Explore student organization that brings like-minded academic majors together.
College academic clubs and organizations are a way of engaging in learning outside the classroom.
For students who are interested in learning more about their major, an academic club can offer mentoring, professional networking and special events that you won’t find in a classroom.
You can also find out about how other students are approaching their major and future career path.
Joining an academic club can be a good way to meet people outside your classes.
Joining Academic Clubs
Academic clubs are organizations that group like-minded students together. While students do much of the planning, organizing and activities, an academic adviser, usually a professor, oversees academic clubs.
How you join an academic club varies by school. Some schools offer a special day near the beginning of the semester when you can learn more about various academic clubs and sign up. Other schools have a Student Activities Office where you can learn more about clubs and sign up to join them. Yet another way to join academic clubs is by contacting the president of the club via email. Most academic clubs have a listing on the school website, with the president of the club’s email address. You can contact this person for more information, including how to join the club.
Club activities depend on the area of interest. An art club may have art projects or outings to local museums. An accounting club may offer the opportunity to learn from professional accountings and attend networking events. Academic clubs that are geared toward charity or outreach may partner with community groups for volunteer work, such as a veterinary group volunteering at a local animal shelter.
Popular/Common Academic Groups
While academic clubs vary from campus to campus, some of the more common subjects of groups include:
- Accounting
- Pre-med
- Pre-law
- Economics
- International
- History
- Marketing
- Math
- Philosophy
- Political science
Other popular clubs focus on film, teaching and environmental issues.
Benefits of Academic Clubs
Academic clubs give students the ability to meet students with similar interests and engage in opportunities they might otherwise not have.
Some academic clubs may charge membership fees or fees for special events. They may also exclude non-members or limit the number of students, depending on the rules and regulations of the college.
Joining an academic club can be a good way to meet people outside your classes and engage in extracurricular activities. You will get to hear from students, alumni and guest speakers about what is going on in the world outside the classroom and gain valuable insight that may help in your future career.