2026 Deadlines 

• March 16: Submit one-page abstract
• April 10: Submit written report (if required by faculty advisor)
• April 23: Research poster session (mandatory)

Requirements

To be awarded Graduation with Departmental Distinction (GWDD) in ME, eligible students have to:

1. Have a grade point average of 3.75 or higher at graduation.

2. Complete an original and independent research project in Mechanical Engineering under faculty supervision. See a list of primary faculty. Note well that a project from a ME course or an independent study course does not automatically qualify. To determine the suitability of your proposed project, students are advised to speak with their project supervisor(s).

3. Pay particular attention to the Mechanical Engineering content of the project. The abstract, poster, and report should reflect this content explicitly—particularly if the project is done with a faculty member outside Duke MEMS. This website contains a list of approved available projects.

4. Submit a one-page research abstract and an online Application for Graduation with Departmental Distinction in ME. Note well these must be approved by a faculty supervisor and submitted before the deadline.

5. Submit a written report on the research project if your faculty supervisor requests it. In the report, describe the problem considered, methods used, and results obtained. Also, discuss the results and their significance. Speak with your faculty supervisor about any additional guidelines. The deadline is typically one week after the submission deadline for the one-page abstract.

6. Prepare a poster for the GWDD Poster Session and attend the event. Applicants and their faculty supervisors will determine the poster format. The GWDD faculty committee and others will view the poster and ask questions concerning the research. Easels will be available on the day of the poster session, which is typically held in late April.

7. Have at least one of the following:

• taken one graduate-level (500+) course
• 3 or more semesters of research (e.g., Pratt Fellows)

Students graduating in December must complete requirements 2 through 7 in April of the same year. Requirement 1 should be met by December.

Final approval requires faculty committee review: The faculty committee must evaluate the student’s work and poster presentation and deliberate to determine whether the work meets the GWDD standard.