There are presently two academic honor societies and one scholastic fraternity for students in history, political science, or prelaw.
Phi Alpha Delta, international prelaw society, is open to membership by students in good academic standing in the university who intend to become lawyers.
Phi Alpha Theta, international honor society in history, is open to membership by students who have twelve hours in history, with a "B" average in those courses plus a "B" average in two-thirds of their remaining hours and who rank in the top thirty-five percent of their class.
Pi Gamma Mu, international honor society in the social sciences, is open to membership by students who have twenty-one hours in the social sciences with a "B" average in those courses and who rank in the top thirty-five percent of their class.
During each academic year, these student groups, advised by faculty, engage in numerous activities, including field trips to law schools, professional meetings and museums, and programs with guest speakers and social gatherings.
At the end of each academic year, the department hosts an annual banquet for students and faculty to honor graduating seniors and the two student majors given the Outstanding Graduate Award and the Senior Service Award. Guest lecturers speak at these banquets, usually on some aspect of history or politics. At the 1996 banquet senior social studies major Suzanne Phillips received the Outstanding Graduate Award, and senior social studies major Teresa Beaver received the Senior Service Award. Named the department's nominee for Outstanding Graduate for the School of Liberal and Performing Arts was Sarah Jampole, a senior history major. Guest speaker was Dr. Gene Mueller, professor of history at Henderson State University, who spoke on "German Army General or Nazi General? The Cases of Guenther Hans von Kluge; Ritter Wilhelm Joseph Franz von Leeb; and Erich Hoepner."