Phi Beta Kappa awards several prizes for outstanding scholarship.
- Students are not required to be members of Phi Beta Kappa to submit an entry.
- Entries may be submitted for consideration by faculty or by student authors.
- If you are submitting a paper or thesis originally written in a language other than English, please provide an English translation for the committee.
- All submissions should be sent via email to Danielle Venit by 11:59 PM EDT on May 1, 2024 (the last day of classes in Spring ’24).
- The competition will be conducted by the Executive Committee and Electoral Board of Phi Beta Kappa, with judging by ad hoc committees.
The Frederick W. Meier Jr. Thesis Prize $1,000
Three Phi Beta Kappa Thesis Prizes $1,000 each
- A written evaluation by the thesis advisor must be included with the nomination. This evaluation should be sent via email to Danielle Venit by 11:59 PM EDT on May 1, 2024 (the last day of classes in spring ’24).
- Students or faculty may nominate a thesis, which must be accompanied by a letter of endorsement by a faculty advisor.
The Elmaleh Prize for an Undergraduate Essay in the Social Sciences $150
The Humanities Prize for an Undergraduate Essay in the Humanities $150
- Essays can not be senior theses and should be no more than 25 pages.
- Only one submission per student per category will be considered.
For further information, contact Dr. Rebecca Poyourow, poyourow@sas.upenn.edu.