Graduation with Departmental Distinction

students in commencement regalia toss caps outside Duke Chapel

Recognizing excellence in independent study

Eligibility

To be eligible for Graduation with Departmental Distinction, a candidate requires:

  • GPA of 3.500 or higher
  • Completion of at least one (1) unit of research independent study, supervised by at least one CEE faculty member, culminating in a written report
  • Making an oral presentation on the research independent study to an audience of faculty and students
Independent Study

Important Details

    • The Awards and Honors Committee and Graduation with Departmental Distinction Coordinator sends each student enrolled in the program a letter at the beginning of the fall term that includes:
      • Copy of the GwDD Protocol
      • The advisability of conducting the research in two terms, with a minimum ½ course load per term
      • Standards for the presentations and the written works, and the importance of the initial course description prepared by the student and the course instructor, submitted to the Director of Undergraduate Studies
    • Students enrolled in the GwDD program should provide a one-page progress report in early March to the GwDD Coordinator with a note from their Advisor that the project is advanced enough to yield a work deserving of Distinction
    • The committee meets immediately after oral presentations, and assesses the written reports and oral presentations
    • The committee reports to the Director of Undergraduate Students the names of the students eligible for Graduation with Departmental Distinction based on the committee’s judgment of the written and orally presented work

  • Each report is evaluated by the Committee on the basis of correctness, neatness, concision, clarity, rigor and depth.

    Submission Deadline

    Oral presentations typically are scheduled for the last Friday of the spring term. The GwDD coordinator must receive the following materials before 5:00 pm ET two days prior to oral presentations:

    1. An electronic copy of the final written work, in either .docx or .pdf format
    2. Digital images, suitable for publishing, of the student working in the lab or field

    Early Submission If Comments Are Requested

    If a student desires the committee to preview their paper and return comments, the paper should be submitted to the GwDD coordinator at least one week before the oral presentation.

    Technical Requirements

    • Scholarly standards: Prepared according to the GwDD Protocol and following ASCE journal publication requirements, and as a photograph-ready manuscript for conference proceedings
    • Type size: 10- or 12-point text, single-spaced
    • Page limit: No fewer than 8 pages and no more than 12 pages—including nomenclatures, figures, tables, appendices, and references
    • Exception: For experimental, architectural and similar works, the length and format may be defined by the course instructor
    • Oral presentations typically are scheduled for the last Friday of the spring term. The event is advertised to the Duke CEE community
    • Slides are to be prepared according to professional standards
    • Presentations are typically ordered alphabetically by surname
    • Each student has 15 minutes for their presentation, followed by five minutes of questions
    • The time limit for the presentation is to be strictly observed
    • Presentations are evaluated on clarity, concision and effectiveness

  • The student deemed by the committee to have demonstrated the highest excellence in independent study receives the Eric I. Pas Award.

Undergraduate Contacts