Understanding Greek Life

Professional Fraternities, Honor Societies,

and What They Can Mean for Your Career

An Informational Guide for CMTech Students

Prepared by The CMTech Team

Cade Moore Polytechnic Institute

A Note Before You Begin

CM-Tech does not encourage or require any student to join a fraternity, sorority, or honor society. These are independent organizations that are not managed, funded, or governed by CM-Tech. This guide exists solely to help you make informed decisions if the topic interests you. Your education and your future are what matter most.

Part 1: What Is Greek Life?

When people say “Greek life,” they are talking about a system of organizations at colleges and universities that use Greek letters as their names—like ΘΤ (Theta Tau) or ΔΣΠ (Delta Sigma Pi). These organizations have been around since 1776 and are a major part of American higher education culture.

If your idea of a fraternity or sorority comes from movies, that is completely understandable—but the reality is much more varied. Yes, some social fraternities are known for parties. But there is an entire world of professional fraternities, service fraternities, and honor societies that focus on career development, academic excellence, community service, and lifelong professional networking. Those are the ones we want you to know about.

The Five Types of Greek-Letter Organizations

Not all Greek organizations are the same. There are five broad categories, and they serve very different purposes:

• Professional Fraternities and Sororities: These are organized around a specific career field—engineering, business, law, medicine, education, and more. Their purpose is to help members develop skills, build professional networks, and prepare for careers. Most professional fraternities are co-ed (open to all genders) because federal Title IX law requires it. These are the organizations most relevant to CMTech students.

• Honor Societies: These recognize academic achievement. You are typically invited to join based on your GPA, not through a pledge process. They look great on a resume and often provide scholarships. Examples include Phi Beta Kappa (liberal arts), Tau Beta Pi (engineering), and Phi Kappa Phi (all fields).

• Service Fraternities and Sororities: These focus on community service and volunteer work. The largest is Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity with over 500,000 alumni members. They emphasize leadership, friendship, and service.

• Social Fraternities and Sororities: These focus primarily on social life, brotherhood or sisterhood, and campus culture. They are exempt from Title IX, so they are usually single-gender. Social fraternities and sororities are not covered in this guide.

• Culturally-Based Organizations: These serve specific cultural, ethnic, or faith-based communities. They combine social and service elements with cultural identity and heritage.

Key Takeaway

Professional fraternities and honor societies are focused on helping you build a career. They are the organizations we want you to understand because they could genuinely benefit your professional future.

Part 2: Why People Join—The Benefits

Membership in a professional fraternity or honor society provides both tangible and intangible benefits that can follow you throughout your entire career.

Tangible Benefits

• Professional Networking: Many organizations maintain alumni directories spanning decades. When you join, you gain access to a network of people in your field who share your experience. Research from Gallup found that fraternity and sorority alumni are more than twice as likely as non-affiliated graduates to feel their college experience prepared them well for life after college. Nearly half of members reported that a fellow member helped them find an internship or a job.

• Faster Employment After Graduation: A Gallup survey of over 10,000 college alumni found that more than half of fraternity and sorority alumni had accepted a job or found employment within two months of graduation, compared to just 36% of non-affiliated graduates.

• Scholarships and Grants: Many national organizations offer scholarships to their members. For example, the 26 sororities in the National Panhellenic Conference awarded $6.6 million in scholarships in the 2022–2023 school year alone. Professional fraternities like Theta Tau have their own educational foundations that fund student scholarships.

• Leadership Development: Nearly 75% of fraternity and sorority chapters offer focused leadership development programming at least monthly. About 83% of members report that their confidence in leadership skills increased because of membership.

• Resume Enhancement: Listing a recognized professional fraternity or honor society on your resume signals to employers that you took initiative, developed professionally, and committed to excellence in your field.

Intangible Benefits

• Sense of Belonging: Membership provides a community of people who share your goals and understand your challenges. Research shows that fraternity and sorority members report a stronger sense of belonging to their campus community than non-affiliated peers.

• Mentorship: Both peer mentorship within chapters and alumni mentorship from graduates who are established in their careers. This kind of guidance—on resumes, interviews, workplace skills—is difficult to find elsewhere.

• Shared Professional Identity: When you meet someone from the same professional fraternity at a conference, a job interview, or in the workplace, you already share something in common. It is a conversation starter and a trust-builder. Think of it like meeting someone from your hometown in a city far away—there is an immediate connection.

• Personal Growth: Members consistently report improvements in communication skills, teamwork, time management, and confidence. More than 8 out of 10 fraternity members say they would join again if they could do college over.

• Mental Health and Wellbeing: Research shows that fraternity and sorority members report stronger mental health, less anxiety and depression, and greater overall wellbeing compared to non-affiliated peers. Having a built-in support system matters.

Part 3: How Greek Organizations Work

The Lodge System and Legal Structure

Most Greek organizations operate under what the IRS calls a “lodge system.” This is simpler than it sounds. Think of it like a tree: the trunk is the national (or international) headquarters—sometimes called the “grand lodge” or “national chapter.” The branches are the local chapters at individual colleges and universities. Each local chapter is largely self-governing—they elect their own officers, run their own meetings, and manage their own activities—but they follow the rules and values of the national organization.

What Is a 501(c)(8)?

Many fraternities and sororities are classified by the IRS as 501(c)(8) fraternal beneficiary societies. This is a specific type of tax-exempt nonprofit. Here is how it compares to the 501(c)(3) organizations you may be more familiar with:

Feature

501(c)(3) Nonprofit

501(c)(8) Fraternal Society

Purpose

Serve the public (charity, education, religion)

Serve members through fraternal bonds and mutual aid

Structure

Board of directors

Lodge system: national HQ + local chapters

Membership

Open to anyone who meets membership requirements 

Based on shared profession, values, or common bond

Member Benefits

Programs serve the public

Life, sick, accident insurance and other direct member benefits

Tax-Deductible Donations

Yes, all donations

Only if used for charitable purposes

IRS Filing

Form 1023

Form 1024

Some fraternal organizations are classified under 501(c)(7) (social clubs) or 501(c)(10) (fraternal societies that do not provide member benefits but devote earnings to charitable purposes). The important thing to understand is that these are all legally independent organizations—they are not part of CM-Tech, and CM-Tech has no legal authority over them.

What CMTech Can and Cannot Do

Because fraternities and sororities are independent legal entities with their own national governance, CM-Tech’s role is very limited. An educational institution can recognize or decline to recognize a student organization on campus, and can prohibit organizations from using campus property for events. However, CM-Tech cannot prevent students from joining an off-campus, unaffiliated organization any more than it could prevent learners from joining a book club or a church.

Because the majority of CM-Tech students study online and remotely, the traditional model of campus-based Greek life does not apply in the usual way. If CM-Tech students were to form a chapter of a professional fraternity, it would likely operate as a virtual or distributed chapter with rules and regulations determined by the national chapter of the society.

Important Distinction

501(c)(3) nonprofits are governed by a Board of Directors, sometimes referred to as a Board of Trustees. Fraternities and sororities are separate legal entities, typically organized as 501(c)(7), 501(c)(8), or 501(c)(10) organizations under their own national charters. Joining one does not create any legal relationship with CM-Tech.

Part 4: Costs, Fees, and Financial Accessibility

Every fraternity and sorority that we researched charges dues. How much varies enormously depending on the type of organization, whether there is a physical chapter house, and what campus you are on. Here is the general breakdown of what members typically pay:

Typical Fee Categories

• One-Time Initiation Fee: Paid once when you officially become a member. This covers your membership badge, national registration, and processing. For professional fraternities, this is often between $50 and $300. 

• Semester or Annual Dues: Ongoing payments that fund chapter operations, national programming, leadership training, insurance, and publications. For professional fraternities without housing, these are often $100–$300 per semester. 

• National Fees: A portion of your dues goes to the national organization to fund conventions, publications, liability insurance, scholarship programs, and support for local chapters. This is typically built into the semester dues rather than billed separately.

• Housing Fees: Only applicable if the chapter has a physical house—which would not be the case for CM-Tech students. At traditional universities, housing costs can range from a few thousand to nearly $10,000 per semester, but this is comparable to university dormitory costs and includes meals and common spaces.

Financial Accessibility

The cost question is a real and fair concern. Here is what we found about how various organizations address financial barriers:

• Many chapters offer payment plans so members do not have to pay all at once.

• National organizations and individual chapters frequently offer scholarships and grants to help members who are experiencing financial hardship.

• Some chapters have alumni-funded scholarship endowments specifically to offset dues for members in need.

• On average nationally, less than 2% of a student’s total college expenses go toward fraternity or sorority membership dues.

• Professional fraternities without housing have significantly lower costs than social fraternities at traditional residential campuses.

• Organizations like Theta Tau have publicly stated their commitment to keeping membership affordable to virtually all interested students.

What About Our Students?

Because CM-Tech students would not need a physical chapter house, the most expensive part of Greek life—housing—would not apply. Costs for a chapter without housing would likely be limited to initiation fees and dues, potentially in the range of $100–$400 per year in total. We encourage any student considering membership to ask the organization directly about financial hardship accommodations and payment plans before making any commitments.

Part 5: Hazing—What It Is and Why CM-Tech Condemns It

Before we go any further, we need to talk about hazing. CM-Tech unconditionally condemns hazing in all its forms. No organization affiliated with or recognized by CM-Tech students should ever engage in hazing activities.

What Is Hazing?

The National Collaborative for Hazing Research and Prevention defines hazing as any activity expected of someone joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers them—regardless of whether the person claims to be willing to participate.

Hazing can include physical abuse (forced exercise, hitting, exposure to extreme conditions), forced consumption of alcohol or other substances, sleep deprivation, psychological intimidation, public humiliation, and any activity that creates discomfort, embarrassment, or danger.

Why This Matters: Real Consequences

Particulaing in hazing activities can kill people. This is not an exaggeration.

According to research compiled by a journalist and the University of Washington Information School, there have been over 330 documented deaths due to hazing in the United States since 1838, with approximately 122 occurring in just the last 25 years—which on average amounts to being about 5 deaths per year since 2000. At least one hazing death occurred every single year between 1959 and 2021.

Here are some case studies that illustrate why hazing can be so dangerous:

Timothy, Penn State University (2017)

Timothy was a 19-year-old sophomore who wanted to join the local chapter of a fraternity. During a pledge event, he was pressured into heavy drinking and fell down a flight of stairs. Despite being visibly injured and unconscious, fraternity members waited approximately 12 hours before calling for medical help. Timothy died from traumatic brain injury. Around twenty-eight members faced charges. His death led to Pennsylvania’s “Tim’s Law,” which strengthened criminal penalties for hazing. In December 2024, President Biden signed the Stop Campus Hazing Act, the first federal anti-hazing legislation, into law.

Chun “Michael”, Baruch College (2013)

Michael was an 18-year-old freshman pledging a fraternity. During an initiation ritual in a rented house in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, he was said to have been blindfolded and required to carry a heavy backpack while members physically struck him. He suffered traumatic injuries. Fraternity members waited over an hour before driving him to a hospital 45 minutes away. He died the next day. A forensic pathologist determined that had he received timely medical care, he would have survived. Thirty-seven defendants were charged.

Caleb, Southern University (2025)

In February 2025, 20-year-old Caleb died after a suspected hazing incident at Southern University. Police reported that fraternity members took turns punching prospective members in the chest while wearing boxing gloves during an initiation meeting. His death was ruled a homicide.

CM-Tech’s Position on Hazing

CM-Tech strictly condemns hazing in any form. If you ever encounter hazing—whether directed at you or at someone else—you should not participate, you should leave the situation immediately, and you should report it.

No organization worth joining would ask you to endure humiliation, pain, or danger to prove your worth. Any legitimate professional fraternity or honor society will have an explicit written anti-hazing policy. If they do not, that is a red flag.

Part 6: Dispelling Common Myths

Myth: “Fraternities are just for partying.”

Reality: Professional fraternities focus on career development, academic support, leadership training, and community service. Social fraternities get more media attention, but they are only one category of Greek organization. There is an entire ecosystem of professional and honor organizations that have nothing to do with parties.

Myth: “Sororities are only for women and fraternities are only for men.”

Reality: Most professional fraternities are co-ed (open to all genders) because federal Title IX law requires it. The word “fraternity” comes from the Latin frater, meaning “brother,” but in this context it simply refers to a bonded group of people. Many professional fraternities use “brother” as a gender-neutral term for all members. Some organizations, like Alpha Omega Epsilon (women in STEM) and Sigma Phi Delta (men in engineering), remain single-sex by claiming dual professional-social status, but they are the exception, not the rule.

Myth: “You have to live in a fraternity house.”

Reality: Many professional fraternities do not have houses at all. A chapter can operate entirely through regular meetings, professional development events, and service projects—including virtually. Alpha Phi Omega for example, one of the largest collegiate fraternities in the United States with over 500,000 alumni, does not maintain fraternity houses.

Myth: “It’s just paying for friends.”

Reality: Dues fund tangible services: liability insurance, leadership training programs, conventions, scholarship funds, professional development workshops, career networking events, and publications. Think of it more like paying professional association membership dues—similar to how an engineer might pay for a membership in a professional engineering society.

Myth: “Greek life is only for wealthy students at elite universities.”

Reality: Professional fraternities exist at hundreds of colleges across the country, including public universities, community colleges, and technical institutes. Many organizations actively work to make membership affordable and offer financial assistance to students in need. Organizations like Theta Tau have publicly committed to keeping costs accessible.

Myth: “You can only join one Greek organization.”

Reality: Because professional fraternities, honor societies, and service fraternities serve different purposes, you can belong to more than one type. For example, you could be a member of Theta Tau (professional engineering), Tau Beta Pi (engineering honor society), and Alpha Phi Omega (co-ed service) simultaneously. An example restriction could be that you cannot belong to two competing professional fraternities in the same sector.

Part 7: Your Options—Professional Fraternities, Sororities, and Honor Societies

Below is a comprehensive listing of professional fraternities, sororities, and honor societies organized by field. We have included the eligibility (co-ed, women, men), a description of what they do, and whether they are a fraternity or honor society. This is not every Greek organization that exists—it is a list of organizations focused on professional development, academic excellence, and career preparation.

CM-Tech does not encourage joining any fraternal society.  However, CM-Tech administration recognizes that they could not prevent memberships even if they wanted to.

What CM-Tech can do is empower their learners to make a well-informed decision when considering their options.

Engineering and Technology

Organization

Type

Eligibility

What They Do

Theta Tau (ΘΤ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

The oldest and largest professional engineering fraternity. Founded 1904. Over 50,000 members at 100+ campuses. Emphasizes professional development, community service, and lifelong brotherhood.

Alpha Omega Epsilon (ΑΩΕ)

Professional Sorority

Women & non-binary in STEM

Founded 1983. Advances interests of women and gender minorities in engineering and technical sciences. Pillars: friendship, leadership, professionalism. Offers member scholarships.

Sigma Phi Delta (ΣΦΔ)

Professional Fraternity

Men

The only fraternity exclusively for male engineering students at ABET-accredited schools. Founded 1924. Stands for Science, Friendship, and Duty.

CM-Tech does not have ABET accreditation (yet).

Alpha Chi Sigma (ΑΧΣ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1902 for chemistry students and chemical engineers. Requires 12+ credits of chemistry. Emphasizes tutoring, chemistry outreach, and community service.

Alpha Rho Chi (ΑΡΧ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1914 for architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and related fields. Charter member of the Professional Fraternity Association. Motto: Fidelity and Love of the Arts.

Alpha Sigma Kappa (ΑΣΚ)

Professional Sorority

Women

Founded 1989 for women in architecture, engineering, mathematics, and sciences.

Kappa Eta Kappa (ΚΗΚ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1923 for electrical and computer engineering students.

Kappa Theta Pi (ΚΘΠ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 2012 for information technology students. One of the newer professional fraternities.

Tau Beta Pi (ΤΒΠ)

Honor Society

Co-ed

The engineering equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa. Recognizes outstanding academic achievement in engineering. Requires a minimum 3.0 GPA. Extremely prestigious—looks excellent on a resume.

Eta Kappa Nu (ΗΚΝ)

Honor Society

Co-ed

Recognizes academic excellence in electrical and computer engineering. Requires 3.0+ GPA.

Chi Epsilon (ΧΕ)

Honor Society

Co-ed

Recognizes academic excellence in civil engineering. Requires 3.0+ GPA.

Omega Chi Epsilon (ΩΧΕ)

Honor Society

Co-ed

Recognizes academic excellence in chemical engineering. Requires 3.0+ GPA.

Business, Finance, and Entrepreneurship

Organization

Type

Eligibility

What They Do

Alpha Kappa Psi (ΑΚΨ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1904. Over 298,000 initiated members across four countries. The oldest and largest co-ed business fraternity. Emphasizes principled business leadership, mentorship, and professional development. Requires 3.0+ GPA.

Delta Sigma Pi (ΔΣΠ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1907. The first co-ed business fraternity. Emphasizes diversity, ethical leadership, and community service. Strong focus on professional development for business careers.

Pi Sigma Epsilon (ΠΣΕ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1952 for students in marketing, sales, and management.

Phi Chi Theta (ΦΧΘ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1924 for business students. Originally a women’s organization, now co-ed.

Sigma Iota Epsilon (ΣΙΕ)

Honor Society

Co-ed

Management honor society. Recognizes academic excellence in management.

Gamma Iota Sigma (ΓΙΣ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1966 for students in insurance, risk management, and actuarial sciences. International.

Epsilon Nu Tau (ΕΝΤ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 2008 for entrepreneurship students. One of the newest professional fraternities.

Delta Mu Delta (ΔΜΔ)

Honor Society

Co-ed

Recognizes academic achievement in business administration. Requires 3.25+ GPA.

Law and Pre-Law

Organization

Type

Eligibility

What They Do

Phi Alpha Delta (ΦΑΔ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1902. International law fraternity. One of the largest and oldest law fraternities. Open to pre-law undergrads and law students. Strong alumni network in legal profession.

Delta Theta Phi (ΔΘΦ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1900. International law fraternity emphasizing academic achievement and community service.

Phi Delta Phi (ΦΔΦ)

Honor Society

Co-ed

Founded 1869—the oldest professional fraternity still in existence. Originally a professional law fraternity, it transitioned to an honor society in 2012.

Kappa Alpha Pi (ΚΑΠ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 2007 for pre-law and law students.

Medicine, Health Sciences, and Pre-Health

Organization

Type

Eligibility

What They Do

Phi Delta Epsilon (ΦΔΕ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1904. International medical fraternity. One of the largest. Open to medical and pre-medical students.

Delta Epsilon Mu (ΔΕΜ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1996 for students in pre-health and health-related fields. Relatively new and growing.

Alpha Tau Delta (ΑΤΔ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1921 for nursing students.

Alpha Psi (ΑΨ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1907 for veterinary medicine students.

Kappa Psi (ΚΨ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1879 for pharmacy students. One of the oldest professional fraternities.

Phi Delta Chi (ΦΔΧ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1883 for pharmacy students.

Rho Psi Eta (ΡΨΗ)

Professional Sorority

Women

Founded 2007 for women pursuing pre-health careers.

Chi Eta Phi (ΧΗΦ)

Professional Sorority

Women

Founded 1932 for nursing professionals and students. Historically African American.

Education

Organization

Type

Eligibility

What They Do

Phi Delta Kappa (ΦΔΚ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1906. International education fraternity. One of the most prominent organizations for educators.

Kappa Delta Pi (ΚΔΠ)

Honor Society

Co-ed

Founded 1911. Over 140,000 members. Recognizes academic excellence in education. Offers classroom grants up to $2,000 and professional development resources.

Phi Epsilon Kappa (ΦΕΚ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1913 for physical education, performance, and sports management.

Service Organizations

Organization

Type

Eligibility

What They Do

Alpha Phi Omega (ΑΦΩ)

Service Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1925. The largest collegiate fraternity in the U.S. with chapters at 786+ campuses and 500,000+ alumni. Focused on leadership, friendship, and service. No houses. Open to all students regardless of major. Non-selective—the only prerequisite is completing the pledge program. You can belong to APO and another fraternity or sorority simultaneously.

General Academic Excellence (All Fields)

Organization

Type

Eligibility

What They Do

Phi Beta Kappa (ΦΒΚ)

Honor Society

Co-ed

Founded 1776—the oldest academic honor society in the United States. Recognizes outstanding achievement in the liberal arts and sciences. Only about 10% of U.S. colleges have chapters, and only about 10% of those schools’ graduates are invited. Members include 17 U.S. Presidents and over 136 Nobel laureates. Requires a very high GPA and breadth of study.

Phi Kappa Phi (ΦΚΦ)

Honor Society

Co-ed

Recognizes outstanding academic achievement in ALL fields of study (not limited to liberal arts). Requires 3.5+ GPA. One of the most inclusive prestigious honor societies.

Golden Key

Honor Society

Co-ed

Interdisciplinary honor society. Requires 3.0+ GPA. Open to all majors. Unites talented undergraduate and graduate students.

Alpha Lambda Delta (ΑΛΔ)

Honor Society

Co-ed

Recognizes academic excellence in first-year college students. Requires 3.5+ GPA in first year.

Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha)

Honor Society

Co-ed

Recognizes academic achievement of first-generation college students. Requires 3.2+ GPA and 30+ credit hours. Specifically designed for students whose parents did not earn a bachelor’s degree.

A Note on Tri-Alpha

Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha) specifically recognizes first-generation college students—students whose parents did not earn a bachelor’s degree. Many CMTech students may qualify. This honor society was created to celebrate the unique achievement of being the first in your family to pursue higher education.

Other Professional Fields

Organization

Type

Eligibility

What They Do

Alpha Gamma Rho (ΑΓΡ)

Professional Fraternity

Men

Founded 1904. Agriculture. International. Combines professional and social elements for agricultural students.

Alpha Zeta (ΑΖ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1897. Agriculture and natural resources.

Sigma Alpha (ΣΑ)

Professional Sorority

Women

Founded 1978. Agriculture.

Delta Phi Epsilon (ΔΦΕ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed (separate M/F orgs)

Founded 1920. Foreign service and international relations.

Mu Phi Epsilon (ΜΦΕ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1903. Music. International. Offers scholarships for music students.

Kappa Kappa Psi (ΚΚΨ)

Professional Fraternity

Co-ed

Founded 1919. Dedicated to serving college and university bands.

Delta Kappa Alpha (ΔΚΑ)

Professional Fraternity

Gender-inclusive

Founded 1936. Cinema and film. Based primarily in California.

Scabbard and Blade

Honor Society

Co-ed

Founded 1904. Military honor society recognizing outstanding military science students.

Part 8: How a New Chapter Gets Started

CMTech is not encouraging students to form chapters of fraternities or sororities. However, if you are interested in the process, here is generally how it works. This information is provided so you can understand what is involved.

The General Process

Forming a new chapter of an existing national fraternity or sorority is called “expansion” or “colonization.” You do not create your own fraternity from scratch—you petition an existing national organization to grant your group a charter. Here are the typical steps:

1. Assemble an Interest Group: Gather a group of students who share an interest in the organization’s field and mission. Most national organizations require a minimum number of interested students (often 10–25) to even consider a new chapter.

2. Research and Contact the National Organization: Visit the organization’s national website and look for their “Expansion” or “Start a Chapter” page. Submit a formal letter of interest that includes the number of interested students, their academic backgrounds, and why your institution is a good fit.

3. Petition and Evaluation: The national organization will evaluate your group and your institution. They may require your school to be accredited in a specific field (for example, Theta Tau requires ABET-accredited engineering programs). They will likely conduct interviews or campus visits.

4. Colony Status: If approved, your group will typically start as a “colony” or “candidate chapter”—a probationary status where you operate under national guidance, build membership, and demonstrate your commitment through activities and service.

5. Chartering: After a period of successful colony operation (typically 1–2 years), the national organization may grant a full charter, officially establishing your chapter. Members are then initiated as full brothers or sisters.

During the colony phase, costs are usually lower than for a full chapter. Theta Tau, for example, has published that colony-phase initiation fees are approximately $34 with national dues of about $30 twice per year, compared to full chapter initiation fees of $92–$254 (which includes the membership badge) and national dues of about $75 twice per year.

What the National Organization Provides

• A charter and the legal right to use the organization’s name and Greek letters.

• Access to the national alumni network and all associated career benefits.

• Leadership training, conventions, and professional development programming.

• Liability insurance coverage for chapter activities.

• Guidance on running meetings, recruiting members, and managing finances.

• Publications, magazines, and digital resources.

• Scholarship and grant opportunities through the national organization or its foundation.

Identify a Faculty Adviser

Most national organizations require that each chapter have a faculty adviser—a professor or institutional staff member who serves as a point of contact between the chapter and the school. The adviser does not run the chapter but provides guidance and institutional support.

Part 9: How Greek Organizations Relate to Each Other

Greek organizations are governed by several national councils that coordinate activities and set standards:

• Professional Fraternity Association (PFA): The coordinating body for professional fraternities. Founded in 1978 from the merger of the men’s Professional Interfraternity Conference and the women’s Professional Panhellenic Association. Theta Tau was a founding member. The PFA sets standards for professional fraternities and promotes their interests.

• North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC): Coordinates social fraternities for men. Not directly relevant to professional fraternities.

• National Panhellenic Conference (NPC): Coordinates social sororities for women.

• Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS): Certifies legitimate honor societies and distinguishes them from for-profit organizations that sell memberships. If an honor society is a member of ACHS, it is legitimate.

“Brother” and “Sister” Organizations

In the social fraternity world, certain fraternities and sororities have longstanding partner relationships. A men’s fraternity might have a traditional “sister sorority” with which they frequently co-host events and share social traditions. However, in the professional fraternity world, these relationships are less formal. What matters more is field alignment—an engineering fraternity’s “sister” organization would be another engineering-focused group. For example:

• Theta Tau (co-ed engineering fraternity) and Alpha Omega Epsilon (women’s engineering sorority) both serve engineering students but from different angles.

• Alpha Kappa Psi and Delta Sigma Pi are both co-ed business fraternities. They are competitors rather than partners, so you would typically belong to one or the other, not both.

• You can belong to a professional fraternity (like Theta Tau) and an honor society (like Tau Beta Pi) simultaneously, since they serve different purposes.

• Service fraternities like Alpha Phi Omega explicitly allow dual membership with any other organization.

Part 10: Making Your Decision

We want to be clear one more time: CMTech does not encourage or require you to join any fraternity, sorority, or honor society. These are independent organizations, and the decision to pursue membership is entirely yours.

What we do want is for you to be informed. If you are going to consider Greek life, we want you to consider the organizations that will actually help your career, support your professional development, and connect you with a network of people in your field. The organizations listed in this guide were selected because they focus on exactly those things.

Questions to Ask Yourself

• Does this organization align with my career goals and my field of study?

• Is this organization co-ed, and does that matter to me?

• What are the specific costs, and can I afford them? Are payment plans or financial assistance available?

• Does the organization have a clear, written anti-hazing policy?

• What tangible professional development programming does the chapter offer?

• How active is the alumni network, and will I actually be able to access it?

• Does the national organization have a track record I can verify?

Questions to Ask the Organization

• What are the total costs for the first year, including all fees?

• Do you offer payment plans or financial hardship accommodations?

• What does the pledge or new member education process involve?

• Can you describe your anti-hazing policy in detail?

• How does your chapter operate if members are geographically distributed?

• What specific professional development, networking, or scholarship opportunities do you provide?

• What are the time commitments expected of active members?

Final Reminder

Your education is the foundation. A professional fraternity or honor society can be a valuable addition to that foundation—but it is an addition, not a substitute. Focus first on your studies, your skills, and your goals. If a professional organization can genuinely support those goals, it may be worth exploring. If not, you have lost nothing by choosing not to join.

Sources and Further Reading

The information in this guide was compiled from the following sources. Because many CMTech students do not have internet access, we have included these references for staff and advisors who may wish to verify or expand on any section.

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS). “Fraternal Societies.” irs.gov/charities-non-profits/other-non-profits/fraternal-societies

• Wikipedia. “Professional Fraternities and Sororities.” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_fraternities_and_sororities

• Theta Tau Professional Engineering Fraternity. thetatau.org

• Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity. apo.org

• Gallup/NIC/NPC (2021). “Fraternities and Sororities: Experiences and Outcomes in College.” Survey of 10,000+ alumni.

• North American Interfraternity Conference. “Research.” nicfraternity.org/research

• HazingInfo.org and Hank Nuwer Hazing Deaths Database. hazinginfo.org

• Campus Safety Magazine (2025). “College Hazing Death Database.” campussafetymagazine.com

• U.S. News & World Report. “Joining a Sorority or Fraternity Comes With a Cost.” usnews.com

• Donorbox. “What Is a 501(c)(8) Nonprofit.” donorbox.org/nonprofit-blog/501c8

• Honor Society Foundation. “Honor Societies Requirements Directory.” honorsocietyfoundation.org

• Professional Fraternity Association. professionalism.org