Alpha Kappa Delta
Purpose
The purpose of the Alpha Kappa Delta honor society is to promote scholarship, but
the focus has always been fellowship for students, both at the graduate and undergraduate
levels. Conferring a charter signifies that the institution meets high standards of
program quality and scholarship.
Requirements
Individual students must also meet high standards. In the 1930s, undergraduate students
needed the equivalent of a ‘B+’ average in at least 12 hours of sociology and a ‘B’
average, overall, to be considered. Today, to become a member of AKD, a student has
to 1) be a declared sociology major or demonstrate a serious interest in sociology
within an official program of the host institution; 2) be at least a junior; 3) have
accumulated the equivalent of an overall GPA of 3.0 and rank in the top 35% of their
class in general scholarship; 4) have maintained the equivalent of a 3.0 GPA in sociology
courses taken at the host institution prior to initiation; and 5) have completed at
least four regular courses in sociology prior to initiation (exclusive of extension
or courses graded pass/fail).
Activities
Student scholarship in Alpha Kappa Delta is recognized in several ways. The Society
sponsors student travel to regional meetings, supporting those who want to present
their own work and learn from the scholarly presentations of others. The Society sponsors
annual student paper contests, presenting awards which include monetary prizes, travel
support, and scholarships. In addition, by funding research symposia and honoraria
for guest speakers, the Society supports chapter activities which further education.
The Society continues to recognize scholarly excellence in sociology by inducting
approximately 4,000 lifetime members each year.
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