Q. At what point does a student officially become a member?
A. A student becomes a member when his/her membership application has been approved and membership fees have been paid. The Society’s induction requirement is met when the student signs the Membership Oath which appears on the membership application. A student must be recorded as a member at Headquarters in order to receive all the rights, privileges and benefits of membership.

Q. Are part-time students eligible?
A. According to the Constitution and Bylaws, part-time students may be eligible IF they have accumulated over several academic terms the number of hours the college considers to be full-time status (usually 12 hours on a semester system). The decision to make part-time students eligible is an option of the local chapter and should be addressed in each chapter’s bylaws. Phi Theta Kappa strongly encourages the eligibility of part-time students, and currently more than 90 percent of all chapters allow part-time students to be inducted.

Q. Are students who are enrolled in associate degree programs eligible if they do not plan to actually complete their associate degree, but instead plan to transfer to a senior institution?
A. A student need not be planning to receive an associate degree, as long as he or she has accumulated at least 12 hours of course work that could be applied toward an associate degree where the student is currently enrolled. Therefore, students taking basic course work at a community college, with plans to transfer to a four-year institution without completing associate degree requirements are eligible if they have accumulated their 12 hours and meet academic grade point average requirements.

Q. Are students pursuing certificate programs rather than associate degree programs eligible for membership?
A. A certificate student may be eligible for membership if the student has accumulated at least 12 hours of course work that could be applied toward an associate degree at the community college where the student is currently enrolled.

Q. Are international students, those who are citizens of countries other than the country where they attend college eligible?
A. International students attending college outside their home countries who possess full rights of citizenship of their countries are eligible for membership.

Q. Can transfer hours from other colleges be considered when determining membership eligibility?
A. Courses taken at another institution may be considered when determining membership eligibility if this procedure is acceptable to the institution the student is currently attending. All courses considered must be applicable towards an associate degree at the students current institution. The decision should be addressed in the chapter’s bylaws and followed consistently.

Q. Can a high school student who is taking college credit be a member of Phi Theta Kappa?
A. A high school student enrolled at a community college who completes at least 12 credit hours of associate degree course work with the required cumulative GPA is eligible for membership.

Q. Can a community college student who has already earned a degree be a member?
A. A student with a degree who is enrolled at the community college is eligible for membership if that student completes at least 12 hours of associate degree course work with the required cumulative GPA at the community college he or she is attending presently.

Q. If a student attended our college eight years ago and did not do well, do we have to consider those grades when determining the student’s eligibility?
A. Courses taken more than five years ago need not be considered when determining membership eligibility. However, the college administration has the prerogative of increasing the number of years which must elapse for waiving course consideration to any period beyond five years.

Questions regarding membership eligibility should be directed by the advisor to the Key Services Department at 877.PTK.1918.