PhD Certificates & Training Programs

We lead and participate in rigorous certificate programs which recognize our master's and PhD students for work in leading-edge areas of multidisciplinary research.

Our training programs provide our graduate students with comprehensive research training, as well as a stipend, tuition and fee support.

Certificates

Aerospace Graduate Certificate

Students in Duke Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science master's and PhD programs can expand their learning experience through the Studies and Opportunities in Aerospace Research (SOAR) Aerospace Graduate Certificate. The globally recognized faculty within the SOAR  program are experts in structures and dynamics, aerodynamics, acoustics, and mathematical and computational methods. Learn more »

Certificate in Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering

Our Department of Biomedical Engineering is home to the Certificate Program in Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering — a multidisciplinary certificate program that integrates engineering, the life sciences, and medicine. The research focus of the program is the interaction of proteins, cells and tissues with materials and drugs in natural biological processes, and in the medical diagnosis and therapy. Learn more »

Certificate in Biotechnology

Duke Biomedical Engineering's Certificate in Biotechnology provides BME master's students with in-depth knowledge of cutting-edge techniques for modeling, analyzing and designing molecular and cellular systems. Working with faculty who are leaders in the field, students will gain hands-on experience in molecular biology, protein expression and purification, and gene editing. The certificate is ideal preparation for careers in the fast-growing biotech industry. Learn more »

Certificate in Medical Device Design

Master's students in the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) can greatly enhance their degree and gain career advantages with a Certificate in Medical Device Design. This application-only certificate is limited to BME MS or MEng students who seek to work in the medical device industry upon graduation and who already have design experience, such as a capstone course. Learn more »

Certificate in Photonics

The Duke Photonics Certificate Program provides a venue for master's and doctoral (PhD) students to learn more about photonics as a path to interdisciplinary research and technology development. The program is offered through the multidisciplinary Fitzpatrick Institute of Photonics, which is based within the Pratt School of Engineering. Students are encouraged to develop broad and transferable sets of skills in their course work and research activities. Learn more »

Certificate in Nanoscience

All four academic departments in Pratt School of Engineering participate in the university-wide Graduate Certificate Program in Nanoscience – which provides an interdisciplinary education in the broad areas of nanoscience and nanomaterials. Learn more »

Training Programs

AI for Understanding and Designing Materials (aiM)

AI for Understanding and Designing Materials (aiM) is an NSF-funded graduate training program that provides students with integrated training for both materials and computer scientists to advance the frontiers of research and training at the intersection of data-driven artificial intelligence and materials science research. The proram is open to PhD students across the physical sciences, mathematics, computer science, materials science, and engineering. Learn more »

Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering

Through an NIH biotechnology pre-doctoral (PhD) training grant, the Duke Center for Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering (CBTE) supports stipend, tuition and fees for nine pre-doctoral fellows, with The Graduate School at Duke contributing a tenth fellowship for a fellow who is not a United States citizen. Generally, students are awarded a NIH CBTE fellowship during their first or second year of graduate study and are supported for two years. Learn more »

Traineeship for the Advancement of Surgical Technologies (TAST)

The NSF-funded Traineeship for the Advancement of Surgical Technologies (TAST) prepares graduate students to design advanced surgical technologies that benefit society through technical coursework, real-world surgical design challenges, professional development and study of legal, ethical, societal and economic considerations. TAST is a two-year program open to PhD and master’s students in the Pratt School of Engineering as well as the Department of Computer Science. Learn more » (scroll down to the "Research Traineeship Programs" header and open the "TAST" link)