Phi Alpha Honor Society

A National Honor Society for Social Work Students

The Purpose of Phi Alpha Honor Society is to provide a closer bond between social work students and promote humanitarian goals. Phi Alpha fosters high standards of education for social workers and invites into membership those who have attained excellence in scholarship and achievement in social work.

Motto - 

The purpose of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater chapter of Phi Alpha shall be:

• To recognize and promote scholastic achievement among students and faculty involved in the undergraduate social work program and our graduate level social work program at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater;
• To recognize, improve and further the goals of social work in the community, state, nation and world;
• To stimulate interest in preparation for a career in social work;
• To encourage continued study and research at the undergraduate level, the graduate level, and in professional practice; and
• To recognize those professional social workers and others whose service, contributions and leadership are held in esteem.

Membership
An undergraduate student is eligible for active membership after achieving the following National minimum requirements and meeting local chapter requirements:

• Declared social work as a major.
• Achieved junior status.
• Completed 9 semester hours of core social work major courses.
• Achieved an overall grade point average in the top 35% of social work majors.
• Nomination by the majority of the social work department faculty.

A graduate student is eligible for active membership after achieving the following National minimum requirements and meeting local chapter & social work department requirements:

• Enrolled in graduate school and accepted into the masters of social work program
• Completed 35% of the credit hours required for MSW
  • Advanced Generalist Standing students - completed 12 MSW graduate credits
  • Non-advanced Standing students - completed 22 MSW graduate credits
• Achieved an overall grade point average in the top 35% of all graduate school social work majors per cohort
• Nomination by the majority of the social work department faculty.

Procedure
We have inducted eligible new Phi Alpha members every fall and spring semester since 2017.  There is a one time fee for your lifetime membership. Students who meet membership criteria and wish to join the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater chapter, Sigma Tau, will be inducted each fall and spring semester, and all new members will be recognized during the Spring Social Work Department Banquet. Phi Alpha honor cords, which can be worn at graduation may also be purchased upon joining the chapter.

More Information
If you have questions about the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater chapter, please contact Dr. Kathy Drechsler, Social Work Honor Society Advisor at dreschlk@uww.edu or 262-472-5272 OR Dr. Kristen Prock, at prockk@uww.edu or 262-472-5150. If you are interested in learning more about Phi Alpha, please visit their national website: www.phialpha.org.