Persons seeking membership must be initiated through an established chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon. A chapter is also maintained for Alumni after graduation. There are two classes of membership in GTU:
Regular Member: Initiates must have completed a minimum of 3 geography courses, have a GPA of at least 3.3 overall and in geography, and shall have completed at least 3 semester of college course work.
Honorary Member: Honorary membership is available only under extraordinary circumstances and upon approval by the Executive Committee for a person whom the committee feels has contributed to a marked advancement in any phase of geography. A chapter may apply directly to the Executive Committee to petition for honorary membership on behalf of an individual. The fees for Honorary membership are paid by the local chapter.