Tau Sigma Delta Rating, Reviews and Requirements

What are the requirements to be in Tau Sigma Delta?

Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society recognizes intellectual achievement, effort and initiative as well as leadership and character in Architecture and Allied Arts. This prize of membership acknowledges undergraduate and graduate students who attain high scholastic standing in their field.

The organization also honors practitioners in the field for excellence in design with the national organization’s Gold Medal Award, which is presented each spring at the ACSA  Annual Meeting.

What is the history of Tau Sigma Delta?

Tau Sigma Delta was organized in 1913 at the University of Michigan at the suggestion and guidance of the faculty in Architecture and Landscape Design who selected the first group of senior honor students to be the founding members. After three years of trial, the system of elections was extended to other universities. It overcame the obstacles precipitated by World War I, the subsequent inflationary period, and the resultant era of world economic “recession and adjustment,” and the later effects of World War II. To be sure, progress was delayed by these crucial tests of the times, and four of its chapters became inactive; however, the Society emerged strengthened by those tests.

What are the key benefits of being a member of Tau Sigma Delta? 

• The presence of a chapter of a nationally recognized honor society at a school will encourage beginning students in their quest to achieve excellence.
• An honor society is a great way to recognize and celebrate deserving students in professional program(s). This is an honor that these students and future alums will proudly include on their resumes for most of their lives.
• Having a chapter of a nationally recognized honor society will aid in recruitment of high-achieving students to scholastic programs, and will make tuition-paying parents of inductees very proud of their investment.
• The stature of having an Honor Society attached to a program becomes widely evident at official university academic events, including convocations and graduation.​
• A TSD chapter is a great way to make connections between programs in architecture, landscape architecture, planning, interior design, and the allied arts.​
• Many TSD chapters to engage in a variety of beneficial activities, adding greatly to the culture and student life in a school.​
• An active honor society chapter will provide a mechanism for high-achieving students in a college/school to network. (Collectively these students always seem to come up with terrific ideas that advance the program and school.)

Based on the information, here is our review:

Our first observation is: that the organization honors practitioners in the field for excellence in design with the national organization’s Gold Medal Award.

Our second observation was: that this society invites members to join them at the ACSA meeting to network with other professionals, present their work and receive awards for their accompaniments.

Our third observation was: that Tau Sigma Delta overcame the obstacles precipitated by World War I, and the subsequent inflationary period, making this a society with a message and following that can withstand the ages.