Political Science Honor Society

Pi Sigma Alpha is the national honor society dedicated to the promotion of excellence in the study of Political Science. Members of Pi Sigma Alpha are recognized for their strong scholastic record, leadership qualities, and overall contribution to the university community.

The national office of Pi Sigma Alpha is in Washington, D.C. There are also local chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States. The chapter here at Old Dominion University is entitled Zeta Omega.

Old Dominion University students are invited to apply for admission to the Zeta Omega chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha. Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Undergraduate students must:

1. Be a Junior or Senior.
2. Have an overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
3. Have a GPA of 3.2 or higher in upper-division (300–400 level) courses in political science, government, international relations, public administration, or a related interdisciplinary area that includes significant political science curriculum.
4. Have completed, or have in progress, at least twelve credit hours of the above upper-division courses.

Graduate students must:

1. Have completed at least nine graduate credits in political science or related areas.
2. Have no grade lower than a B in those graduate courses. Undergraduate coursework does not count toward graduate student eligibility.

There is a one-time initiation fee of $35 which is required by the national office. This fee must be submitted electronically to the national office once your application has been approved. Application deadlines are October 31st and February 28th each year.

To learn more about Pi Sigma Alpha, or to apply for membership, please contact Dr. Benjamin Melusky, Department of Political Science and Geography, BAL 7018, phone: 757-683-6273, email: bmelusky@odu.edu, or Dr. Jesse Richman, BAL 7028, email: jrichman@odu.edu.