Professional Affinity Associations

On behalf of the Career Services Center, thank you for choosing to support a fund to offset membership fees for Western Students to join a professional affinity association during WWU Give Day 2021! Overall, Give Day brought in $992,945 to support a myriad of people, programs and projects.

Thanks to financial support, and matching funds available, Career Services raised $937.75 that will fully go towards student membership fees. We have a suggested list of organizations and would welcome any suggestions that you have to add to the list! The process for students to request funding will be simple -we will be promoting an online form to the Western Community, and any currently enrolled Western Student will be eligible to request funding! We hope to receive testimonials of the benefit that students found in participation through professional networking that we can share with donors and to aid in the promotion of this cause in 2022.

Thank you for your commitment to Western Students, we are excited to launch this new resource, and thank you for being a part of making this a reality!


Why should a WWU student consider joining an affinity group?

Affinity groups can include professional networking groups, caucuses or councils and provide forums for groups of students or employees who share a common background of interest. Commonalities include racial, ethnic background, gender, religion, physical abilities, military service, age, and major/subjects of interest. Many organizations offer a student membership discount.

Suggested list of Associations and Organizations + annual membership dues:

AIGA (Professional Association for Design) $50 annual dues
American Business Womens’s Association $115 annual membership
American Indian Business Leaders $0 student annual membership/$99 professional annual membership
American Management Association $0 free 1-year e-membership
American Marketing Association $29 annual dues
Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting $0 basic annual membership
Association of Women in Science $35 annual membership
Beta Alpha Psi WWU $87.85 annual dues
Financial Management Association $35 undergraduate/$40 graduate annual membership
Industrial Designers Society of America $50 annual dues
NAFSA- Association of International Educators $99 annual dues
National Association of Asian American Professionals (annual membership varies by chapter)
National Black MBA Assocation $30 annual membership
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Student memberships are $49
National Diversity Council Gold Membership - $149 (10% discount for events); Platinum Membership - $199 (15% discount for events).
National Management Association $48 annual dues + $20 joining fee
National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals $10 annual membership
Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM) Free, recommend $25.00 donation
Prospanica Annual Fee of $15 for undergraduates, $30 for Graduates, 50% membership discount for active or former members of the US Armed Forces.
Public Relations Society of America $65 dues for graduates or undergraduates if school does not have an active chapter (part of their Affiliate program), $60 annual dues for grad students with an active chapter.
Society for Human Resource Management $49 annual dues
Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) $10 annual fee
Toastmasters International $45 dues every six months and a new member fee of $20. (Some clubs may charge additional fees.)

Engineering Students

Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers - $32 annual membership
National Association of Black Engineers $15 annual membership
Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering - $20 annual membership
Society of Manufacturing Engineers - $20 annual membership
Society of Plastics Engineers – currently free due to COVID
Society of Women Engineers Details below:

  • 1 fiscal year standard collegiate membership. Annual membership for college students majoring in engineering or a STEM field.
    • Cost: $20/fiscal year
      • Get 50% off this membership with code FY2350OFF. Code expires March 30, 2023.
  • Collegiate to Career (C2C). One-time membership payment will last throughout a member’s college career and one additional year of professional membership after graduating. All students are required to have an expected graduation date on their account.
    • Cost: 1 time payment of $50


Is there an organization you’d like to see listed on this page? Please email your suggestion to careers@wwu.edu. Thank you!