Phi Beta Kappa Society
About the Phi Beta Kappa Society
Only about ten percent of the nation’s institutions of higher education have been selected to have Phi Beta Kappa chapters, and only ten percent or fewer of the students in these schools are selected for Phi Beta Kappa membership. MIT’s own chapter, Xi of Massachusetts, annually elects approximately 90 students in their senior year of undergraduate study.
Joining Phi Beta Kappa
Nomination process
Students do not apply for membership. Election is conducted by a faculty committee, which reviews the academic records of seniors to find students with superlative records and clear evidence of breadth in the liberal arts, including the science fields.
Eligibility criteria
Phi Beta Kappa members must have two years of a foreign language in college, three years in high school, a combination thereof, or be a native speaker of a language other than English.
Majors in engineering must show clear evidence of depth and breadth in their selection of HASS and related courses. Generally, Phi Beta Kappa members will have more than the required eight HASS subjects that all MIT undergraduates take.
Important dates
In late May each year, our Phi Beta Kappa chapter holds an induction ceremony to honor our newest members in front of their family and friends. The President, Historian, and Guide of our chapter, all MIT Faculty members, preside over this event, which begins with a scholarly lecture by an MIT professor on a topic of broad intellectual interest.
Additional resources
MIT Professor of Music Emily Richmond Pollock is the current President of the MIT Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. For further information contact Kimberly Benard, secretary of the chapter.
Learn more about the Phi Beta Kappa Society at the official site.
Read about the 2024 induction ceremony and the student inductees.
