Membership Requirements 

Membership Requirements

Colleges and universities granting baccalaureate or advanced degrees that support KON’s mission may establish chapters or individual membership affiliation. Undergraduate and graduate students, as well as professionals who support the mission and meet scholarship requirements may be elected to membership.

Initiate Fees, Dues and Donations

• The initiate fee is $60, and so that this fee is not a barrier, advisors may request a need-based subsidy on behalf of a student through the Audrey Burkhart Scholarship.
• One year after initiation, all KON members are requested to pay annual dues, currently $25 per year. These dues support scholarships as well as the national office.
• Dues Invoices are automatically distributed October 1 and due by December 31. Payment moves the member to "active status" through the following year December 31.
• Donations, Donor-Advised Funds, Bequests, and other forms of support are welcomely accepted.

Collegiate Members
Undergraduate students shall be enrolled full- or part-time in a degree-granting program in the human sciences. The institution may be a university, college, school, or institute offering both two-year and four-year degrees.
Freshmen and Sophomores must have completed the equivalent of a full-time number of credits as defined by their institution.

  • Juniors and Seniors must have completed no fewer than 37.5% of the credits toward a bachelor's degree.
    Credits earned by transfer or advanced placement may be counted if they are accepted by the KON Chapter’s institution toward a degree.
  • Students must have attained a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.

Graduate students shall be enrolled full- or part-time in a degree-granting program in the human sciences.

  • They shall have completed the number of hours of graduate work equal to a full-time load and have a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.


Professional Members
People not initiated as a student may be initiated as a professional if they meet the same eligibility criteria as students. Professional member applications should be forwarded to the National Office using this application form. 

Membership Eligibility: Collegiate (Virtual Chapter)

  • The intent of the KON virtual chapter is to provide the option of membership to degree-seeking students whose accredited college or university does not have a current active chapter.
  • If a student has a chapter at their college or university, they must join their local chapter. They may not choose to join the virtual chapter instead.
  • If at least five students at any one college or university are part of the virtual chapter for a year, efforts will be made to move those students into installing a physical local chapter.
  • Membership eligibility requirements for the virtual chapter are the same as a traditional in-person chapter. If there is no chapter adviser on their campus, undergraduate students seeking membership with the national office virtual chapter will be held to the minimum GPA requirement .
  • If you are a degree-seeking student wanting to join Kappa Omicron Nu, the prospective member will read the Frequently Asked Questions (including notes on meeting frequency and the $60 fee) and send a request in writing to join Kappa Omicron Nu, with an attached transcript to: [email protected].

National Honorary Members

National honorary members are select individuals who have made distinctive contributions In leadership or research in the human sciences or to KON who do not qualify under the guidelines for professional membership. They may be nominated by a Chapter or Active Member and the nomination sent to the National Office. Chapter advisers may be made honorary members after a year (12 months) of service to KON.

Member in Good Standing

Once initiated as a member, active members are those whose dues are paid, often referred to as members in good standing. Members in good standing have voting privileges.