Election to membership in Phi Beta Kappa is an honor conferred upon fewer than 10% of each graduating class.
Students do not apply for membership but are instead selected during the spring semester each year by the Phi Beta Kappa Chapter at Mississippi State University, after a careful review of the academic records of each eligible candidate. Members are generally elected in their senior year at Mississippi State University, but the Chapter may elect deserving juniors and graduate students as well.
In almost all cases, eligibility for consideration for Phi Beta Kappa members in our chapter requires:
- An overall GPA of 3.8 or higher
- A recalculated GPA of 3.8 or higher based only on courses in the liberal arts and sciences
- 90 semester hours or more of coursework completed toward the student's degree
- 90 semester hours or more of coursework completed or currently enrolled in the liberal arts and sciences
- Fourth-semester proficiency in Foreign Language completed for credit or currently enrolled. Note: this does not mean four semester of Foreign Language total but rather completion of a 4th semester level or higher course in a Foreign Language (e.g., Spanish IV or higher, German IV or higher, etc.)
In any given year, the number of students offered membership in Phi Beta Kappa cannot exceed 10% of the number of graduates in the Arts and Sciences the preceding year. Thus, meeting the minimum requirements for eligibility described above leads only to consideration for Phi Beta Kappa; it does not assure that membership in Phi Bets kappa will be offered.