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Overview | How Does One Become a Member?

What Is Phi Delta Kappa?

Phi Delta Kappa is an international professional association for men and women in education. The membership is composed of professionals in the field of education, of graduate students preparing for careers in education, and undergraduates who are enrolled in or have successfully completed their student teaching. Members of Phi Delta Kappa who are already employed in the profession range from classroom teachers and school administrators to college and university professors and to educational specialists of many types. In Phi Delta Kappa, this diverse membership finds a fellowship based on common interests and a common focus on the promotion and improvement of education, with particular emphasis on publicly supported education.

There are currently about 660 Phi Delta Kappa chapters in the United States, Canada, and abroad. There are chapters in Puerto Rico, the Isthmus of Panama, the Virgin Islands, and Guam -- as well as international chapters in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Korea, Belgium, Thailand, Italy, Okinawa, the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Spain, and Bermuda. Approximately half of the chapters are based on college or university campuses that have graduate departments of education. The other half are community-based. Phi Delta Kappa membership in good standing is approximately 103,000.

How Does One Become a Member of Phi Delta Kappa?

Membership is open to all eligible educators and is obtained by chapter invitation or through self-nomination. The eligibility requirements are listed below.

Individuals are eligible for membership who are of good character, declare a commitment to PDK's goals and objectives, have a scholastic record sufficient for an advanced degree, and one of the following:

• persons who have a baccalaureate degree and/or are credentialed for teaching and who are active in a position requiring teacher certification or in educational work in adult and continuing education, educational research, early childhood education, elementary education, school administration or supervision, secondary education, teacher education, higher education, or any other education-related field as identified by the chapter;
• undergraduate education majors who are enrolled in or have successfully completed student teaching; and
• students admitted to a graduate program in education.

Student Membership. Chapters that desire to do so can offer an annual student membership to college or university students whose coursework is leading toward educator certification. This is a chapter membership only, subject to renewal on an annual basis. It does not include initiation into Phi Delta Kappa International. Dues are one-half the amount of regular PDK dues.

Click here to contact the Membership Officer if you are interested in information on becoming a member.