Certificates & Training Programs

Through Duke's Graduate School, the Pratt School of Engineering offers graduate certificate and training programs, enabling students to receive formal recognition for specialized research efforts. Certificates allow us to customize teaching curriculum around emerging new fields and strategic research initiatives. Apply for these certificates through Graduate Studies admissions.

Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering Certificate 

The University Program in Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering is a multidisciplinary certificate program that integrates activities in engineering, the life sciences, and medicine. The participating faculty are from the departments of Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Cell Biology, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Medicine, Neurobiology, Ophthalmology, Radiation Oncology, and Surgery. The program emphasizes research, education (both undergraduate and graduate) and interactions with industry. The research focus of the program is upon the action of proteins, cells and tissues -- and the materials (both natural and synthetic) with which they interact -- in natural biological processes, and in the medical diagnosis and therapy. A NIGMS biotechnology training grant offers stipends, tuition and fees to a number of BTE pre-doctoral students.

Certificate in Photonics

In recognition of the growing importance of Photonics as an enabling multidisciplinary field, Duke Graduate School and the Pratt School of Engineering have created a Certificate in Photonics. The purpose of the certificate is to broaden the scope of the typical disciplinary graduate student-training program. Students are encouraged to develop interdisciplinary and transferable sets of skills in their course work and research activities. The program is designed to accommodate both Professional MS and PhD students who have been admitted to one of the participating departments.

Medical Imaging Training Program

The purpose of the Medical Imaging Training Program is to prepare students for interdisciplinary research at the cutting edge of medical imaging. Students participating in the program are funded for the first two years of graduate studies. Trainees undertake a comprehensive curriculum providing an initial broad training in medical physics and instrumentation followed by increasingly focused coursework in the student's area of specialization.

Nanoscience Certificate

The mission of the new Graduate Certificate Program in Nanoscience is to educate students in Nanoscience disciplines and applications. This graduate program is designed to address the need for an interdisciplinary graduate education at Duke in Nanoscience that extends beyond the traditional disciplines and skills that are taught within any existing department. In this program, graduate students are educated and mentored in classes, labs and research projects by faculty from many disciplines spanning the physical sciences, engineering, and basic biological-science disciplines relevant to Nanoscience. The program includes faculty from departments within Arts and Sciences, the Pratt School of Engineering, and the Medical School.

WISeNet IGERT Training Program

The purpose of the WISeNet Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) program is to prepare Ph.D. students for interdisciplinary research in wireless sensor networks. Students in this program are supported for up to two years, and receive a WISeNet graduate certificate upon completion of a Ph.D. degree from one of the participating departments.

Admitting Certificate Programs

Pratt School of Engineering currently offers one admitted certificate program. Unlike our other certificates, admitted certificate programs offer direct admission. Current enrollment in one of our Ph.D. programs is not required. Apply for this certificate through Graduate Studies admissions.

Biological and Biologically Inspired Materials

Through the Center for Biologically Inspired Materials and Material Systems (CBIMMS), Pratt offers a graduate admitting and certificate program in Biological and Biologically Inspired Materials. This program will teach students how to use engineering principles to explore nature's materials and processes, and will promote development of biologically-based products of societal benefit or to basic laboratory discoveries about living structures and systems. The curriculum, a blend of classroom and laboratory experiences as well as summer industrial internships, is open to students who will obtain doctorates in disciplines such as chemistry, physics or cell biology, as well as biomedical engineering or mechanical engineering and materials science. The program will incorporate fundamental chemistry, physical and biological topics into systems engineering courses emphasizing signal processing, modeling, dynamics, optimization and control.