Duke University

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Duke University was created in 1924 by James Buchanan Duke as a memorial to his father, Washington Duke. The Dukes, a Durham family that built a worldwide financial empire in the manufacture of tobacco and developed electricity production in the Carolinas, long had been interested in Trinity College. Trinity traced its roots to 1838 in nearby Randolph County when local Methodist and Quaker communities opened Union Institute. The school, then-named Trinity College, moved to Durham in 1892. In December 1924, the provisions of James B. Duke’s indenture created the family philanthropic foundation, The Duke Endowment, which provided for the expansion of Trinity College into Duke University.

As a result of the Duke gift, Trinity underwent both physical and academic expansion. The original Durham campus became known as East Campus when it was rebuilt in stately Georgian architecture. West Campus, Gothic in style and dominated by the soaring 210-foot tower of Duke Chapel, opened in 1930. East Campus served as home of the Woman’s College of Duke University until 1972, when the men’s and women’s undergraduate colleges merged. Both men and women undergraduates now enroll in either the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences or the Pratt School of Engineering. In 1995, East Campus became the home for all first-year students.

Contact Information

2138 Campus Drive

Box 90586

Durham

NC

United States

Switchboard:

1 919 6848111

Web: www.duke.edu

Graduate School Staff Directory

Admissions
2127 Campus Drive
Box 90065
Durham, NC 27708

Tel: (919) 684-3913

Fax: (919) 684-2277

Financial Aid
2127 Campus Drive
Box 90061
Durham, NC 27708

Tel: (919) 681-3247

Fax: (919) 668-0424

Graduate Student Affairs

2127 Campus Drive
Box 90070
Durham, NC 27708

Tel: (919) 684-2056

Fax: (919) 681-8018

Academic Affairs
2127 Campus Drive
Box 90068
Durham, NC 27708

Tel: (919) 681-3252

Fax: (919) 684-2277

Dean’s Office
2127 Campus Drive
Box 90068
Durham, NC 27708

Tel: (919) 681-1560

Fax: (919) 684-2277

AdmissionsInterested in Applying?

Interested in applying to Duke Graduate School? We’re interested in you.

Information about the process of applying for admission to graduate study at Duke is provided in this section of the Graduate School website. Please read all instructions carefully to ensure proper and complete application, and to avoid mistakes that may delay the consideration of your file.

The Graduate School is dedicated to and benefits from a student population diverse in background, culture, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and work and life experiences that contribute to a fuller representation of perspectives within the academic life of the university. To that end, we encourage applications from all those sectors of society, including those whose life experiences may include the challenge of access due to a disability. Duke University Graduate School is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you believe you may need and qualify for reasonable accommodations, please visit Duke’s Disability Management System for detailed information and procedures.

Students seeking to do graduate work at Duke University for degree purposes must be formally admitted to the Graduate School by the Dean. The Graduate School requires applicants to hold a bachelor’s degree (or the equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree) from an accredited institution. In addition to the prerequisite bachelor’s degree, all applicants must submit satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination, scanned electronic transcripts from all post-secondary school education, three letters of recommendation, a Statement of Purpose, and the online application with $80 application fee.  International applicants must also provide official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Individual departments may specify additional application requirements, which can be found in their program descriptions.

Students who do not intend to earn an advanced degree at Duke, but who wish to take graduate courses, may apply for non-degree admission. Non-degree seeking students must also be formally admitted to the Graduate School by the Dean, and such admission is granted in three different categories: (1) admission as a regular non-degree student with a particular department; (2) admission as a special non-degree student without departmental affiliation through the Office of Continuing Studies; (3) admission as an unclassified student in the summer session only.

Credits earned by non-degree students taken at Duke before full admission to the Graduate School may be carried over into a graduate degree program if (1) the action is recommended by the student’s Director of Graduate Studies and approved by the Dean; (2) the work is not more than two years old; (3) the amount of such credit does not exceed one semester at full-time tuition; and (4) the work has received grades of B or better.

Students who have discontinued a program of degree work at Duke must apply for readmission to the Graduate School. Those who discontinue study prior to completing a degree must, by letter, request permission of the Dean to be readmitted to the degree program; those who discontinue study after earning a master’s degree must file a new application for the doctoral program.

If you have questions about any aspect of the application process, do not hesitate to contact us.

http://gradschool.duke.edu/admissions/
Departments & Programs
Masters Degree Programs

This is a list of all master’s admitting degree programs currently offered by Duke Graduate School:

  •     Biomedical Engineering
  •     Civil and Environmental Engineering
  •     Computer Science
  •     Earth and Ocean Sciences
  •     East Asian Studies
  •     Economics
  •     Electrical and Computer Engineering
  •     Global Health
  •     History
  •     Humanities
  •     Liberal Studies
  •     Master of Arts in Teaching
  •     Master of Fine Arts in Experimental and Documentary Arts
  •     Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
  •     Medical Physics
  •     Philosophy
  •     Political Science
  •     Religion
  •     Slavic and Eurasian Studies
  •     Sociology
  •     Statistical and Economic Modeling

Ph.D. degree programs

 Financial Support
Competitive Fellowships for Incoming Students

These competitive fellowships are offered through the Graduate School. Incoming students are nominated by their department; no direct application is necessary.

Chancellor’s Scholarship – The Chancellor’s Scholarship is awarded to incoming graduate students studying biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine, and provides a onetime, $5,000 stipend supplement.  Students receiving this meritorious award will be designed as Chancellor’s Scholars, and will be invited to meet with Chancellor Victor Dzau and other award recipients at the annual Chancellor’s Scholars dinner.

Dean’s Graduate Fellowship – Dean’s Graduate Fellowships are provided to students who—by reason of their background, culture, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, work, and life experiences—contribute to a fuller representation of perspectives within the academic life of the University. The Graduate School’s commitment to promoting and benefiting from diversity leads it to encourage nominations of students who are Black/African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and Hispanic/Latino Americans. All nominees must be U.S. citizens. The Dean’s Graduate Fellowship will provide a 12-month stipend during the first two years of study and a $5,000 summer stipend or stipend supplement (depending on the student’s course of study) in the third and fourth years of study.  The Dean’s Graduate Fellowship will also cover partial tuition (i.e. tuition remission) and full fees for the fall, spring and summer terms during the first two years of study, and summer tuition and fees during the third and fourth summers for students receiving a summer stipend from this Fellowship.  The Graduate School will provide a scholarship for the balance of the tuition.

James B. Duke Fellowship – The James B. Duke 100th Anniversary Fund provides fellowships for students who wish to pursue a program leading to the Ph.D. in the Graduate School at Duke University. Its objective is to aid in attracting and developing outstanding scholars at Duke. Selection of recipients is made by a faculty committee upon nomination by the appropriate department. These fellowships provide a $5,000 stipend supplement for four years to any other award the student receives from the department, the Graduate School, or national fellowships.

Pratt-Gardner Graduate Fellowship – The W.H. Gardner, Jr. Society of Engineering endowment fund provides fellowships for students in the Pratt School of Engineering who wish to pursue a program leading to the Ph.D. in the Graduate School at Duke University. Its objective is to aid in attracting and developing outstanding scholars at Duke. Selection of recipients is made by a faculty committee upon nomination by the appropriate engineering department. These fellowships provide partial tuition (i.e. tuition remission) and full fees for the fall, spring and summer terms, and a 12-month stipend, during the first year of study.  The Graduate School will provide a scholarship for the balance of the tuition.  For more information, please visit the above link.

University Scholars Fellowship – The University Scholars Program was created in 1998 with a gift from Duke University Trustee Melinda French Gates and her husband Bill Gates, through the William H. Gates Foundation. The program is designed to stimulate an interdisciplinary, intergenerational, and diverse community of scholars. Each year the University Scholars Program provides full tuition and fees, and a nine-month stipend for up to six incoming graduate students who participate in bimonthly University Scholars Program seminars, and act as informal intellectual leaders and mentors (not advisors) to the program’s undergraduates. For more information, see the University Scholars Program website, noted above.

Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF) Fellowship Program – Funded by the U.S. Government, the VEF Fellowship Program brings Vietnamese nationals to the U.S. for Master’s and Doctoral fellowships in the natural, physical, and environmental sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medical, public, and health sciences. Full financial support is available through a cost-sharing agreement between VEF and Duke, which is one of the Alliance Universities. Students who have already won VEF Fellowships, and wish to apply to Duke Graduate School, will have the $80 Graduate School application fee waived. Additional information and application forms are available online only at the above website.

Loans

Graduate Student Loans – In the 2010-11 academic year, Duke University joined thousands of other U.S. colleges and universities in the Federal Direct Student Loan Program…more >

Please visit the Duke Financial Aid website for information and application procedures.

Duke University Student Lending Principle – Duke University has established a set of publicly available principles and policies to govern educational lending practices for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. These principles emphasize that lending practices proceed from a commitment to the best interests of our students, that we support students’ right to choose their lenders and that neither Duke nor its employees accept financial payments, goods or services of material value from lenders. All employees involved in financial aid and student lending are subject to a rigorous conflict of interest policy. Administrators may serve as unpaid members of lender advisory boards in order to help shape the products and services that will best meet the needs of our students; in such cases, Duke pays all costs associated with that service.

For more information on the principles and policies, please read Duke’s Statement on Educational Lending.

Financial Support

Contact Financial Aid
2127 Campus Drive
Box 90061
Durham, NC 27708

Email: [email protected]

Fax: (919) 668-0434
Staff
Lisa Roop-Wioskowski

Financial Aid Coordinator

Manages all aspects of Graduate Financial Aid in conjunction with federal regulations and programs. Determines eligibility and processes student loans. Serves as contact person for national fellowships (NSF, Howard Hughes, etc.). Maintains updated information on legislation and tax law regarding student aid, however, advises students consult with their accountant regarding tax implications on scholarships and stipends. Walk-ins are welcome 9-11 a.m. Monday-Friday. For appointments at other hours, please email [email protected].

Tel: (919) 681-3247

Tammy Dickens

Accounting Specialist

Responsible for the administration of the Graduate School’s conference travel program. Maintains accounting of procurement card payments and office invoices. Provides additional assistance in managing department operations.

Tel: (919) 681-1552

Marsha Adams-Parker

Human Resources Manager

Coordinates human resource needs of employees, student workers and fellows. Interprets personnel policies and employee relations functions in order to meet federal, state, University and Graduate School objectives. Assists hiring managers in employee recruitment and termination, position classification, and salary administration. Responsible for the payment of students on university awards.

Tel: (919) 681-1562

http://gradschool.duke.edu/financial_support/contact.php

This is a list of all departments and programs leading to the Ph.D. degree as currently offered by Duke University Graduate School.

Note:  This does NOT include certain ‘admitting’ departments or programs. Students must ‘affiliate with’ one of these to obtain the Ph.D. degree.

  •     Art, Art History and Visual Studies
  •     Biochemistry
  •     Biology
  •     Biomedical Engineering
  •     Business Administration
  •     Cell Biology
  •     Chemistry
  •     Civil and Environmental Engineering
  •     Classical Studies
  •     Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
  •     Computer Science
  •     Cultural Anthropology
  •     Earth and Ocean Sciences
  •     Ecology
  •     Economics
  •     Electrical and Computer Engineering
  •     English
  •     Environment
  •     Environmental Policy
  •     Evolutionary Anthropology
  •     Genetics and Genomics
  •     German Studies
  •     History
  •     Immunology
  •     Literature
  •     Marine Science and Conservation
  •     Mathematics
  •     Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
  •     Medical Physics
  •     Molecular Cancer Biology
  •     Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
  •     Music
  •     Neurobiology
  •     Nursing
  •     Pathology
  •     Pharmacology
  •     Philosophy
  •     Physics
  •     Political Science
  •     Psychology and Neuroscience
  •     Public Policy Studies
  •     Religion
  •     Romance Studies
  •     Sociology
  •     Statistical Science

Departments & Degree Programs

**NOTE: Students may apply and be admitted directly to the departments or programs marked below with an asterisk; however, the Ph.D. degree is offered only through one of the participating departments identified in the program description. Prior to the second year of study at Duke, students must select and identify a participating department in which they plan to earn the Ph.D. degree.

  •     Art, Art History and Visual Studies
  •     Biochemistry
  •     Biological and Biologically Inspired Materials**
  •     Biology
  •     Biomedical Engineering
  •     Business Administration
  •     Cell and Molecular Biology**
  •     Cell Biology
  •     Chemistry
  •     Civil and Environmental Engineering
  •     Classical Studies
  •     Cognitive Neuroscience**
  •     Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
  •     Computer Science
  •     Cultural Anthropology
  •     Developmental and Stem Cell Biology**
  •     Earth and Ocean Sciences
  •     East Asian Studies
  •     Ecology
  •     Economics
  •     Electrical and Computer Engineering
  •     English
  •     Environment
  •     Environmental Policy
  •     Evolutionary Anthropology
  •     Genetics and Genomics
  •     German Studies
  •     Global Health
  •     History
  •     Humanities
  •     Immunology
  •     Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health**
  •     Liberal Studies
  •     Literature
  •     Marine Science and Conservation
  •     Master of Arts in Teaching
  •     Master of Fine Arts in Experimental and Documentary Art
  •     Mathematics
  •     Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
  •     Medical Physics
  •     Medical Scientist Training
  •     Molecular Cancer Biology
  •     Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
  •     Music
  •     Neurobiology
  •     Nursing
  •     Pathology
  •     Pharmacology
  •     Philosophy
  •     Physics
  •     Political Science
  •     Psychology and Neuroscience
  •     Public Policy Studies
  •     Religion
  •     Romance Studies
  •     Slavic and Eurasian Studies
  •     Sociology
  •     Statistical Science
  •     Statistical and Economic Modeling
  •     Structural Biology and Biophysics**

http://gradschool.duke.edu/depts_progs/degree_progs/index.php

 Cost of Attendance

Tuition and Fees – The following Graduate School Tuition, Fees and Stipends are for 2013-14. Tuition is charged on a per semester basis for all graduate students. Entering Ph.D. students are assessed $22,000 each semester (fall and spring) during academic years 1-3. The tuition charge for continuing Ph.D. students is $3,100 each semester (fall and spring) during academic years 4+. Summer tuition is levied as a flat rate of $3,100. Go to the Summer Registration Policy for additional information. Tuition charges for part-time master’s or Continuing Studies students is $2,660 per unit or semester hour.

Transcript Fee – All entering students will be charged a one-time fee of $40 in the fall semester, entitling them to an unlimited number of Duke transcripts.

Health Fee – All full-time students and part-time degree seeking candidates are assessed a $310 fee each fall and spring semester for the use of Student Health Services. Students enrolled during the summer full term are assessed a $220 fee (which is adjusted if a student is enrolled in either summer I or summer II terms). The health fee is separate from that which would be paid for comprehensive health insurance, and does not provide for major medical coverage.

Health Insurance – Coverage is required. Students may select coverage from Duke’s Student Medical Insurance Plan (SMIP), or provide proof of comparable health coverage. Students who choose SMIP will be charged in the fall semester, based on a rate that is tiered-by-age. An estimate for full-year coverage for students in 2013-2014 is $2,160. Additional health insurance information is available through the provider, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of North Carolina. For additional information please contact Student Health.

Activity Fee – All students will be charged a student activity fee of $16.75 per semester by the Graduate and Professional Student Council to support campus events and student government. See GPSC for more information.

Recreation Fee – A charge of $87 per semester will be assessed all students for the use of on-campus recreation facilities, including Wilson and Brodie Recreation Centers.

Audit Fee – Degree-seeking graduate students registered full-time during fall and spring may audit courses without charge. Auditors are permitted on a space-available basis with the written consent of the instructor. Other students may register to audit through Continuing Studies for a fee. All students are assessed charges for summer audits.

Parking Fee – Students should contact Duke Parking and Transportation for information about parking availability and regulations.