Honors and Awards
Departmental Scholarships
Engineering has endowed scholarships from several different donors which are strictly for engineering students. Since the donors desire to have scholarship go only to engineering students, students who change registration from the engineering curriculum will most likely loose the engineering scholarship. There is no application form for these scholarships because every engineering student is automatically considered. Scholarships are awarded based primarily on need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and merit (Engineering GPA and Math Science GPA). Individual donors have placed restrictions on how their scholarship can be awarded. Because there is currently a disproportionate amount of scholarship funds available to female engineering students, more scholarship money is awarded to female students.
Since the money for these scholarships comes from individuals who care about how their gift has helped someone, it is highly important for the scholarship recipients to thank the donor. Scholarship recipients also have an opportunity to meet their donor at an annual Undergraduate Scholarship Reception usually held in April.
Honor Societies
Engineering students are eligible for a number of Honor societies at the University, including: Golden Key (general), Pi Mu Epsilon (mathematics), Sigma Pi Sigma (Physics), Alpha Lambda Delta (First-Year students) and Mortar Board (Third-Year students). Some students who show exceptional ability and interest in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences may also at times be considered for election to Phi Beta Kappa (liberal arts and sciences).
University Honors Program
Students accepted as members of the University Honors Program have numerous opportunities to enhance their educational experiences. They must also fulfill certain requirements to continue in the program. In addition to general requirements on GPA, the following requirements must be met:
Lower Division Requirements: (12 lower-division honor credits). 4 credit hours of this must be taken in WRIT 1522 (Honors Writing); 8 hours of AHUM/SOCS 1000 courses with designation as Honors sections (these courses may be deferred beyond the first year upon petition to the Honors Program)
Upper Division Requirements: (4 credit hours of HNRS 2400). Students are encouraged to avail themselves of the interdisciplinary 2 hour HNRS 2400 seminars. Engineering students who find it difficult to reconcile the intensity of the Engineering program with this requirement may petition the Director of the Honors Program for alternatives or for an exemption.
Honors Thesis Requirement:: Students in the Honors Program take ENGR 3314, 3324 and 3334 (Honors Thesis I, II & III) in place of ENGR 3313, 3323 and 3333 (Senior Design Project I, II & III). In addition to the requirements for Senior Design Project I, II & III, the student must also submit a copy of the final report to the Department of Engineering, and a higher standard of achievement is typically expected.
The above is only a general indication of requirements; for a complete set, students should contact the Honors Program.
Graduation with Engineering Honors
Graduation with Engineering Honors provides a mechanism to recognize those students who have made significant academic achievements in the area of engineering during their undergraduate careers at DU. Because this recognition is specific to the technical discipline, it differs from participation in the Honors program which has higher admission standards and emphasizes liberal arts education. Graduation with Engineering Honors is analogous to departmental distinction.
The requirements for Graduation with Engineering Honors are:
1. Cumulative GPA exceeding 3.3
2. Successful completion of an undergraduate research project, including a Research Paper and presentation.
The undergraduate research project is an individual project in an engineering-related discipline. The emphasis of the undergraduate research project should be on making a novel research contribution, which differs significantly from a senior design capstone project. Unusual cases in which a student has made a significant individual research contribution in an area related to a senior design project may be considered.
Graduation with Engineering Honors will appear on the student’s transcript and in the commencement program. Eligible students and their faculty advisors should complete an application form. Questions about Engineering Honors should be directed to Dr. Peter Laz.
Degrees with Honors
The University of Denver awards baccalaureate degrees with honors. These are designated as cum laude (minimum DU GPA 3.75), magna cum laude (minimum DU GPA 3.85), and summa cum laude (minimum DU GPA 3.95). A thesis is required for the designation of summa cum laude, and an engineering student must take ENGR 3314, 3324 & 3334 (Honors Thesis I, II & III) in order to qualify for this designation. Further requirements on numbers of hours taken at the University of Denver for each of these designations may be found in the University Bulletin. These designations appear on the diploma and on the final transcript.
All-University Awards
The University gives awards for the Outstanding Man and Outstanding Woman from each undergraduate class, with an additional four or five Distinguished Men and Women from the senior class. These are based upon academic achievement, contributions to the University and community service. Students are eligible for consideration for these upon nomination. Pioneer Awards are given for particularly distinguished service to the University (10 per year).
The University of Denver participates in Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges, and students are eligible for selection upon nomination.
Although the student body of the ECE and MME Departments comprises less than 5% of the total undergraduate student body, its students have regularly been selected for all of these, as well as numerous state and national scholarships.
Departmental Awards
Both the ECE and MME departments annually give awards to graduating students for academic excellence in engineering and for service to the departments.