Major Honor Societies

The Honors College encourages its eligible students to become members and take part in the activities of MTSU's most prestigious honor societies. Specifically, we partner with Phi Kappa Phi, MTSU Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Golden Key International, Omicron Delta Kappa and Tau Sigma. Each of these organizations upholds high academic standards and is open to students from a broad range of majors. Additionally, the Honors College is an institutional member of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC), the Southern Regional Honors Council (SRHC), and the Tennessee Collegiate Honors Council (TCHC).

Other societies include Gamma Beta Phi and Mortar Board National.

"I was very surprised and pleased when I heard about the award. My parents gave me every opportunity to learn as I was growing up. This, combined with the wonderful support I have received from Dr. Preston MacDougall and Dr. Gary Wulfsberg, helped prepare me for where I am today.";

-Taylor Arnold Barnes (Goldwater Scholarship winner)

"So few students were doing Honors theses when I was there. I think there were three of us the year that I did mine. I was much more prepared for grad school than I would have been if I had not done my Honors project. It helped me get into grad school because I had proven independent research skills — and it gave me confidence that I could do it. The Honors thesis is absolutely the most important part of the Honors Program, especially for people who are going on to graduate school, no matter what field you are going in to.";

-Dr. Brynda Quinn ('82 alumna)

"The Honors thesis is daunting but an exciting challenge. There is a lot of hard work involved, but the research was a lot of fun and writing it was fun, too. I learned a lot about writing from (Dr.) Steve Wright that I think has been helpful in pursuing my Ph.D. I get really good feedback on my research and writing skills and I attribute that to honing my skills during the thesis process at MTSU.";

-Eric Freundt (Oxford Ph.D candidate)

"I participated in Study Abroad and had a fantastic experience in Mexico. It's now my second home.";

-Colby Sledge (2007 alumnus)

"In taking Honors classes, the main difference is that the class size is smaller and has an additional project or group presentation. But with the smaller class size and the additional project, we really had to learn the information, not just memorize facts and dates. In Honors courses, it really is about learning. People ask more questions, discuss more. I carry more away from my Honors classes because I have to come to class ready to discuss with my professor and my peers.";

-Hannah Green (Senior, Knoxville)

"The interaction with the professors was on a much deeper level than I expected. Many professors have a 24/7 policy; I could call them at home and they offered private tutoring. The caliber of the professors on campus is outstanding. People from very prestigious backgrounds are here teaching. They are very acclaimed in their fields.";

-Matthew Bullington (2007 alumnus)