Academics: Only at Duke: Unique Academic Programs

The Focus Program

The Focus Program, designed for first-year students, is an interdisciplinary learning opportunity that enables students to expand the boundaries of their knowledge in a setting that promotes spirited interaction with faculty and their peers. In the Focus Program, students are assigned to one of about a dozen programs that discuss specific, and varied, topics in the arts, politics, history, and culture. They participate in small group seminars taught by distinguished faculty. They live in the same residence hall with other students in their particular Focus Program (as well as non-Focus students). And they take part in service-learning opportunities. The intellectual energy and camaraderie of the Focus Program make it a favorite among Duke students.

University Scholars Program

University Scholars are selected for their creativity and ability to explore new academic horizons through an interdisciplinary learning program. University Scholars represent a range of personal and intellectual backgrounds; what they have in common is an excitement for original research, collaborative thinking, and innovative scholarship. University Scholars receive full tuition scholarship, additional financial aid if needed, and special opportunities for academic and extracurricular enrichment.

Alice M. Baldwin Scholars

Eighteen first-year Duke undergraduate women are selected each year to be Baldwin Scholars. This new program was created to inspire and support undergraduate women in the classroom and in campus leadership roles. Throughout their undergraduate experience, the Baldwin Scholars live together as a group, work with upper-class mentors, faculty, and Duke alumnae, and take part in retreats, academic seminars, community service, and numerous informal activities such as lectures and dinners.

Pratt Research Fellows

The Pratt Engineering Undergraduate Research Fellows Program provides engineering students with the opportunity to conduct intensive research with faculty members as they receive course credit and gain valuable experience through paid summer internships. Pratt Fellows are selected midway through their junior years based on their research interests, academic record, intellectual ability, and maturity. They devote an entire summer and one-fourth of the last three semesters of their undergraduate education to the program.

Hart Leadership Program

Part of the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy, Duke's Hart Leadership Program encourages students to develop their own visions of leadership as they become engaged in the community. Through exposure to academic courses, direct community service experience, and an interdisciplinary faculty, students enjoy a combination of innovative teaching techniques and traditional course work and research. As a result, they are able to apply their learning to real-world settings in government, business, art, and humanitarian fields.

Robertson Scholars Program

Promoting collaborative study between Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this full-tuition program recognizes students for their academic excellence, leadership potential, commitment to community service, and ethical principles. Students take a full range of classes both at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill.

Portfolio@Duke

Every Duke student has space on the Web for his or her electronic portfolio: an organized, purposeful collection of personal achievements, course work, and projects. Students can archive text, audio, and video files to include in on-line presentations or to display on the Web to potential employers and others inside and outside of the Duke community.