TBP is an honor society dedicated to integrity and excellence in engineering. TBP’s core tenants are the cultivation of exemplary character in its members, creating a vast network of contacts, and a strong tradition of giving back to community.

Tau Beta Pi is the only engineering honor society representing the entire engineering profession. It is the nation's second-oldest honor society, founded at Lehigh University in 1885 by Dr, Edward Higginson Williams, Jr. to mark in a fitting manner those who have conferred honor upon their Alma Mater by distinguished scholarship and exemplary character as students in engineering, or by their attainments as alumni in the field of engineering, and to foster a spirit of liberal culture in engineering colleges. There are now collegiate chapters at 238 US colleges and universities, active alumnus chapters in 16 districts across the country, and a total initiated membership of 531,912.

UMD’s chapter of Tau Beta Pi started as a local organization, Upsilon Mu Delta, which was founded in 1992 by Dr. Dorab Baria (ChE), Dr. David Wyrick (MIE) and Dr. Christopher Carroll (ECE). Upsilon Mu Delta served as a “probationary” engineering honor society as required by Tau Beta Pi to establish a foundation for a future chapter. Our Tau Beta Pi chapter (Minnesota Beta) was officially founded on February 3, 1996.

Membership

To be selected for membership the following academic criteria must be met.

    Seniors: top 1/5th

    Juniors: top 1/8th

The candidate must also be of good character