Graduation with Departmental Distinction in BME

Class of 2024 Deadlines

  • Submit one-page abstract: April 5
  • Submit written report: April 12
  • Research Poster Session: April 25

To be awarded Graduation with Departmental Distinction (GWDD) in BME, eligible students should:

  1. Have a minimum grade point average of 3.500 or higher at graduation.
  2. Complete an original and independent research project in biomedical engineering under faculty supervision. A project from a BME course or an independent study course does not automatically qualify. Students should speak to their project supervisors to determine the suitability of the project.
  3. Pay particular attention to the biomedical 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 of the BME department.
  4. Select an examination committee consisting of three (3) faculty members. Two (2) of the three faculty members must be from the primary BME faculty. Primary BME faculty is any faculty member appearing on the webpage bme.duke.edu/faculty, except for Secondary Faculty.
  5. Submit a one-page abstract of the research and the online “Application for Graduation with Departmental Distinction in BME,” signed by the faculty supervisor, before the deadline, typically in early April
  6. Submit a written report on the research project, if one is requested by their faculty supervisor. In the report, describe the problem considered, methods used, results obtained, and a discussion of the results and their significance. Speak with your faculty supervisor about any additional guidelines. Deadline is typically one week following the deadline for the one-page abstract
  7. Prepare a poster for the GWDD Poster Session. Attend the event. Applicants and their faculty supervisors determine the format for the poster. The poster session is held typically in late April. The applicant's 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.
  8. Students graduating in December must complete requirements 2 through 7 in April of the same year. Requirement 1 should be met by December.

More information on Graduation with Departmental Distinction requirements is available in the BME Undergraduate Handbook