GWS students can pursue departmental honors or join Iota Iota Iota, the program’s nationally recognized honor society.
Iota Iota Iota Honor Society
Iota Iota Iota, colloquially known as "Triota," is the national honor society for Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies. It was founded in 1985 at Metropolitan State University of Denver to celebrate academic achievement in the field and to promote a supportive scholarly community on campus and in the wider world. Today more than 140 Triota chapters exist nationwide. Appalachian State University's chapter, Zeta Theta, was founded in fall 2024.
Who Can Join
Membership is open to:
Declared or intended majors in Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies
Minors in Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies, LGBT Studies or Girls' Studies
Graduate students with a certificate or minor in Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies
Prospective members must submit an application and have an overall GPA of at least 3.0, or submit an application with a one- to two-page cover letter explaining their interest in GWS.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but should be received by December 1 for spring induction.
Departmental Honors
GWS offers a departmental honors program that gives majors the chance to pursue advanced research and be recognized for academic excellence.
To apply, students need a recommendation from a GWS faculty member, emailed to Department of Interdisciplinary Studies Honors Director Dr. Jessica Martell at martelljl@appstate.edu.
To graduate with honors in GWS, a student must meet the following requirements:
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
A GPA of 3.3 (B+) or higher in the major.
Six credits of honors courses in the major, including at least three at the 3000 or 4000 level, through honors sections or honors contracts.
Three credits of honors thesis work (GWS 4510).
An average of B+ (3.3) or better across honors courses in the major.
A grade of B or higher in every honors course in the major.