Pi Sigma Alpha
Pi Sigma Alpha

I am the faculty adviser for the Eta Lambda chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha. Pi Sigma Alpha is a political science honor society sponsored by the American Political Science Association. This page briefly outlines the purpose of Pi Sigma Alpha at Clemson University, its benefits, and eligibility requirements.

Purpose

Pi Sigma Alpha’s purpose is to honor the top students in political science and government at universities around the country. The Eta Lambda chapter adds to the mission of the national organization by sponsoring professional development talks aimed at improving the quality of the students in the major. These talks range from substantive matters like academic ethics to particular items of interest to me like workflow and writing a literature review for a paper. My blog will be aimed at promoting these talks and keeping its content available and public in perpetuity.

Benefits

  • Entry into federal government jobs at a higher grade (i.e., higher starting salary) than non-member candidates.
  • Automatic tuition reductions for Washington internship programs run by the Washington Internship Institute, the Fund for American Studies, and The Washington Center.
  • Entitlement to application for special scholarships for Washington Semester programs.
  • Access to Experience.com’s jobs data base.
  • Eligible to wear PSA honor cords at graduation.
  • Eligibility for special scholarships for graduate study in political science.
  • Opportunity to submit scholarly papers for a chance to win cash prizes and recognition.
  • Membership certificate and Pi Sigma Alpha lapel pin.

Eligibility

I do eligibility checks for new initiates at the beginning of fall and spring semester. Students who meet the following criteria are eligible for admission.

  • Junior or senior standing.
  • 3.3 GPA in a political science major and a 3.0 overall GPA.
  • At least ten credit hours in political science.
  • Students who satisfy this criteria are contacted by me (typically after the first month of the new semester) about admission into Pi Sigma Alpha. Admission entails a one-time dues payment of $50.00.