Pi Gamma Mu Social Sciences Honor Society

In fall 2017, Northwestern’s Department of Social Sciences established the Oklahoma Kappa Chapter of Pi Gamma Mu.  Formed in 1924 and based out of Winfield, Kansas, the Social Sciences Honor Society of Pi Gamma Mu seeks “to encourage and promote excellence in the social sciences and to uphold the ideals of scholarship and service.”  It represents the oldest and preeminent honor society in the social sciences field.  About 150 chapters are active today in the United States and abroad.  
 
Jana Brown Pittman, instructor of history and program coordinator of social sciences, is serving as the chapter's faculty sponsor at Northwestern.  

Membership is open to juniors, seniors, graduate students, online students, and faculty.  Applicants for admission must have earned twenty hours in social science related classes with a “B” grade average.  The honor society accepts individuals from the fields of criminal justice, history, geography, political science, social science education, and sociology.

At no cost to the university, numerous benefits are also made available to Pi Gamma Mu members.  Members are eligible to apply for one of eleven annual scholarships, present research papers at international and regional conventions, and submit articles for publication in its peer-reviewed professional journal.  Moreover, members interested in federal employment enjoy the opportunity for advancement in government service rating. 

Interdisciplinary in nature, Pi Gamma Mu stipulates that each chapter is also eligible to apply for up to $300 in annual lectureship grants.