Phi Theta Kappa

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society ( or PTK) is the international honor society of students attending open-access institutions and seeking associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, or other college credentials. Its headquarters is in Jackson, Mississippi, and has more than 3.5 million members in nearly 1,300 chapters in 10 nations. Mission The mission of Phi Theta Kappa is to recognize high academic achievement of college students and to provide opportunities for them to grow as scholars and leaders. History, name, origin, and usage The origin of Phi Theta Kappa can be traced back to Kappa Phi Omicron, an honor society established in 1910 at Stephens College in Missouri, a two-year college for women. As similar honor societies sprang up in the state, the college presidents and students of eight Missouri women's colleges came together in 1918 to create a single honor society with a unified mission — Phi Theta Kappa was born. Phi Theta Kappa is named after Phi Beta Kappa, the international honor society for four-year colleges and universities, and it was modeled after many aspects of the prestigious senior college honor society.