Majors, Minors & Schools
83% go beyond their major to earn at least one more major, minor or certificate
Academic Paths
Duke University offers two undergraduate academic paths: liberal arts and engineering.
The curriculum reflects the university’s desire to prepare students for the challenging and rapidly changing global environment. The curriculum provides a liberal arts education engaging students in a wide variety of subjects: arts, literatures, performance, civilizations, natural sciences, quantitative studies and social sciences. It personalizes the learning experience for students while helping them understand the interdisciplinary approach to knowledge.
Trinity College of Arts & sciences:
- 85% of undergraduate students enroll
- 50 majors
- 47 minors
- 24 interdisciplinary certificates
Students can choose courses in nearly 100 different programs, including humanities, social sciences and natural sciences and mathematics. They can pursue one of Trinity's existing degree programs (known as Program I), or design their own program of study with the help of a faculty advisor (known as Program II). Both programs lead to the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree, and each requires 34 semester courses to satisfy the degree requirements.
AT A GLANCE:
Degrees Offered: BA or BS
Academic Programs: 100
Degree Requirements: 34
Majors and Minors: 60+
Certificates: 24
The first-year experience at the Pratt School of Engineering is an exploration of engineering fields and career tracks. Through study abroad, internships and research opportunities, engineering students gain hands-on research experience that help form career goals. The Pratt School awards Bachelor of Science degrees in accredited programs through the School's four departments.
The Pratt School's philosophy is built on partnerships between students and faculty. It personalizes the learning experience for each student while helping them understand broader contexts of technology.
Many engineering students complete double majors. Some choose to focus on two engineering disciplines, while others combine engineering with an Arts & Sciences discipline. For graduation with an engineering degree, a student must complete successfully a minimum of 34 semester courses.
AT A GLANCE:
- 124 faculty in 4 departments
- 1,200 undergraduates
Consistently ranked as one of the top biomedical engineering programs in the nation, the Biomedical Engineering Department prepares graduates to integrate engineering and biology for the detection and treatment of human disease.
Over two-thirds of biomedical engineering undergraduates are involved in independent study research projects. Current research activities include biomechanics of cells and hard/soft tissues, cellular and biosurface engineering, electrical activity of the heart and brain, medical imaging systems and medical informatics. Collaborations exist with many Medical Center departments, the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Center for In Vivo Microscopy.
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is pursuing diverse research and educational activities to improve the fundamental health and safety of society. These activities occur across Materials, Structures and Geo-systems; Hydrology and Fluid Dynamics; and Environmental Process Engineering.
Students develop skills in engineering analysis, design, technical communication and teamwork. In addition to conducting innovative research, students also apply academic learning to improve the constructed and natural environments in which we live.
The Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science offers undergraduate programs that cultivate learning, thinking and problem-solving abilities. The department's research reflects a cross-disciplinary focus and offers students opportunities to match personal interests with career development.
Faculty research topics currently include mechanical engineering and adaptive structures, acoustics, aerodynamics, controls, dynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer and thermodynamics. A flexible curriculum allows undergraduates a variety of double majors in other engineering disciplines and the Arts & Sciences.
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering's goal is to expose students to electrical and computer engineering in their first year and build on the integrated sensing and information-processing orientation in successive courses. It provides opportunities to design, build prototypes, test and redesign.
The Department encourages students and faculty to develop skills in disciplines outside of engineering, such as medicine and the life sciences. Duke undergraduates participate in independent study, a semester abroad and a degree program with a second major. Electrical engineers complete second majors in biomedical engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics, economics and public policy studies. Additional interests such as pre-medicine, pre-law, business, other engineering disciplines, art, music, psychology and social sciences can be accommodated.
