The Graduation with Distinction Program (GwD) in Psychology & Neuroscience is intended for students interested in completing a significant research project during their undergraduate career. This is especially important for students planning to pursue graduate education in psychology but is highly recommended for any student with a strong interest in research.
Important - Students wishing to enroll in the GwD program must submit their application forms (see below) no later than the last day of classes during the spring semester of their junior year. Students planning to graduate in December must submit their forms by the last day of classes in the fall semester of their junior year.
Who is eligible to enroll in GwD?
The opportunity to write a thesis and qualify for Graduation with Distinction is open to those majoring or minoring in Psychology. It is also open to students enrolled in Program II. Although there is no minimum GPA that students must have when applying to the program, students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 (no rounding) and a GPA of at least 3.5 (no rounding) in Psychology - excluding grades in independent study classes in psychology - by the start of their final semester; this level of performance must be maintained through graduation. Thus, students may register for the Graduation with Distinction program without meeting these GPA requirements but will not receive Distinction if these GPA requirements are not eventually met. (Should this occur, the student would still receive credit for completing Independent Study courses.) If a student's GPA fall just below the required cut-off, their faculty mentor may elect to petition the department Curriculum Committee to permit the student to Graduate with Distinction.
Summary of GwD Requirements
Students must complete a 2-semester research project during their senior year under the supervision of a faculty mentor; some students complete a 3-semester project that starts during their junior year. Thus, the first step to take is to identify a faculty member who will serve as your mentor.
At the conclusion of their senior year, students defend their thesis before their 3-person committee. Information about who may serve on a student's committee is contained on the GwD form. Your mentor can assist you in identifying other members for your committee.
Students must also enroll in the Honors class during both semesters of their senior year (PSY 496 and PSY 497). These are half-credit classes for students in the Honors Program and are focused on a variety of issues related to conducting research in psychology.
The actual thesis generally takes the form of an empirical journal article in psychology. The goal is for students to complete a thesis that can be submitted for publication. An overview of the thesis requirements can be found here.
How to enroll in GwD
To enroll in the Graduation with Distinction program, you must complete and submit the regular form for Independent Study as well as the GWD application form. These forms - along with the required signatures - must be submitted no later than the last day of classes in the spring semester junior year for students graduating in May the following year. When you turn in your forms you will receive the permission numbers needed to enroll in the independent study class and the honors class.
Students planning to graduate in December must submit their forms no later than the final day of classes of the fall semester of their junior year.
Students should try to identify their 3-person committee when they submit the GWD from but may do so without their committee members identified. In this case, you will be required to submit your committee members to the DUS Assistant early in the following semester.
Have questions?
If you have any questions about the GwD program in Psychology & Neuroscience contact either David Rabiner (drabiner@duke.edu), Karen Murphy (klm15@duke.edu), or Natalia Silva Harwood (natalia.silvaharwood@duke.edu).
For general information on the University-wide Graduation with Distinction Program, please click here.
