Membership in Phi Beta Kappa

Selection for the Alpha of Oregon Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa is not automatic, but students do not have to apply or be nominated for consideration. After screening academic records to determine whether they meet the minimum requirements for membership in the society, a faculty-staff committee of Phi Beta Kappa members makes recommendations to the membership at large. Following an election meeting in May, elected students are invited to join the society. Also elected are the Oregon Six--six students voted the most outstanding of those elected to membership that year. Students who accept the invitation to join are initiated the morning of the spring commencement ceremony. The initiation fee is $70.

University of Oregon students are typically invited to join the society shortly before they graduate, and Alpha of Oregon's activities consist primarily of naming new members. However, in many states Phi Beta Kappa associations exist to support the society's work. For example, funds might be raised for scholarships, celebrations of the liberal arts and sciences, and social events. The state of Oregon does not yet have any Phi Beta Kappa associations. If you are interested in helping to start one, please call Louise Bishop at (541) 346-0733 or send her e-mail at <lmbishop@oregon.uoregon.edu>.

1. 164 credits completed by the beginning of the spring term of the election.
2. Cumulative UO grade-point average (GPA) of 3.75, or 3.60 if the last five terms' GPA is at least 3.80. In computing the last-five-term GPA, any term is counted in which a student has earned 9 credits or more of A, B, C, D, or F grades.
3. Five terms and 85 credits completed at the UO before the term in which the election is held.
4. Either 123 UO credits or 75 percent of the credits earned at the UO must be in courses considered liberal in character. Most courses in the UO's College of Arts and Sciences--excluding technical or practical courses--and most courses in art history, some in music history and in journalism, and a few in other UO professional schools and colleges are considered liberal.
5. 32 upper-division liberal credits in UO courses of at least 3 credits each. No more than 8 of these 32 credits shall be elective pass/no pass (P/N), i.e., P without an asterisk; at least two breadth courses outside the major subject code must be taken for letter grades. Liberal courses that are outside the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and share the same subject code are assigned to one of the three groups.
6. Breadth requirement--distribution among these 32 credits in one of the following three ways:

   a.	at least three courses in each of two groups that correspond to the three undergraduate general-education groups (arts and letters, social science, science) or
   b.	at least three courses in one of these groups and two courses in each of the other two or
   c.	at least three courses in each of two subject codes in one group and two courses in a third subject code in any group.

   Although some upper-division liberal courses with the same subject code belong to two different groups, only the courses from one of those groups can be counted for breadth.

7. No evidence of academic misconduct or poor character

Fulfillment of the minimum requirements does not guarantee election to the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

1. 164 credits completed by the beginning of the spring term of the election.
2. Cumulative UO grade-point average (GPA) of 3.75, or 3.60 if the last five terms' GPA is at least 3.80. In computing the last-five-term GPA, any term is counted in which a student has earned 9 credits or more of A, B, C, D, or F grades.
3. Five terms and 85 credits completed at the UO before the term in which the election is held.
4. Either 123 UO credits or 75 percent of the credits earned at the UO must be in courses considered liberal in character. Most courses in the UO's College of Arts and Sciences--excluding technical or practical courses--and most courses in art history, some in music history and in journalism, and a few in other UO professional schools and colleges are considered liberal.
5. 44 upper-division liberal credits in UO courses of at least 3 credits each. No more than 8 of these 44 credits shall be elective pass/no pass (P/N), i.e., P without an asterisk; at least two breadth courses outside the major subject code must be taken for letter grades. Liberal courses that are outside the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and share the same subject code are assigned to one of the three groups.
6. Breadth requirement--distribution among these 44 credits in one of the following three ways:

   a.	at least three courses in each of two groups that correspond to the three undergraduate general-education groups (arts and letters, social science, science) or
   b.	at least three courses in one of these groups and two courses in each of the other two or
   c.	at least three courses in each of two subject codes in one group and two courses in a third subject code in any group.

   Although some upper-division liberal courses with the same subject code belong to two different groups, only the courses from one of those groups can be counted for breadth.

7. No evidence of academic misconduct or poor character

Fulfillment of the minimum requirements does not guarantee election to the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

 

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Updated 05/02/08