The Phi Beta Kappa Society
Epsilon Chapter of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Election to the Society
Phi Beta Kappa is an honor society for the recognition of outstanding scholarship in the liberal arts and sciences. The requirements for admission include a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree with a major in a liberal area. This includes most majors in the College of Arts and Sciences, and selected majors in the School of Music and Department of Economics. It does not include the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences. In addition, the student must have the following:
- An extremely high grade point average
- At least 6 credit hours of a foreign language at the intermediate level (203/204 or the equivalent)
- Three fourths of the total number of hours in courses of a genuinely liberal character, as determined by the chapter
Courses considered to be liberal include most of those offered in the College of Arts and Sciences, with the general exception of courses in performance, studio art, media development, and others of an applied nature. Some programs of study that combine liberal and applied courses (such as Drama or Media Studies) require a course review to determine the proportion of liberal courses taken. Courses outside the College are generally considered to be non-liberal because they are of a professional or applied nature. Transfer students may be are eligible for membership in Phi Beta Kappa if they have completed 45 credits in residence, but 75 or more credits in residence ensures full consideration.
Election to Phi Beta Kappa usually takes place during the Spring of the student’s senior year; however, a few students with exceptionally high GPAs may be elected as juniors. Review of transcripts takes place each Spring without an application from the student. The Epsilon Chapter extends invitations to students who meet the above standards during the first week of March.