How to Become a Phi Beta Kappa and Why
Categories: US Education News
Many influential people in American history distinguished themselves academically during college when they were elected and inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society, a national academic honor society commonly known as PBK.Seventeen U.S. presidents and more than 150 Nobel laureates have been Phi Beta Kappa members.Illustrious PBK members include Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, former NFL player Peyton Manning, award-winning actress Glenn Close and former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. PBK's membership list also includes notable activists of the past, including civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois, disability inclusion advocate Helen Keller and feminist icon Betty Friedan. "There's something very, very American at its best about Phi Beta Kappa," says Frederick M. Lawrence, secretary and CEO of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. "You can't inherit it, you can't buy it, and it can't be given to you. There's only one way to become a member of Phi Beta Kappa. You have to earn it." What Is Phi Beta Kappa? Phi Beta Kappa is a prestigious scholastic organization that requires an invitation to join. Once people enter the organization, they become members forever. "It's not just a credential, it's also a society to which you belong," Lawrence says.The society champions education in the arts and sciences, freedom of thought, and academic excellence, as its website states.The standard pathway into this group is through stellar college grades in a wide range of challenging classes at an approved college or university. Only about 10% of U.S. undergraduate institutions have PBK chapters that induct students. Occasionally, chapters of the society admit alumni or honorary members who are at least 10 years out of undergraduate school and "have demonstrated exemplary service in the arts and sciences." hi Beta Kappa Requirements There are certain membership rules that chapters must follow (though the PBK college chapters that received their charters before 1952 technically have some flexibility on them).Generally, in order for undergraduates to be eligible for Phi Beta Kappa, three-quarters of their bachelor's degree courses must focus on liberal arts and sciences. Classical academic disciplines, such as biology or philosophy, fall into this category. Applied, professionally oriented or skills-focused coursework does not contribute toward PBK candidacy. Reasons to Accept a Phi Beta Kappa Invitation Having Phi Beta Kappa on a resume is a symbol of prestige, and it also gives a person increased access to PBK-sponsored events and programs."There's a lot of opportunities for growth," says Levi Roth, a vice president of membership and young professional co-chair for the Greater Detroit PBK association. He notes that PBK allows him to meet creative people outside of his professional area of specialty – computer science – so that he can avoid the type of "group think" that is common within any particular field. "Phi Beta Kappa has been an outlet for me to explore other ideas," he says.