# Professional fraternities and sororities

Professional fraternities, in the North American fraternity system, are organizations whose primary purpose is to promote the interests of a particular profession and whose membership is restricted to students in that particular field of professional education or study. This may be contrasted with service fraternities and sororities, whose primary purpose is community service, and social fraternities and sororities, whose primary purposes are generally aimed towards some other aspect, such as the development of character, friendship, leadership, or literary ability.
Professional fraternities are often confused with honor societies because of their focus on a specific discipline. Professional fraternities are significantly different from honor societies in that honor societies are associations designed to provide recognition of the past achievement of those who are invited to membership. Honor society membership, in most cases, requires no period of pledging, and new candidates may be immediately inducted into membership after meeting predetermined academic criteria and paying a one-time membership fee. Because of their purpose of recognition, most honor societies will have much higher academic achievement requirements for membership.
Professional fraternities, on the other hand, work to build brotherhood among members and cultivate the strengths of members to promote their profession and to provide assistance to one another in their mutual areas of professional study. Membership in a professional fraternity may be the result of a pledge process, much like a social fraternity, and members are expected to remain loyal and active in the organization for life. Within their professional field of study, their membership is exclusive; however, they may initiate members who belong to other types of fraternities.

## History

The first professional fraternity was founded at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky in 1819: the Kappa Lambda Society of Aesculapius, established to bring together students of the medical profession. The fraternity lasted until about 1858.
Of the professional fraternities still in existence, the oldest is Phi Delta Phi founded at the University of Michigan in 1869; however, Phi Delta Phi changed its mission in 2012 to become an honor society for law school students.

## Title IX applied to professional fraternities

In the United States fraternity system, professional fraternities are usually co-educational in accordance with Federal Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (commonly referred to as "Title IX"). This federal law discourages discrimination based on sex in any college or university receiving federal financial assistance. However, the membership practices of social fraternities and sororities are exempt from Title IX in section (A)(6)(a). The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) regulations adopted under Title IX also allow such an exception for "the membership practices of social fraternities and sororities." (34 C.F.R. Sec. 106.14(a)).
Before Title IX, many professional fraternities were all male and most professional sororities/women's fraternities were all female. Several of these professional fraternities and sororities even considered themselves both professional and social organizations because they often emphasized the social aspects of their activities. During the ensuing years since the enactment of Title IX, single-sex professional fraternities and sororities became coeducational to conform to Title IX. Several organizations simply opened their membership to both men and women. For example, Phi Chi (medicine) opened membership to women in 1973; Phi Beta (music and speech) opened membership to men in 1976; and Delta Omicron (music) opened membership to men in 1979. A few single-sex groups merged with other organizations, such as Phi Delta Delta, a women's professional law fraternity, merged with Phi Alpha Delta (law) in 1972.
Even though Title IX was enacted in 1972, there are still professional fraternities and sororities or their chapters that have not become coeducational and therefore, do not conform to Title IX. Generally, these groups still claim to be both professional and social organizations, for instance, Alpha Gamma Rho (men in agriculture), Alpha Omega Epsilon (women in engineering), and Sigma Phi Delta (men in engineering).
Several social fraternities and sororities have membership practices of selecting their members primarily from students enrolled in particular majors or areas of study, including Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Sigma Rho, and Triangle. Nevertheless, these groups are social, rather than professional, organizations. Although they select members from students in a particular field of study, like a professional fraternity, they are single-sex social organizations because their purposes focus only on the social development of their members. Examples of groups that have been officially granted exemption from Title IX by the DOE to remain single-sex include Sigma Alpha Iota in 1981 and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia in 1983.

## Umbrella organizations

Many professional fraternities, particularly those of the highest esteem and reputation, are members of the Professional Fraternity Association (PFA). This group resulted in 1978 from a merger of the Professional Interfraternity Conference (PIC) (for men's group) and the Professional Panhellenic Association (PPA) (for women's groups). In 2013, faced with an increase in campus policies that require student organizations to take all students, the PFA adopted a resolution against All Comers policies.

## List of professional fraternities
### Arts, literature, and media

| Name | Symbols | Charter date and range | Emphasis | Scope | Type | Status |
| Delta Chi Xi | ΔΧΞ | 2010 | Dance | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Delta Kappa Phi | ΔΚΦ | 1899 | Textiles | Local, Lowell Textile School | Fraternity | Active |
| Delta Kappa Alpha | ΔΚΑ | 1936 | Cinema | National (US) | Gender Inclusive | Active |
| Gamma Epsilon Tau | ΓΕΤ | 1953 | Graphic artists honor society | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Gamma Xi Phi | ΓΞΦ | 2010 | African American artists and creators | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Omega Xi Alpha | ΟΞΑ | 1928 | Journalism | Regional | Fraternity | Inactive |
| Phi Alpha Tau | ΦΑΤ | 1902 | Communicative arts | Local, Emerson College | Fraternity | Active |
| Phi Beta | ΦΒ | 1912 | Creative and performing arts | National (US) | Fraternity, gender inclusive | Active |
| Phi Psi | ΦΨ | 1903 | Textile arts and manufacturing engineering | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Zeta Phi Eta | ΖΦΗ | 1893 | Communication arts and sciences | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |

### Agriculture

| Name | Symbols | Charter date and range | Emphasis | Scope | Type | Status |
| Alpha Gamma Rho | ΑΓΡ | 1904 | Agriculture | International (US) | Fraternity | Active |
| Alpha Gamma Sigma | ΑΓΣ | 1923 | Agriculture | National (US) | Fraternity | Active |
| Alpha Tau Alpha | ΑΤΑ | 1921 | Agriculture and extension education | National (US) | Fraternity | Active |
| Alpha Zeta | ΑΖ | 1897 | Agriculture and natural resources | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Delta Theta Sigma | ΔΘΣ | 1906 | Agriculture | National (US) | Fraternity | Active |
| Sigma Alpha | ΣΑ | 1978 | Agriculture | National (US) | Sorority | Active |

### Business and economics

| Name | Symbols | Charter date and range | Emphasis | Scope | Type | Status |
| Alpha Kappa Psi | ΑΚΨ | 1904 | Business | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Alpha Iota | ΑΙ | 1905 | Business | National (US) | Sorority | Active |
| Delta Sigma Pi | ΔΣΠ | 1907 | Business | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Epsilon Nu Tau | ΕΝΤ | 2008 | Entrepreneurship | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Eta Phi Beta | ΗΦΒ | 1942 | Business, African American | National (US) | Sorority | Active |
| Kappa Eta Phi | ΚΗΦ | 2011 | Business, International Business | Local | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Gamma Iota Sigma | ΓΙΣ | 1966 | Insurance, risk management, actuarial sciences | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Iota Phi Lambda | ΙΦΛ | 1929 | Business and professional African Americans | National (US) | Sorority | Active |
| Omicron Delta Epsilon | ΟΔΕ | 1963 | Economics honor society | International | Society, coed | Active |
| Phi Chi Theta | ΦΧΘ | 1924 | Business | National (US) | Women's fraternity, coed | Active |
| Phi Gamma Nu | ΦΓΝ | 1924 | Business | National (US) | Sorority, coed | Active |
| Pi Sigma Epsilon | ΠΣΕ | 1952 | Marketing and sales management | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Sigma Iota Epsilon | ΣΙΕ | 1927 | Management honorary and professional society | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Eta Rho Sigma | ΗΡΣ | 2020 | Business | National (US) | Sorority/Women | Active |

### Education

| Name | Symbols | Charter date and range | Emphasis | Scope | Type | Status |
| Delta Kappa Gamma | ΔΚΓ | 1929 | Education | International | Society, female | Active |
| Kappa Delta Pi | ΚΔΠ | 1911 | Education honor society | International | Society, coed | Active |
| Phi Delta Kappa | ΦΔΚ | 1906 | Education | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Phi Delta Kappa | ΦΔΚ | 1923 | Education | International | Sorority, coed | Active |
| Phi Delta Pi | ΦΔΠ | 1916 | Physical education, health sciences, and recreation | National (US) | Sorority | Inactive |
| Phi Epsilon Kappa | ΦΕΚ | 1913 | Physical education, performance, sports management | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |

### Science, technology, engineering, and math

| Name | Symbols | Charter date and range | Emphasis | Scope | Type | Status |
| Alpha Chi Sigma | ΑΧΣ | 1902 | Chemistry | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Alpha Omega Epsilon | ΑΩΕ | 1983 | Engineering | National (US) | Sorority | Active |
| Alpha Rho Chi | ΑΡΧ | 1914 | Architecture | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Alpha Sigma Kappa | ΑΣΚ | 1989 | Architecture, engineering, mathematics, and sciences | National (US) | Sorority | Active |
| Beta Psi Omega | ΒΨΩ | 2010 | Biology | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Kappa Eta Kappa | ΚΗΚ | 1923 | Electrical and computer engineering | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Kappa Theta Pi | ΚΘΠ | 2012 | Information technology | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Pi Mu Epsilon | ΠΜΕ | 1914 | Mathematics honor society | National (US) | Society, coed | Active |
| Phi Sigma Rho | ΦΣΡ | 1984 | Science, technology, engineering, mathematics | National (US) | Sorority and non-binary | Active |
| Pi Delta Nu | ΠΔΝ | 1921–1950s | Chemistry | National (US) | Sorority | Inactive |
| Scarab | | 1909–19xx ? | Architecture, landscape architecture, architectural engineering | National (US) | Fraternity | Inactive, Merged |
| Sigma Phi Delta | ΣΦΔ | 1924 | Engineering | International | Fraternity | Active |
| Tau Omega | ΤΩ | 1927 | Aeronautical engineering | National (US) | Fraternity | Inactive, Merged |
| Theta Tau | ΘΤ | 1904 | Engineering | National (US) | Fraternity, coed or male by chapter | Active |
| Triangle Fraternity | | 1907 | Engineering, architecture, and sciences | National (US) | Fraternity | Active |

### Law

| Name | Symbols | Charter date and range | Emphasis | Scope | Type | Status |
| Delta Theta Phi | ΔΘΦ | 1900 | Law | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Gamma Eta Gamma | ΓΗΓ | 1901 | Law | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Kappa Alpha Pi | ΚΑΠ | 2007 | Law | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Lincoln's Inn Society | | 1907 | Law | Local, Harvard Law School | Social club, coed | Inactive |
| Phi Alpha Delta | ΦΑΔ | 1902 | Law | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Phi Delta Delta | ΦΔΔ | 1911–1972 | Law | National (US) | Sorority | Inactive |
| Phi Delta Phi | ΦΔΦ | 1869 | Law honor (formerly professional) | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Sigma Alpha Nu | ΣΑΝ | 2005 | Pre-law | Local, University of California, Berkeley | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Pi Lambda Sigma | ΠΛΣ | 2016 | Pre-law, Government | Local, Cornell University | Society, coed | Active |

### Medicine

| Name | Symbols | Charter date and range | Emphasis | Scope | Type | Status |
| Aleph Yodh He | איה | 1908–1921 | Medicine, Jewish | National (US) | Fraternity | Inactive |
| Alpha Delta Theta | ΑΔΘ | 1944 | Medical technology | Local, was national | Sorority | Active |
| Alpha Delta Upsilon | ΑΔΥ | | Chiropractic | | Sorority | Active |
| Alpha Epsilon Iota | ΑΕΙ | 1890–1979 | Medical | National (US) | Women's fraternity | Inactive |
| Alpha Gamma Kappa | ΑΓΚ | 1939 | Podiatry | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Alpha Kappa Kappa | ΑΚΚ | 1888–20xx ? | Medicine | International, then local | Fraternity | Inactive |
| Alpha Omega | ΑΩ | 1907 | Denistry, Jewish | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Alpha Psi | ΑΨ | 1907 | Veterinary medicine | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Alpha Tau Delta | ΑΤΔ | 1921 | Nursing | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Alpha Tau Sigma | ΑΤΣ | 1912–1964 | Medical | Local, American School of Osteopathy | Fraternity | Inactive |
| Beta Chi | | 1883–1884 | Medical | Local, Yale University | Fraternity | Inactive |
| Beta Sigma Kappa | ΒΣΚ | 1924 | Optometry honor | International | Society, coed | Active |
| Chi Delta Mu | ΧΔΜ | 1913 | Health professions, African American | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Chi Eta Phi | ΧΗΦ | 1932 | Nursing, African American | International | Sorority, Female | Active |
| Chi Rho Sigma | ΧΡΣ | 1949* 1975 | Chiropractic | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Chi Zeta Chi | ΧΖΧ | 1901–1929 | Medicine | National (US) | Fraternity | Inactive |
| Delta Epsilon Mu | ΔΕΜ | 1996 | Pre-health, health-related fields | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Delta Omicron Alpha | ΔΟΑ | 1907–1917 | Medicine | National (US) | Fraternity | Inactive |
| Delta Sigma Chi | ΔΣΧ | 1913 | Chiropractic | International | Fraternity | Active |
| Delta Sigma Delta | ΔΣΔ | 1882 | Dentistry | International | Fraternity | Active |
| Epsilon Psi Epsilon | ΕΨΕ | 1911 | Optometry | Local, Ohio State University | Fraternity | Active |
| Hygeia Medical Sorority | HMS | 2009 | Medicine | Local, Universidad Mayor de San Simón | Sorority | Active |
| Kappa Beta Phi (medical) | ΚΒΦ | 1924 | Medicine | Local, Jefferson Medical College | Fraternity | active |
| Kappa Gamma Delta | ΚΓΔ | 1994 | Pre-medical | Regional, California | Sorority | Active |
| Kappa Tau Epsilon | ΚΤΕ | | Podiatry | Local, Kent State | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Mu Epsilon Delta | ΜΕΔ | 1965 | Health | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Nu Sigma Nu | ΝΣΝ | 1882 | Medicine | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Omega Delta | ΩΔ | 1919 | Optometry | National | Fraternity | Active |
| Omega Tau Sigma | ΩΤΣ | 1906 | Veterinary medicine | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Omega Upsilon Phi | ΩΥΦ | 1894–1934 | Medicine | International | Fraternity | Inactive, Merged |
| Phi Alpha Gamma | ΦΑΓ | 1894–1948 | Osteopathic medicine | National (US) | Fraternity | Inactive, Merged |
| Phi Alpha Sigma | ΦΑΣ | 1888 | Medicine | National | Fraternity | Active |
| Phi Beta Pi | ΦΒΠ | 1891 | Medicine | Local, formerly National | Fraternity | Active |
| Phi Chi | ΦΧ | 1889 | Medicine | International | Fraternity | Active |
| Phi Delta | ΦΔ | 1901–1918 | Medicine | International | Fraternity | Inactive |
| Phi Delta Epsilon | ΦΔΕ | 1904 | Medicine | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Phi Kappa Mu | ΦΚΜ | 1933 | Medicine | Local, University of the Philippines College of Medicine | Fraternity | Active |
| Phi Lambda Kappa | ΦΛΚ | 1907 | Medicine | International | Fraternity | Active |
| Phi Rho Sigma | ΦΡΣ | 1890 | Medicine | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Phi Sigma Gamma | ΦΣΓ | 1890 | Osteopathic | National (US) | Fraternity | Active |
| Pi Mu | ΠΜ | 1892–1922 | Medical honor society | National (US) | Fraternity | Inactive, Merged |
| Psi Omega | ΨΩ | 1892 | Dentistry | National (US) | Fraternity | Active |
| Rho Psi Eta | ΡΨΗ | 2007 | Pre-Health Careers | National (US) | Sorority | Active |
| Sigma Mu Delta | ΣΜΔ | 1994 | Pre-medical | Regional, California | Fraternity | Active |
| Sigma Phi Chi | ΣΦΧ | 1911 | Chiropractic | Local, Palmer College of Chiropractic | Sorority | Active |
| Theta Kappa Psi | ΘΚΨ | 1879 | Medicine | Local (previously International) | Fraternity | Active |
| Xi Psi Phi | ΞΨΦ | 1889 | Dentistry | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |

### Military, government, and foreign service

| Name | Symbols | Charter date and range | Emphasis | Scope | Type | Status |
| Coed Affiliates Pershing Rifles | | 1966–1980s | Military | National (US) | Sorority | Inactive |
| Delta Phi Epsilon | ΔΦΕ | 1920 | Foreign Service | National (US) | Fraternity | Active |
| Delta Phi Epsilon | ΔΦΕ | 1972 | Foreign Service | National (US) | Sorority | Active |
| Kappa Epsilon Psi | ΚΕΨ | 2011 | Military | National/United States | Sorority | Active |
| Kappa Lambda Chi | ΚΛΧ | 2013 | Military | National/United States | Fraternity | Active |
| Lambda Beta Alpha | ΛΒΑ | 2017 | Military | Local, Virginia | Sorority | Active |
| Mu Beta Phi | ΜΒΦ | 2017 | Military | International | Fraternity | Active |
| Pershing Angels | | 1965 | Military Drill | National (US) | Sorority | Active |
| Pershing Rifles | | 1894 | Military Drill | National (US) | Fraternity | Active |
| Scabbard and Blade | | 1904 | Military honor | National (US) | Society, coed | Active |

### Music

| Name | Symbols | Charter date and range | Emphasis | Scope | Type | Status |
| Delta Omicron | ΔΟ | 1909 | Music | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Kappa Kappa Psi | ΚΚΨ | 1919 | Band | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Mu Beta Psi | ΜΒΨ | 1925 | Music | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Mu Phi Epsilon | ΜΦΕ | 1903 | Music | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Nu Kappa Epsilon | ΝΚΕ | 1994 | Music appreciation | National (US) | Sorority | Active |
| Phi Boota roota | Φᗺr | 1976 | Percussion | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia | ΦΜΑ | 1898 | Music, Social | National (US) | Fraternity | Active |
| Sigma Alpha Iota | ΣΑΙ | 1903 | Music | National (US) | Women's fraternity | Active |
| Tau Beta Sigma | ΤΒΣ | 1946 | Band, Service | National (US) | Sorority, coed | Active |

### Pharmaceutical and pharmacological

| Name | Symbols | Charter date and range | Emphasis | Scope | Type | Status |
| Alpha Zeta Omega | ΑΖΩ | 1919 | Pharmacy | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Beta Phi Sigma | ΒΦΣ | 1888–1973 | Pharmacy | National (US) | Fraternity | Inactive |
| Delta Sigma Theta | ΔΣΘ | 1914 | Pharmacy, medical, and dentistry | International | Fraternity | Active |
| Kappa Epsilon | ΚΕ | 1921 | Pharmacy | National (US) | Women's fraternity, coed | Active |
| Kappa Psi | ΚΨ | 1879 | Pharmacy | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Lambda Kappa Sigma | ΛΚΣ | 1913 | Pharmacy | National (US) | Women's fraternity, coed | Active |
| Phi Delta Chi | ΦΔΧ | 1883 | Pharmacy | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Rho Chi | ΡΧ | 1922 | Pharmacy honor society | National (US) | Society, coed | Active |
| Rho Pi Phi | ΡΠΦ | 1919 | Pharmancy | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |

### Other

| Name | Symbols | Charter date and range | Emphasis | Scope | Type | Status |
| Alpha Epsilon Zeta | ΑΕΖ | 2003 | Multidisciplinary | Local | Fraternity | Active |
| Alpha Eta Rho | ΑΗΡ | 1929 | Aviation | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| American Criminal Justice Association–Lambda Alpha Epsilon | ΛΑΕ | 1937 | Criminal Justice | International | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Delta Omega Epsilon | ΔΩΕ | 1985 | Civics, Academics | Local, NY Tri-state Area | Fraternity | Active |
| Epsilon Eta | ΕΗ | 2006 | Environmental, Sustainability | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Pi Sigma Eta | ΠΣΗ | 1930 | Mortician honorary, funeral service | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Sigma Alpha Sigma Mu | ΣΑΣΜ | 2012 | Sports management | Local, Ohio University | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Sigma Phi Sigma | ΣΦΣ | | funeral service | National (US) | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Sigma Psi Mu | ΣΨΜ | | Sports management and entertainment management | Local, University of South Carolina | Fraternity, coed | Active |
| Sigma Rho | ΣΡ | 1892 | Mining | Local, Michigan Technological University | Fraternity | Active |