Duke University

Main Campus, Durham United States

Shortlist

Facebook

Twitter

Copy Link

Shortlist

# 61QS World University Rankings

127Undergraduate programs

189Postgraduate programs

AvailableScholarship

About Duke University

Founded in 1838, Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, named after the university’s great benefactor James Buchanan Duke’s deceased father, Washington Duke.

Its campus spans over 8,600 acres on three campuses in Durham as well as a marine lab in Beaufort. The main campus – designed largely by architect Julian Abele – incorporates Gothic architecture with the looming presence of Duke Chapel, the campus' centerpiece that seats nearly 1,600 people and contains a 5,200-pipe organ.

Duke is the seventh-wealthiest private university in America and in 2014, Thomson Reuters named 32 of Duke's professors to its list of Highly Cited Researchers. Ten Nobel laureates and three Turing Award winners are also affiliated with the university, which is the second-largest private employer in the state of North Carolina.

From its early days as Brown’s Schoolhouse, Duke has evolved into a global academic and research powerhouse. Its Levine Science Research Center is the largest single-site interdisciplinary research facility of any American university, and in 2014 Duke spread its tentacles eastwards, opening a Chinese outpost, Duke Kunshan University, which blends an American-style liberal arts education with Chinese traditions.

Its recent academic achievements include three of its students being named Rhodes Scholars in 2002 and 2006. Also in 2006, Duke researchers unveiled the first working demonstration of an invisibility cloak, to the delight of Harry Potter fans around the world.

A total of around 15,000 students attend Duke, with the majority of them being postgraduates. There is an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, which personalizes the learning experience.

Undergraduates have access to four academic schools including Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, and the Sanford School of Public Policy. Graduate students can enroll in nine graduate and professional schools, including Duke Law School, Fuqua School of Business, and the School of Medicine.

The university has an ethnically diverse and politically engaged student body: activism in the 1960s prompted Martin Luther King Jr to speak on campus about the civil rights movement, and, following violence in Charlottesville in 2017, the statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee was removed from the entrance to Duke University Chapel.

The majority of Duke students live on campus, where they can take advantage of the university’s enviable sports facilities and get fully involved in student life. Duke is home to over 400 student organizations – cultural, faith-based, political, and service-based – that foster student interaction and exchange, and help students develop their interests and passions.

About Duke University

A total of around 15,000 students attend Duke, with the majority of them being postgraduates. There is an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, which personalizes the learning experience.

Available programs

Duke University offers two undergraduate paths: liberal arts and engineering.

Depending on your interests, you’ll be able to choose between 53 majors, including:

Russian
Visual arts
Romance studies
Mathematics
Global health
Environmental engineering

Arts and Humanities (6)

B.A. in Art History with a Concentration in Architecture

B.A. in Brazilian and Global Portuguese Studies

BA in Art History

BA in Art History and Visual Arts

BA in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies - Chinese

BA in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies - Hindi

View All

Engineering and Technology (6)

BA in Computer Science

BS in Computer Science

Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) Degree with a Major in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) - Computer Engineering and Digital Systems

Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) Degree with a Major in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) - Electromagnetic Fields

Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) Degree with a Major in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) - Signal Processing, Communications, and Control Systems

Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) Degree with a Major in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) - Solid-State Devices and Integrated Circuits

View All

Life Sciences and Medicine (6)

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing

B.A. in Cellular Biophysics

B.A. in Molecular Biophysics

B.S. in Cellular Biophysics

B.S. in Molecular Biophysics

BA in Cultural Anthropology

View All

Natural Sciences (6)

BA in Chemistry

BA in Chemistry with Concentration in Biochemistry

BA in Chemistry with Concentration in Chemical Biology

BA in Chemistry with Concentration in Environmental Chemistry

BA in Chemistry with Concentration in Pharmacology

BA in Mathematics

View All

Others (6)

BA in Economics - Finance Concentration

BS in Economics - Finance Concentration

Social Sciences and Management (6)

BA in African and African American Studies - Africa Focus

BA in African and African American Studies - Americas Focus

BA in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies - Arabic

BA in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies - Hebrew

BA in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies - Interregional Track

BA in Classical Civilization

View All

Duke University’s graduate school runs over 70 certificates, master’s degrees and PhDs, including:

Genetics and genomics
Earth and ocean sciences
Molecular cancer biology
Public policy studies
Psychology and neuroscience

Arts and Humanities (6)

JD/MA in Art History

JD/MA in Classical Studies

JD/MA in English

JD/MA in History

JD/MA in Literature

JD/MA in Philosophy

View All

Business and Management (6)

Master of Arts in International Development Policy - Public Financial Management (PFM) Specialization

Master of Management Studies - Foundations of Business Program

Engineering and Technology (6)

Master of Engineering (MEng) in Civil Engineering

Master of Engineering (MEng) in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Master of Engineering (MEng) in Materials Science and Engineering

Master of Engineering (MEng) in Mechanical Engineering

Master of Engineering (MEng) in Photonics and Optical Sciences

Master of Engineering Management (MEMP)/Master of Forestry (MF)

View All

Life Sciences and Medicine (6)

JD/MA in Bioethics and Science Policy

JD/MA in Cultural Anthropology

Master of Arts in Bioethics and Science Policy - Genomics

Master of Arts in Bioethics and Science Policy - Independent Concentration

Master of Arts in Bioethics and Science Policy - Neuroscience

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)/Master of Forestry (MF) Dual Degree

View All

Natural Sciences (6)

JD in Environmental Law/Master of Environmental Management (MEM)

JD/MA in Environmental Science and Policy

M.S. in Medical Physics

Master of Arts in International Development Policy - Environmental Management and Policy

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)/Master of Environmental Management (MEM) Dual Degree

Master of Biostatistics

View All

Social Sciences and Management (6)

Dual Master of Divinity/Master of Social Work Degree

JD in Environmental Law/Master of Forestry (MF)

JD/MA in East Asian Studies

JD/MA in Economics

JD/MA in Political Science

JD/Master in Global Business Law

View All

Others (1)

The Duke MBA Global Executive

Arts and Humanities (6)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Civil and Environmental Engineering - Computational Mechanics and Scientific Computing

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Civil and Environmental Engineering - Dynamic Systems, Uncertainty, and Optimization

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Civil and Environmental Engineering - Environmental Process Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Civil and Environmental Engineering - Hydrology and Fluid Dynamics

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Classical Studies

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in English

View All

Business and Management (6)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Business Administration - Accounting

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Business Administration - Decision Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Business Administration - Finance

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Business Administration - Management and Organizations

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Business Administration - Marketing

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Business Administration - Operations Management

View All

Engineering and Technology (6)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Civil and Environmental Engineering - Engineering Environmental Geomechanics and Geophysics

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Computer Science

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science - Materials Science Track

Life Sciences and Medicine (6)

BSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program

Doctor of Medicine (MD)

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program - Nurse Anesthesia

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Program in Nursing

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biochemistry

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biological Sciences

View All

Natural Sciences (6)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biostatistics

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Chemistry

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Earth and Ocean Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Environment

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Environmental Policy

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Environmental Sciences and Policy

View All

Social Sciences and Management (6)

Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD)

Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Economics

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in German Studies

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in History of Art - Visual and Media Studies

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health

View All

Bachelor

SAT

1490+

IELTS

TOEFL

100+

Master

GRE

301+

GPA

IELTS

TOEFL

90+

Total students

17,624

UG students

37%

PG students

63%

International students

4,305

UG students

15%

PG students

85%

Total faculty staff

5,446

Domestic staff

90%

Int'l staff

10%

Tuition fee and scholarships

Scholarships

One of the important factors when considering a master's degree is the cost of study. Luckily, there are many options available to help students fund their master's programme. Download your copy of the Scholarship Guide to find out which scholarships from around the world could be available to you, and how to apply for them.