Founded in 1924, Pi Gamma Mu is the oldest and preeminent interdisciplinary social science honor society. Pi Gamma Mu recognized top social science students in colleges and universities around the globe. Pi Gamma Mu is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt, charitable organization. Pi Gamma Mu has been certified by the Association of College Honor Societies since 1953. The mission of Pi Gamma Mu is to encourage and promote excellence in the Social Sciences and to uphold and nurture scholarship, leadership, and service. Pi Gamma Mu serves the various social science disciplines which seek to understand and explain human behavior and social relationships as well as their related problems and issues. Currently, there are around 150 active chapters in the United States and overseas. Pi Gamma Mu's bylaws defines the social sciences to include those disciplines which emphasize the scientific study of human societies and social relationships including but not limited to such disciplines as anthropology, criminal justice, economics, geography - human, gerontology, history, history of education, human services, international relations, political science, psychology, social philosophy, sociology, social work, as well as related interdisciplinary programs anchored in the Social Sciences, particularly those that focus on age, environment, ethnicity, gender, race, and regional studies.