Criteria for Membership
What kind of GPA and how many credits do I need?
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Juniors in CCAS, ESIA, BA in SEAS:
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As of end of previous fall semester: GPA at least 3.8. Select Juniors in top 1% of their class with 75-89 credit hours, at least 45 at GW
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Seniors in CCAS, ESIA, BA in SEAS:
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As of end of previous fall semester: GPA at least 3.7. Seniors in the top 10% of their class with 90 or more credit hours, at least 45 at GW
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Graduates of CCAS, ESIA. BA in SEAS:
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Upon completion of graduation requirements GPA of at least 3.7. A selected number of Graduates with at least 60 credit hours at GW
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Graduates students of any school:
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The Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at GWU does not routinely accept students from graduate programs at GWU.
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What Else?
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All students must have selected a major. All Columbian College majors are valid; however, "Arts and Sciences" is not a major.
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Students who have six or more incompletes are disqualified. Students who have earned an F in one or more course are disqualified.
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Those who have attended part-time (registered for fewer than 12 hours a semester) will be considered in accordance with the rules for juniors and seniors above.
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Language and math requirement: Student must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language, either by coursework or demonstrated proficiency. A college level math or statistics course (or AP credits in math from high school) is required to show quantitative proficiency
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Breadth requirement:
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Single major: Students who have taken a single major in the Columbian College must have completed at least 12 hours of upper-division (ie, 100-level) coursework outside of the major subject, with grades of B- minus or better, by the end of the previous semester. If a student has already completed only 9 such hours with similar grades, he or she is eligible for election the following year, after graduation, provided he or she is taking 3 credits of such course work during the final semester. Students who have already graduated must have completed 12 credits of such courses with a grade of B- minus or better.
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Double or interdisciplinary* major: Students who have taken a double major in the Columbian College or an Interdisciplinary Program must have completed at least 30 hours of upper-division (ie, 100 level) coursework, with grades of B- minus or better, by the end of the previous semester. If a student has already completed only 24 such hours with similar grades, he or she is eligible for election the following year, after graduation, provided he or she is taking 6 credits of such course work during the final semester. Students who have already graduated must have completed 30 credits of such courses with a grade of B- minus or better.
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What if I'm a transfer student?
Transfer students must meet the same requirements as those students listed in the above section, but counting only GW grades and upper division hours.
What if I studied Abroad?
If you studied abroad for one or more full terms (i.e., fall and/or spring):
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No grades earned abroad are counted in the GPA
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All full-time study abroad programs count as 15 GW Credit Hours per semester
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All hours abroad count as upper division hours
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For Columbian College students majoring in a single discipline, 6 of these 15 hours will count as upper division courses outside the major subject and the remaining 9 hours will count as upper division courses within the major subject.
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The rules above apply to juniors and seniors studying abroad during the semester in which the selection process is taking place.
If you studied abroad during the summer:
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Only those courses appearing on the transcript will be counted towards the requirements above.
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These courses will be counted as lower-division or upper-division as it appears on the transcript.
*What's an Interdisciplinary Program?
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All Elliott School majors and programs
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The SEAS BA programs in Computer Science or Applied Science and Technology
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In Columbian College: Archaeology, Classical Archaeology, Classics, Criminal Justice(under Sociology), Early Modern European Studies, Environmental Studies, Human Services(under Sociology), Judaic Studies, Political Communication, Liberal Arts, and all other "Special Interdisciplinary Programs" as listed in the bulletin.
A maximum of 3 credits of professional or technical courses taken outside of the Columbian College or the Elliott School (such as SEAS, SEHD, and SGBA) may be included for consideration. Exercise and Health Science courses and ROTC courses are excluded from consideration.