Order of the Sword & Shield National Honor Society

The John S. Watson School of Public Service and Continuing Studies has been approved as a chapter of the Order of the Sword & Shield National Honor Society.

Established in 2010, the Order of the Sword & Shield National Honor Society is the first academic and professional honor society dedicated exclusively to the disciplines of homeland security, intelligence, emergency management and protective security. Qualifying students in the School’s Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Management and Master of Science in Homeland Security programs are invited to apply for membership.

Students applying to the Sword & Shield Honor Society should be prepared to satisfy the following requirements:

• Completion of 50 percent of the total number of credits required for degree completion in your undergraduate or graduate-level homeland security degree program.
• Students enrolled in the bachelor’s program must have a cumulative (GPA) of 3.25 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) for all credits currently applied to their degree program including transfer credits; or, be in the top 20th percentile of their class.
• Students enrolled in the master’s program must have a cumulative (GPA) of 3.50 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) for all credits currently applied to their degree program including transfer credits; or, be in the top 20th percentile of their class.
• Students satisfying the above criteria can complete the Society’s Student Induction Application form. Once completed, please scan and save this form to your computer.
• Complete the Student Online Application form and submit it with your completed Student Induction Application form along with a PDF version of your unofficial transcript. Be sure to include any support material, including letters of recommendation when you upload your application.

An official induction ceremony to the Sword & Shield Honor Society for students graduating in 2017 will take place during the University’s Commencement ceremonies on September 23, 2017. Since the applications take 4-6 weeks for processing, we urge qualifying students who are planning to attend the event, to apply in plenty of time to participate in the award ceremony.

Learn more about the mission of the Sword & Shield Honor Society and how to become a member. If you have questions, please email Christopher Schultz, assistant dean and director of Continuing Studies at the John S. Watson School of Public Service and Continuing Studies.