Students in the College of the Liberal Arts can be found in leadership positions of student organizations across campus, including academic, international, multicultural, philanthropic, and political organizations, as well as student government, honor societies, and Greek life. In addition to the student organizations listed below, which are popular among Liberal Arts students, Penn State has more than 1,000 student organizations. Log into OrgCentral with your Penn State credentials to browse through the directory of student organizations.
Liberal Arts Ambassadors
The Liberal Arts Ambassadors serve as representatives of the College of the Liberal Arts to prospective undergraduate students and alumni. They work closely with the college’s recruitment services to develop programming and messaging that give prospective students and alumni a better understanding of what it looks like to be a student in the College of the Liberal Arts.
Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council
For nearly fifty years, the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council (LAUC) has served as representatives of all undergraduate students in the College of the Liberal Arts. The council creates programming and hosts events to foster the experience of Liberal Arts students.
Minorities in the College of the Liberal Arts
The Minorities in the College of the Liberal Arts (MCLA) helps minoritized students in the college access resources and build a college community.
The Asian Undergraduate Students Association aims to give back to the Asian community at Penn State by creating opportunities to achieve a higher sense of cultural and social awareness. We serve as a voice for and to support the cultural and social interests of students with Asian Pacific heritage.
The Comparative Literature Club meets regularly to discuss wide-ranging topics from non-Western literature to book-to-film adaptations. Open to all, regardless of major, come and discover your next read or share your favorites!
CIES fosters a creative, innovative culture within Penn State’s community. Our aim is to strengthen the academic and professional network of students interested in corporate innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Creative Writing Club is a community of young writers interested in telling stories. Our mediums include novels, short stories, poetry, screenplays, music pieces, and more!
The Disability Studies Student Group integrates the arts, sciences, and humanities together to prove the competency of people with disabilities. In doing so, we seek to question our surroundings of everyday living conditions—questions such as, “If the world were built and brought up differently, would disability even exist?” Our focus is on ability rather than on disability.
The Early Period Studies Group is an interdisciplinary student organization. Our mission is to promote a sense of community and collegiality among students whose research focuses on literature, history, philosophy, and art from before the eighteenth century.
The Economics Association is an organization of students with a passion for economics, who wish to grow both academically and professionally outside of the classroom. We enrich the educational experience of our members with academic presentations, written publications, economic simulations, and various other activities.
The French Club promotes greater awareness, understanding, and appreciation for the French language and francophone culture. We provide cultural, linguistic, and networking opportunities for students and community members alike through a weekly beginner-friendly conversation hour, monthly cultural events, educational and social field trips, and more!
The purpose of the Penn State German Club is to further one’s understanding of the German culture and provide an opportunity to better one’s German language skills.
The Indian Culture and Language Club strives to celebrate the rich culture and heritage of India through various fascinating events along with those interested in our culture and country. In the past, we have conducted events such as the Mt. Nittany hike, Garba, Diwali, Maggi Nights, a scavenger hunt, Holi, and lots more.
The International Affairs and Debate Association is dedicated to increasing the awareness and knowledge of international relations and diplomacy, the function of international bodies, and the diversity of the world’s population by hosting and participating in Model United Nations conferences.
Triota is the women’s, gender, and sexualities studies honor society. We are a feminist club that aims to improve our community and ourselves through activism, education, and support.
The Italian Student Society provides an interactive environment at Penn State through social and cultural programs in order to educate the University community on Italian traditions.
The Justice Association is an active student organization dedicated to educating undergraduates on the American justice system. While the majority of club members major in Criminology, students of all other majors are welcome to join.
Kalliope is a student organization that meets first to form a community; then to solicit submissions of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art; then to form committees that will read and select pieces to publish in the annual print journal in the spring.
The League of Women Voters is an affiliate of the national League of Women Voters with the mission of increasing voter accessibility, knowledge, and turnout on our campus. The League of Women Voters is open to ALL! We are an inclusive, non-partisan organization that accepts and welcomes all.
The Mock Trial Association encourages and promotes an appreciation of the skills necessary to successfully practice trial advocacy through courtroom workshops, intramural competitions, and intercollegiate competitions. The organization is designed to be a competitive organization with the ultimate goal of winning the American Mock Trial Association National Championship Tournament each year.
MULA’s mission is to increase diversity in the field of law by promoting multiculturalism; to that end, we strive not only to help our members get into the law school of their choice but also to help our members succeed in the law school of their choice.
Our mission is to be a support network created to enhance professional development and leadership skills for young women of diverse backgrounds. We are business women who work to address cultural and gender issues within the corporate world.
We are an organization that aims to inspire the next generation of great leaders in the world of sustainability and positive change. We believe in executing simple ideas that lead to substantial outcomes.
Pi Sigma Alpha is for students majoring in Political Science in the United States. Pi Sigma Alpha’s mission is to promote excellence in the study of political science through a variety of programs that provide awards, scholarships, lecture funding, and other benefits for members, chapters, and political scientists.
Psi Chi, founded in 1929, is the international honor society in psychology. The society exists to encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in scholarship and to advance the science of psychology.
The purpose of the Russian Club is to create a network to facilitate communication among students in different years and, beyond that, to get in touch with alumni of the Russian studies in the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literature.
SHRM is committed to serving as a bridge between the academic and professional human resource communities. We seek to bring together students in HR-related disciplines and provide them with professional practices through guest speakers, networking, and resources.
Past events have included salsa dancing lessons, conversation hours, and general body meetings.
The Penn State Speech and Debate Society hosts public events and competes in debate and individual events.
State of State is a student-run organization committed to facilitating a dialogue about important Penn State-related issues. This dialogue culminates every year in a spring conference at which we bring together student, faculty, administration, alumni, and community leaders to speak about a variety of Penn State and State College topics.
The Women in Economics Society is an organization and resource for women at Penn State who have an interest in economics. Our goal is to increase the amount of women in the field as well as unite women on campus who are interested in economics.