Honor Societies

Φ Σ Ι Phi Sigma Iota

Induction into ECU’s Sigma Upsilon Chapter of the Phi Sigma Iota international foreign language honor society, established in 1969, represents our highest academic honor in the field of foreign languages. Students must be juniors or seniors majoring or minoring in a foreign language discipline, possess a minimum 3.0 GPA in foreign language courses and 3.0 overall. Members join together in club activities and provide service to students of foreign language and the community.


Delta Phi Alpha, the National German Honor Society

Induction into ECU’s Eta Mu Chapter, established in 2005, represents our highest academic honor in the field of German Studies. Students must have taken the equivalent of two years of college in German, possess a minimum 3.25 GPA in German and 2.75 overall. Members should be interested in the continuing study of German language and literature (not necessarily graduate school). A lifetime membership fee of $20 must accompany each application for initiation into the Society. Each new member receives an embossed membership certificate and a copy of the Delta Phi Alpha Bulletin. Additional information is available on the Delta Phi Alpha Homepage . For more information, contact Dr. Susanne Jones.


Honor Society Induction and Installation Ceremony

In March 2023, we celebrated academic excellence and passion for the German language and culture as our most outstanding French, German, and Spanish students were inducted into the Delta Phi Alpha, Sigma Delta Pi, and  Pi Delta Phi, the National French Honor Society at ECU. Guest speaker and ECU alumni for the FLL Honor Society Induction Ceremony, Javier Castillo from Castillo Language Services, emphasized to us, “Your skills are perishable!” and the importance to continue practicing the skills we want to hone and perfect.

In October 2018, we celebrated student achievements and inducted FLL’s most outstanding students into the National French (Pi Delta Phi), German (Delta Phi Alpha), and Hispanic Honor Societies (Sigma Delta Pi). A new chapter of Pi Delta Phi, the National French Honor Society was installed!

In November 2019, we honored our most outstanding students in French, German, and Spanish during the third joint FLL Honor Society Induction Ceremony! Guest speaker and alumnus of our department, Javier Castillo, shared with us the impact his study of the Spanish language and culture has had on his personal and professional life, particularly his professional experience as a translator and owner of Castillo Language Services.


Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society

Sigma Delta Pi is the largest foreign-language honor society in existence and among the most elite. Membership is reserved for those students who have demonstrated high scholarship in general and excellence in the academic study of Spanish. The benefits and reasons for joining the Society are substantial, including a generous scholarship program for study abroad and graduate research grants. To qualify, students must have completed at least three semesters of college work, possess a minimal 3.0 GPA in all Spanish courses and rank in the upper 35% of his/her class (or have a 3.20 cumulative GPA overall), and have completed 18 semester credit hours of college-level Spanish. For more information, check out the Sigma Delta Pi Homepage or contact the ECU Chapter Advisors: Dr. Almitra Medina (medinaa15@ecu.edu) and Prof. Sarah Tyson (tysonsa@ecu.edu).​