Gamma Kappa Alpha Italian Honor Society

Gamma Kappa Alpha Italian Honor Society Logo.

The Gamma Kappa Alpha National Italian Honor Society acknowledges exceptional performance in the field of Italian Studies. This includes the areas of language, literature and culture and linguistics.

Membership is open to students enrolled at institutions of higher education in the United States, provided that they meet the eligibility criteria outlined below.

Eligibility

  • Students must be actively engaged in the study or research in the field of Italian language, literature, and linguistics.
  • Students must have at least a B average in Italian and be at least in the upper 35% of their class.
  • No student may be considered who has less than two courses in Italian at the college level, nor may a student be considered who has not taken advanced courses beyond the intermediate level.

Membership Fees

There is a one-time $30 membership fee to be paid by check at the moment of the application.

Depending on availability of funds, the department may be able to cover the membership fee.

The Ceremony

Each inductee will receive a cord and a certificate. They will be requested to briefly introduce themselves and talk about their interest in Italian before reciting the short GKA Oath (in Italian and in English). Light refreshments will be provided

Recent Inductees

Spring 2025: Chelsea Buitron, Kiara Florentin. Please note that each inductee’s name will be included in the national annual bulletin.

GKA Scholarship Award Information

The GKA society awards one $500 scholarship prize “to recognize outstanding undergraduate scholarship in the field of Italian literature, civilization or linguistics."

Eligibility: Eligible students must be seniors completing a major, minor, or concentration in Italian literature, civilization or linguistics and must meet eligibility requirements for induction into GKA (see above).

Nomination: Eligible students will be invited by the Academic Advisor to submit an essay to a nominating committee.

Deadlines: Chapter Academic Advisor will send nomination packages to the Chair of the Award Committee by Friday, March 21, 2026.

Nomination Package: The package consists of four copies of each of these documents:

  • Curriculum vitae
  • Transcripts of all colleges attended. Only one set of transcripts needs to be official, the others may be copies.
  • A letter of nomination and recommendation written by the Academic Advisor and signed by all members of the Nominating Committee and the Department Chair.
  • The essay.

Please note:

  • Essays must be written in Italian.
  • Essays must consist of a minimum of two thousand (2000) words to a maximum of two thousand five hundred (2500) words, i.e., eight (8) to 10 (10) pages type-written.

Questions & Applications

For questions and applications, please contact UB GKA Academic Advisor, Dr. Marco Faini.