned. Our one-time initiation fee of $40.00 per student is payable at the time of initiation. This fee includes a membership certificate and four issues of our journal, The Historian. Membership in Phi Alpha Theta is a lifetime membership. Each chapter, however, may levy whatever dues or fees it deems necessary to promote its own local activities. Thereafter, there are no annual dues or fees. Members who wish to continue supporting the honor society may do so by subscribing to The Historian and/or to our newsletter.
Membership Requirments
Undergraduate Students:
Undergraduate students must complete at least 12 semester hours in History (4 courses) with a GPA of at least 3.1 in History, have a GPA of 3.0 or better overall, and be in the top 35% of the class.
Membership is not limited to History majors.
Graduate Students:
Graduate students should have completed a minimum of 12 semester hours towards heir Master's Degree in History, have a GPA of better than 3.5, and shall have completed approximately 30% of the residence requirements for the Master's Degree.
Faculty Members:
Faculty members above the rank of Instructor who teach History automatically qualify, pay the same induction fee, and receive the same membership privileges.
PAT Fact Sheet
- Established March 17, 1921 at the University of Arkansas
- Charter Member of Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS)
- 860 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
When class rank is available, should be in upper 35% of class
Membership open to non-history majors*Graduate students and faculty members have separate requirement