Ready to be a part of the Graduate Exhibition?

Registration for the 2025 Graduate Exhibition is now open! Share your scholarly achievements - and receive great feedback - all while competing for cash prizes.

Exhibition Categories

Eligibility

  • Must be a degree-seeking Penn State graduate student. Students in law, medical, and physician assistant degree programs are not eligible to be exhibitors.
  • Open to graduate students from all Penn State campuses.
  • Penn State employees who are graduate students can participate but are not eligible for awards

Awards and Prizes

First ($1,000), second ($500), and third ($250) place prizes will be awarded for each category below.

  • Design
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award
  • Performance
  • Research Poster: Arts and Humanities
  • Research Poster: Engineering
  • Research Poster: Health and Life Sciences
  • Research Poster: Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • Research Poster: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
  • Video
  • Visual Arts

The University Libraries also sponsors a Data Visualization Award with first and second place, and honorable mention.

The visual arts and performance categories will also include a $100 People’s Choice Award recipient, voted on at the event and sponsored by the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA).

Important Dates

View the 2025 Graduate Exhibition schedule and important dates below.

Deadlines

Monday, January 13, 2025

  • Registration opens. Watch for an email that week with more details.

Friday, March 7, 2025

  • Deadline to submit registration and receive free poster printing
  • Deadline to register for the performance category

Friday, March 14, 2025

  • Deadline for students to register for the visual arts category

Monday, March 17, 2025

  • Student deadline to request updates to poster session (need for table, power, etc.)
  • Deadline to register for the poster, design, and video sessions

    Event Schedule

    Monday, March 24 to Friday, March 28, 2025

    • Video judging will take place online

      Friday, March 28, 2025

      • Poster Session and Visual Arts: 1:00-4:00 p.m., HUB-Robeson Center, Alumni Hall and Visual Arts Gallery
      • Performance Night: 7:00-9:00 p.m., Recital Hall

      Friday, March 28 to Sunday, April 27, 2025

      • Visual arts exhibits will be displayed at the HUB-Robeson Gallery

      Award Recipient Recognition

      All recipients of first-place awards for the Graduate Exhibition will be invited to be recognized at a special lunchtime awards ceremony on Monday, April 21, in the Nittany Lion Inn on the University Park campus.

      Preparing to Register

      Follow these steps as you get ready to register. View more detailed registration tips below.

      1. Get your faculty adviser's approval

      2. Review the Graduate Exhibition Rubrics

      3. Plan your exhibit and a five-minute presentation for a general audience

      4. Get email addresses for faculty adviser(s) and any co-presenters or co-performers

      5. Prepare your abstract, statement of importance, and, if applicable, a statement for the DEI award

      6. Get compliance protocol numbers, and know if your project contains intellectual property

      What Can I Present?

      Graduate students can participate in the Graduate Exhibition at any stage of their time at Penn State. Honing public communication skills can benefit you throughout your career, and we strive to make the Graduate Exhibition a safe and comfortable space. Presenting in the beginning of your research can help you think about your research question in different ways. Getting feedback in the middle or toward the end allows you to practice highlighting the importance or impact of your work.

      Rubrics

      View the below rubrics to better understand how your exhibit will be judged.

      Add to Calendar

      Use the links below to add this event to your calendar.

      Contact

      Penn State shield logo featuring a stylized mountain lion in white and light blue on a blue to green gradient background.

      Graduate Exhibition Committee