You may wonder how the chapter selects students for membership in Phi Beta Kappa. A committee of PBK members studies the records of all eligible students and makes a careful selection based not only on the quality of academic achievement, as measured by grade point averages, but also on the breadth of the students’ programs. Members are elected from candidates for degrees who have taken and excelled in a stipulated array of courses in the liberal arts and sciences.
PBK expects students to have taken courses in all areas of the liberal arts: natural sciences, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and foreign languages, while achieving a high grade-point average. Unlike other honors, invitations for membership are extended to students at the end of their undergraduate years as acknowledgment of the excellence of their records.
Students must complete the following:
- Humanities and Fine Arts: 2 courses (6 credits)
- Social or Behavioral Sciences: 2 courses (6 credits)
- Natural Sciences: 2 courses (6 credits) (see page 3)
- Mathematics: 1 course (MAT or CSI prefix in addition to miscellaneous courses in other programs, primarily statistics courses)
- Foreign Language: 1 course beyond the introductory level
GPA Requirements
Fewer than 88 UA credits completed: Minimum GPA 3.85
88 to 101 UA credits completed: Minimum GPA 3.75
More than 101 UA credits completed: Minimum GPA 3.60
Invitations are distributed twice a year, in the Fall and Spring semesters.