Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) is an international honor society in geography. Gamma Theta Upsilon was founded on May 15, 1928 and became a national organization on May 15, 1931. In January 1969, GTU became an International Geographical Honors Society. The local chapter, Gamma Kappa, was founded on May 14, 1963. Members of GTU have met academic requirements and share a background and interest in geography. GTU chapter activities support geography knowledge and awareness.

After years of inactivity, the Gamma Theta Upsilon chapter at SIUC was honored to initiate 19 new members on March 1, 2005. These students come from the Department of Geography and Environmental Resources undergraduate and graduate programs as well as from the Environmental Resources and Policy Ph.D. program.

• To further professional interest in Geography by affording a common organization for those interested in the field.
• To strengthen student and professional training through academic experiences in addition to those of the classroom and laboratory.
• To advance the status of Geography as a cultural and practical discipline for study and investigation.
• To encourage student research of high quality, and to promote an outlet for publication.
• To create and administer funds for furthering graduate study and/or research in the field of Geography.

Membership is earned through superior scholarship; it is an honor, and a professional distinction. Academic standards are a must to gain entry.  Initiates must have: 

• completed 3 semesters of college course work,
• completed a minimum of three Geography courses,
• a 3.3 GPA or better for all course work, and
• a 3.3 GPA or better in Geography courses.

Dues:

$40 one-time payment to the International Chapter due just prior to initiation.

The Geographical Bulletin is a scholarly journal published twice a year by GTU. Articles concerning any area of geographical interest are solicited from students and faculty. Initiates receive two free issues after initiation and may subsequently renew their subscription.

The Visiting Geographical Scientist Program, funded by GTU and administered by the Association of American Geographers (AAG), provides an opportunity for chapters to host a distinguished geographer on their campus. The visiting geographer will give a lecture on a topic in geography and meet with faculty, students and administrators.

GTU's alumni chapter, Omega Omega serves alumni of all chapters. After graduation, alumni members are encouraged to join Omega Omega and receive continuing benefits from active affiliation with the Society.

Eleven scholarships are awarded annually to Gamma Theta Upsilon members: six to undergraduates, one to a senior entering graduate school, and four to continuing graduate students.

Spread across the key's base are five wavy blue lines, significant of the five great bodies of water which have carried voyagers to all the lands of the Earth: the Atlantic, the Indian, the Pacific, the Arctic, and the Antarctic or Great Southern Ocean.

Above the waves is located a white star which is symbolic of Polaris, the great guide to travelers over the ocean's uncharted vastness.

At the key's top stand the Greek letters Gamma, Theta, and Upsilon. These initials of the three Greek words Ge (earth), Thalatta (sea), and Hypaithrios (atmosphere), are placed there as a reminder of the three great environmental domains with which geography deals.

The colors of Gamma Theta Upsilon are symbolic of Geography's three domains: Brown for the earth, Light Blue for the sea, and Gold for the sunlight or sky.

GTU is a society in the field of Geography. There are no secret signs, words, or grips, except that one wears the society's badge as a sign to the world of one's interest in Geography and the determination to support and promote the subject.