About Membership

Categories of Membership

Student Membership

Student Membership is available to undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at a college or university with an active Sigma Tau Delta chapter.

  • Candidates for undergraduate membership must have a minimum of two college courses in English language or literature beyond the usual requirements in freshman English. The candidate must have a minimum of a B or equivalent average in English and in general scholarship, must rank* at least in the highest thirty-five percent of his/her class, and must have completed at least three semesters or five quarters of college course work. (Local chapters may raise, but not lower, these criteria.)  *This requirement may also be interpreted as "have an overall B average in general scholarship." (e.g., 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale).
  • Candidates for graduate membership must be enrolled in a graduate program in English, or one of its specializations, have completed six semester hours of graduate work or the equivalent, and have a minimum grade point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.
  • Read prerequisites and rights of Student Membership. 

Faculty Membership

Faculty Membership is available to faculty members and administrators at a college or university with a Sigma Tau Delta chapter, who have a degree in English. Induction fees for faculty members who sponsor a chapter are waived. Read prerequisites and rights of Faculty Membership.

Alumni Membership

Sigma Tau Delta members are members for life, becoming alumni when they cease current enrollment as student or faculty members in a college or university with an active chapter. (To stay in touch with Sigma Tau Delta, alumni members have the option of joining the Alumni Epsilon chapter.) Read prerequisites and rights of Alumni Membership.

Honorary Membership

  • Local honorary members may be initiated by any chapter upon the recommendation of the chapter sponsor, the chapter president, and by a three-fourths majority vote of those attending the meeting at which such recommendation is made.
  • National honorary members may be designated as such by a majority vote of the Board in recognition for outstanding achievement.
  • Read prerequisites and rights of Honorary Membership.

How much does it cost?

Local chapter dues may vary, but each new member pays a one-time international initiation fee of $37.

What are the benefits of membership?

Membership in Sigma Tau Delta is an outward recognition of personal accomplishment. It provides opportunities for those interested in English language and literature to join with like-minded persons on the local, regional, national, and international levels. Additional benefits are as follows.

  • Members receive a one-year subscription to Sigma Tau Delta publications with their initial fee: the fall and spring Newsletter and the two literary publications, The Rectangle and The Sigma Tau Delta Review.
     
  • Members can compete for several $1,000 to $3,000 scholarships and awards.
     
  • Members can apply for internship opportunities with a major publishing company.
     
  • Members can submit papers for presentation at the International Convention that is held every spring.
     
  • Members can submit papers for publication in the The Rectangle and The Sigma Tau Delta Review.
     
  • Members meet one of the U.S. Civil Service Commission requirements for entrance at the GS-7 level in numerous professional and technical occupations in the Federal Service (see www.achsnatl.org/achsbene.asp). This also means that students graduating with a B.S. or B.A., many of them entering at GS-5 level, move up considerably in the salary scale—up to $5000 or more per year—for membership in Sigma Tau Delta.
     
  • Members can apply for internships through the Washington Internship Institute (WII), the premier internship program in Washington, DC. WII and the Association of College Honor Societies offer $500 scholarships to all Sigma Tau Delta members who participate in WII's program. Internships are available in ALL majors. Scholarships may be applied to either tuition or housing. For more information, visit www.achsnatl.org/wii_index.asp.
     
  • Members are eligible to apply for a merit-based $1000 scholarship to attend The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) Summer Institute or Capital Semester. This scholarship is available to one Sigma Tau Delta member though a partnership with the Association of College Honor Societies and TFAS. For more information, visit www.achsnatl.org/tfas_index.asp.
     
  • Members are eligible for scholarships to help cover housing expenses in the internship program at The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC) through a partnership with Association of College Honor Societies. TWC is pleased to provide three $1,000 scholarships a year to Sigma Tau Delta members (both undergraduates and recent college graduates). For more information, please visit www.achsnatl.org/twc_index.asp.
     
  • Female members can take advantage of a complimentary membership to Women for Hire ($38 value), which offers advice, solutions, networking, tools, tips, and other career resources and guidance. Visit Women For Hire for full membership details. (To take advantage of the membership offer, email michelle@womenforhire.com and include Sigma Tau Delta in the subject line.)

Is there an English honor society for two-year colleges?

If your school does not grant baccalaureate or higher degrees, check to see if it has a chapter for Sigma Kappa Delta, the National English Honor Society for students in two-year colleges. For further information, contact:

Sheila Byrd
Executive Director
Sigma Kappa Delta
Calhoun Community College
PO Box 2216
Decatur, AL 35609-2216
(256) 306-2720
byrd@alscomputers.com

Is there an English honor society for high schools?

Yes! The National English Honor Society (NEHS) serves high school students and English teachers by providing, on the secondary level, many of the same benefits that Sigma Tau Delta provides for students in four-year colleges and universities--national recognition, scholarships and awards, writing opportunities, and networking with others who share an enthusiasm for, and an ability with, the English language arts.

The NEHS website is at www.nehs.us; full contact information is available there.