Membership

Phi Beta Kappa is a national honors society for excellence in the liberal arts and sciences.

On February 22, 1938 The Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for the Washington area was founded at the George Washington University.

Phi Beta Kappa celebrates and advocates excellence in the liberal arts and sciences. Our campus chapter invites for induction the most outstanding arts and sciences students at the George Washington University. 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.

Membership in Phi Beta Kappa shows commitment to the liberal arts and sciences, and to freedom of inquiry and expression -- and it provides a competitive edge in the marketplace. Potential employers regularly contact the national office of Phi Beta Kappa to confirm the membership of job seekers who have listed Phi Beta Kappa among their credentials. About one college senior in 100, nationwide, is invited to join Phi Beta Kappa.  Seventeen U.S. Presidents, thirty-eight U.S. Supreme Court Justices, and one hundred and thirty-six Nobel laureates can be counted among the ranks of Phi Beta Kappa members.

In the process of electing and initiating new members, the George Washington University chapter holds a ceremony each year in the spring. The occasion is conducted according to long-standing tradition and often features speakers and special award presentations. The number of new members inducted each year depends on the class size and pool. Usually students in their senior year of undergraduate work are elected, and students in their junior year are sometimes eligible as well. Phi Beta Kappa members are members for life.