Phi Beta Kappa is the nation's oldest academic honor society, founded in 1776. It celebrates and advocates excellence in the liberal arts and sciences. Its campus chapters invite for induction the most outstanding arts and sciences students at America’s leading colleges and universities. The Society sponsors activities to advance these studies — the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences — in higher education and in society at large.
Quick Facts
President:
Anthony DeBlasi, PhD
Department of East Asian Studies
Vice-President
G. Brian Burke
Center for Technology in Government
Secretary
Trudi Jacobson, MLS, MA
Treasurer
Jane Kessler, MLS, MBA
Historian
Malcolm Sherman, PhD
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The Nation's Most Prestigious Academic Honor Society
Since our founding in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa has celebrated excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and championed freedom of thought. As America’s most prestigious academic honor society, we are uniquely equipped to advocate for the value and benefits of liberal arts and sciences education.
We do this because we believe the curiosity and creativity cultivated by a liberal arts and sciences education are essential to making the most of life’s experiences. This is why we:
At Phi Beta Kappa, we are the key that opens doors to lifelong opportunity.
(Material was reproduced from www.pbk.org with permission of the Phi Beta Kappa Society)
Faculty and staff members of the chapter review student records each fall and each spring, and then invite qualified students to join. If you are interested in being considered, you will find below the requirements for being invited to join. Currently, chapter members only review students who have earned 110 credits or more, of which at least 87 must be in the liberal arts and sciences.
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Guidelines |
Student Status
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Fewer than 88 UA credits |
88-101 UA credits |
More than 101 UA credits |
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Minimum G.P.A. for a student who has a VERY WELL balanced distribution of courses, including a foreign language and a reasonable representation in EACH of 4 areas: Humanities and Fine Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Math, and Natural Sciences. |
3.85 |
3.75 |
3.60 |
Other Criteria:
1. Credits: at least three full semesters of coursework or 45 credits in residence at The University at
2. Enrollment: must be registered for the current semester to be considered in a given round of review.
3. Mathematics: 3 credits; courses appropriate for this requirement include any course with a MAT prefix, a statistics course in any department, or any course with a CSI prefix.
4. Foreign language: Two semesters of coursework with a minimum of 6 credits in a single foreign language, or at least 3 credits above the introductory course. (Courses taught in English by foreign language departments do not count toward this requirement; nor does Regents equivalency.)
5. Natural Sciences: 6 credits. Courses that satisfy the Natural Sciences General Education requirement are acceptable for PBK.
6. Social and Behavioral Sciences: 6 credits.
7. Humanities and Fine Arts: 6 credits.
8. Courses from other institutions: If a course or courses that have been taken at another institution are needed to fulfill PBK requirements, the G.P.A. must be recalculated, and all courses taken at that institution must be included, not just the course(s) needed to fulfill the requirements. Please also note that requirements filled by AP courses are acceptable.
How does one become a member of PBK?
Students are invited to become members after a thorough review of their record indicates that they have met all the requirements as outlined on this page. It is not possible to apply for membership.
Is there a service component?
No, Phi Beta Kappa is an academic honor society.
Is there an annual fee?
No, the initiation fee is the only fee.