Phi Beta Kappa’s Gamma Chapter is currently on hiatus.

Chapter operations are pending updates to our charter. When the charter is updated, all eligible Cougs who have met the criteria since 2022 will be invited to join.

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About Phi Beta Kappa

Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honors organization. Founded in 1776, the Phi Beta Kappa Society has recognized and fostered excellence in the liberal arts and sciences. Phi Beta Kappa stands for a Greek phrase meaning “The love of learning is the guide of life.”

Typically, students are elected to Phi Beta Kappa toward the end of their senior year, or in the spring of the year in which they complete 120 credits. Election to Phi Beta Kappa reflects success in meeting the challenges and in fulfilling the aims of liberal education.

Membership signals to employers and graduate and professional schools that the initiate has outstanding credentials. Only 10 percent of colleges in the country have a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, and elected members must be in the top 10 percent of their class. Of the 160 colleges and universities in the Pacific Northwest, only 9 have Phi Beta Kappa chapters.

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Gamma Chapter at WSU

The Gamma of Washington Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa located at WSU was established in 1928, making it one of the first founded at a land-grant university.

Qualified new members are initiated at a special induction ceremony.  There is a nominal fee for lifetime membership in Phi Beta Kappa. All eligible students will be considered for membership, regardless of their campus.

The chapter offers two awards to WSU students: the Sidney G. Hacker Phi Beta Kappa Scholarship and the Phi Beta Kappa Scholarship.  Awards are made in spring to applicants who will be seniors the following academic year. The awards are intended to cover full resident/in-state tuition plus mandatory fees.  The awards might not be presented every year.