To be considered for membership in Phi Beta Kappa, students must meet the criteria laid out below, must be known by the Johns Hopkins community to be ethical and without a disciplinary history, and must have a complete transcript without M or I grades. Students who are selected will be notified in late March or early April.
Selection Criteria
Members will be elected primarily on the basis of broad cultural interests, scholarly achievement, and good character. Undergraduate juniors and seniors who are enrolled in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences or in the Applied Math and Statistics major in the Whiting School of Engineering may be considered under the following conditions:
- The candidate shall be majoring in liberal subjects and studies and be completing a degree program at least three-fourths of which is in liberal work.
- The candidate shall have completed a minimum of 42 graded credits of work in residence at Johns Hopkins University and must be eligible to graduate in the academic year when they are being reviewed for election, unless being considered as a junior.
- For election as a junior, the candidate shall have completed at least one academic term of the junior year of college work that has been posted to their academic record and be registered during the term when they are being reviewed for election. The caliber of a candidate’s work should be of exceptional distinction.
- Grades earned in applied or professional work shall not be counted in computing the quality point ratio for purposes of eligibility. Applied and professional work shall be understood to include all training intended to develop skills or vocational techniques.
- Weight shall be given to the breadth of the program of each candidate as shown by the number and variety of courses taken outside of the major. Weight shall also be given to balance and proportion in the candidate’s degree program as a whole.
- Candidates shall have demonstrated a knowledge of a second or nonnative language by either successfully completing intermediate-level college coursework in a second or nonnative language or its equivalent, or by having the placement exam results indicating a waiver beyond the level of intermediate, noted on their Johns Hopkins University transcript by the director of the foreign language program.
- Classical languages such as Latin or Ancient Greek may fulfill this requirement.
- Additionally, American Sign Language may fulfill this requirement.
- Students whose native language is not English must document their native language proficiency on their transcript in order to use English as their nonnative language. For example, a student whose native language is Chinese needs to have their Chinese language proficiency documented on their transcript. Instructions for having your language proficiency documented on your transcript can be found here.
- For students matriculating in Fall 2023 or earlier, their undergraduate transcript must include at least one course in college-level mathematics, logic, or statistics, with content appropriate to a liberal arts and sciences curriculum. This includes all Johns Hopkins University courses of at least three credits with an area designator Q, courses transferred to Johns Hopkins University with a Q area designator, or mathematics or statistics exam credits that have been noted on the Johns Hopkins University transcript. In addition, their student record shall include at least one course in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. This means Johns Hopkins University courses that are at least three credits with an area designator of N, S, and H respectively. Courses transferred and exam credits that are posted to a student’s Johns Hopkins University transcript may apply.
- For students matriculating in Fall 2024 or later, their undergraduate transcript must include at least one course in college-level mathematics, logic, or statistics, with content appropriate to a liberal arts and sciences curriculum. This includes all Johns Hopkins University courses of at least three credits taught in the Applied Mathematics and Statistics department or Mathematics department that bear a Krieger School of Arts and Sciences Foundational Ability tag of “science and data,” or other courses approved by the Executive Committee. Courses transferred and exam credits that are posted to a student’s Johns Hopkins University transcript may apply. In addition, their student record shall indicate that they are on track to complete the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences Foundational Abilities by the time of graduation.
Subject to other provisions of the chapter constitution and these bylaws, students who complete their college course at the end of the summer or autumn sessions and become eligible at the same time may be considered with the eligible group of the next academic year.
The number of undergraduates elected from any graduating class, including those who may be elected as juniors, shall ordinarily not exceed ten percent, and in no case shall exceed fifteen percent, of the total number of students that actually receive the liberal bachelor’s degree in that class. A maximum of one fifth of the Members-In-Course elected in any year may be elected as juniors that are not graduating.
Election to membership in Phi Beta Kappa is wholly within the discretion of the members of this chapter, subject only to the limitations imposed by the constitution and bylaws of the chapter, and no right to election shall adhere to any student solely by reason of fulfillment of the minimum quality point ratio for election as Members-In-Course.
Graduate students are not normally elected as members unless an exception is made by the Executive Committee.
Nominations for Members-in-Course shall be made by the Committee on Members-in-Course. Election shall be by majority vote by of the Members-in-Course committee.