Phi Kappa Phi
Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest, largest, and most selective honor society for all academic disciplines. The University chapter was established in 1962. The society gets its name from the initial letters of the Greek words forming its adopted motto: Philosophía Krateíto Photôn, which means “Let the love of learning rule humanity.” Phi Kappa Phi awards more than $800,000 annually through graduate and undergraduate scholarships, member and chapter awards, and grants for local and national literacy initiatives.
Membership is available by invitation only to the top 7.5 percent of second-semester juniors, the top 10 percent of seniors, and graduate students with a grade point average of 4.00. Students are eligible for membership if they have completed at least seventy-two semester hours of coursework at the University and have the required grade point average. All eligible students are notified by the University Honors Center in the fall and spring.