The Dean's List recognizes outstanding academic performance in a semester. Students are named to the Dean's List when they earn a grade point average of at least 3.500 while carrying 12 or more graded hours with no grade of F and no temporary or missing grades. The Alpha Chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa in the state of Tennessee honors scholarly attainments in the liberal arts and sciences and annually elects seniors and juniors to membership during the spring semester. Seniors who have completed at least 60 semester hours in the College of Arts and Science and earned a grade point average of 3.600 or better are eligible for consideration, as are juniors with a grade point average of 3.850 who have completed at least 70 semester hours at Vanderbilt. Attainment of the minimum average is not a guarantee of election.
Membership is based on broad cultural interests and scholarly achievements.
Grades earned in applied or professional work are not counted in computing the grade point average. Students who go abroad on foreign study programs in their junior year are not eligible for election as juniors, but are considered in due course during their senior year. In no event may the total number of persons elected from any senior class exceed 10 percent of the class, and from any junior class exceed six persons. Honor Societies for Freshmen Freshmen who earn a grade point average of 3.500 or better for their first semester are eligible for membership in the Vanderbilt chapters of Phi Eta Sigma and Alpha Lambda Delta. Awarded after a competition, open to any undergraduate who has studied two semesters of Latin, in which participants deliver from memory Latin passages selected to reflect classical ideals.