Chi Phi Chapter

Phi Alpha Theta is the history honor society. Its mission is to promote the study of history and to create a space for intellectual exchange among students and faculty members. It is one of the few honor and professional historical societies that encourages student participation at all its functions.

The Chi Phi Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta at Fordham University sponsors many activities throughout the year, including field trips to museums in the New York metropolitan area and lectures by notable speakers each semester. Past speakers have included Robert A. Orsi on children’s experience of American Catholicism, Anupama Rao on sectarian violence in India, Gary Urton on literacy in the Andes, Guido Ruggiero on sexual identity in the Renaissance, Mary Hickman on racism and identity in Britain, Robert McChesney on the troubles in Afghanistan, Georgina Dopico Black on manuals for the inquisition, and Greg Robinson on FDR and the internment of Japanese Americans.

Phi Alpha Theta members at Fordham have been active in regional competitions for paper prizes. These competitions give undergraduate and graduate history students the opportunity to present their work to a scholarly audience. In the past, members won not only regional competitions, but also national level prizes, which included cash awards and publication of the prize-winning paper.

Requirements for membership:

Undergraduate students must have completed at least 12 credits in History with a grade point average of 3.1 or better, have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better, and rank in the top 35% of their class.

Graduate students should have completed a minimum of 12 semester hours towards their Master’s Degree, have a GPA of better than 3.5, and have completed approximately 30% of the residence requirements for the Master’s Degree.

There is a one-time initiation fee of $40.00.

Phi Alpha Theta holds a biennial convention where undergraduate and graduate students can meet distinguished historians and present their own research papers. The convention is highlighted by special events and tours of sites of historical interest. Phi Alpha Theta underwrites a portion of the cost of transportation for one delegate from each chapter attending the convention. There are also approximately 40 one- to two-day regional meetings held each year with more than 700 student papers being presented.

Prizes and Awards

Visit http://www.phialphatheta.org for a list of prizes and awards open to undergraduate and graduate members.

Publications:

The Historian
The society publishes The Historian, a distinguished historical quarterly whose pages are open to its members for publication in all fields of history. It also contains numerous reviews of scholarly books, news of historical activities, and other items of interest. The Historian is one of the most widely circulated scholarly historical journals published in the United States. Each initiate receives a one-year subscription as part of the initiation fee.

The News Letter
The News Letter is published three times a year and includes articles covering all the current activities and awards of the Society. It emphasizes new chapter installations, chapter activities, regional meetings, initiations, and other information of interest.

Modified, October 24, 2007 10:56 AM , Any questions about the History webpage can be sent to aacosta@fordham.edu.