Commencement
Our students at commencement will participate in two ceremonies: Stanford’s main ceremony and our Design diploma ceremony. Please refer to this d.school webpage for the 2024 commencement information.
Student Award Recipients
Robert H. McKim Award
The Robert H. McKim Award is given out each year to outstanding students in the major who demonstrate through their studies, and projects, the exceptional embodiment of design principles taught by Professor McKim. Robert McKim was a Professor of Mechanical Engineering who pioneered our methodology in human centered design in the 1960s, and was a force in the program for more than 30 years. His courses and projects taught students to use creativity and problem solving to improve the human condition. McKim immersed his students in a design approach he called “visual thinking” that stressed imagining, sketching, and rapid prototyping over drafting, writing, and calculations. He believed in the power of design to change the world.
Distinction
Students in this category will graduate as part of the top 15% of their graduating class at Stanford.
Phi Beta Kappa Members
Students with this membership are invited based on their exceptional academic achievements across the arts and sciences. Undergraduates in Phi Beta Kappa show a breath of engagement through taking classes in the humanities and art, natural sciences, mathematics, engineering, and social sciences.
Tau Beta Kappa
The Tau Beta Pi Honor Society is the only engineering honor society representing the entire engineering profession. It invites members with high academic achievements in engineering to foster a spirit of liberal culture in engineering colleges.