Kappa Tau Alpha is a college honor society that recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication.
Membership must be earned by excellence in academic work at one of the colleges and universities that have chapters. Selection for membership is a mark of highest distinction and honor.
The seventh oldest national honor society, Kappa Tau Alpha was founded at the University of Missouri in 1910 at the world's first school of journalism. The Society has 96 chapters and has inducted 75,000 outstanding students since its founding in 1910. Kappa Tau Alpha is a non-profit (501-c-3) organization and is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies, the nation's only certifying agency for college and university honor societies.
The emblem of Kappa Tau Alpha is the key, the oldest symbol of knowledge and communication. The Greek letters mean "The Truth Will Prevail." The letters also suggest three English words: knowledge, truth and accuracy. The Society's colors are light blue, significant of truth, and gold, emblematic of worth and high standards.
Benefits of membership include: national recognition for academic excellence; lifetime membership; Certificate of Membership; a keypin (see logo at top of page; a sense of community with other fellow outstanding scholars in journalism/mass communications. Membership meets one of the requirements for entrance at the GS-7 Level in numerous professional and technical occupations in the U.S. Government.
The Society, as part of its efforts to promote scholarship, co-sponsors the Kappa Tau Alpha-AEJMC Awards luncheon at the annual convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and the Frank Luther Mott-Kappa Tau Alpha Research Award for the best scholarly book on journalism/mass communication published each year.