.jpg)
The PhD degree prepares students for careers in academia. Doctoral students emphasize scholarly research as a major part of their degree programs. An active research program is a vital component of the Nicholas School of the Environment, and most of the research projects in the school utilize PhD candidates as research assistants. Except for the Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences, the Nicholas School does not normally consider applications for the MS degree, although some students may be awarded an MS as part of a doctoral program.
All faculty in the Nicholas School are members of the faculty of the Graduate School of Duke University and are actively involved in the training of doctoral (PhD) students in the fields of earth and ocean, marine, and environmental sciences. Because of the intensive research nature of the degree, it is recommended that students contact individual faculty mentors prior to applying to the doctoral program to ensure mutual interests in research topics.
Doctoral students should note that policies and procedures for admission and registration, academic regulations and requirements for degrees are given in detail in the Bulletin of the Graduate School and not repeated in detail here.
Doctoral students are admitted to work with Nicholas School faculty by four pathways: 1) direct application to the subject areas “Environment,” “Earth and Ocean Sciences,” or “Marine Science and Conservation” within the Graduate School at Duke University; 2) application to the University Program in Integrated Toxicology (UIT), with an advisor chosen from within the Nicholas School faculty; 3) application to the University Program in Ecology (UPE), with an advisor chosen from within the Nicholas School faculty; or 4) application to the University Program in Environmental Policy (UPEP), with an advisor chosen from within the Nicholas School faculty.
Doctoral students planning to work at the Marine Lab typically spend one to three semesters taking graduate classes on the Durham campus before moving to Beaufort to complete their research; however, residence in Durham is not a requirement. Although residency of the advisor is not necessary to study at the Marine Lab, some sources of funding are contingent upon having an advisor from the Marine Lab's resident faculty.
Some faculty of the Nicholas School are members of the Duke University Program in Integrated Toxicology (UIT). This program operates under a specific charter to develop holistic and innovative approaches to studies of toxicology and to training students and postdoctoral fellows in this field.
Research in environmental toxicology within the Nicholas School focuses on molecular and biochemical aspects of pollutant metabolism, adaptations of organisms in polluted environments, and modes of toxic action. This work employs freshwater, marine, and terrestrial organisms as toxicological models. Toxicological research in the School strives to achieve a fundamental understanding of the fates and effects of contaminants in the environment and to elucidate linkages between human and ecosystem health. To achieve this goal, the curriculum and research activities of the program are designed to teach students the principles and methodologies of environmental chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, pathology, toxicology, ecology and quantitative analysis. Upon completion of doctoral studies, these students are experienced in the design, execution and interpretation of current research in environmental toxicology. Completion of this training at the doctoral level provides career opportunities in academia, industry and research laboratories.
Students seeking admission to this PhD program should file an application with the Graduate School, seeking admission to one of the departments participating in the UIT Program, including the Nicholas School. Direct inquiries to Dr. Richard T. Di Giulio, Director, Integrated Toxicology Program, Box 90328, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708; Internet:
http://www.duke.edu/web/toxicology.
Duke hosts strong research programs in ecology, with highly productive faculty from a number of departments working at all levels of biological organization—from the organism to the ecosystem. Areas of special strength include global change ecology, evolutionary ecology and forest and marine ecology. In the disciplinary category “ecology, evolution and behavior” the National Research Council rated Duke in 1993 as one of the top three programs in the nation.
The University Program in Ecology was formed in 2000 to provide a common home for students who are pursuing doctoral studies in ecology in various departments across the University, including many students in the Nicholas School.
Students are admitted for doctoral work in the University Program in Ecology in one of two ways: 1) direct admission to the program through the Graduate School; or 2) admission to the doctoral program of one of the departments participating in the program. Departments participating in the Ecology Program guarantee that any student admitted via the first track is automatically admitted for PhD study in the home department of the student’s major professor. Students in the latter track earn their degrees in the department sponsoring their admission and receive a Certificate of Graduate Study in Ecology from the University Program in Ecology.
The University Program in Ecology admits students with the promise of two years of financial support from the program, following which support is garnered from the department of the student’s selected major advisor. Students are normally supported for up to five years of doctoral study if they maintain satisfactory progress toward their degree.
Students seeking admission to the University Program in Ecology should file an application with the Graduate School, specifying consideration by the UPE or one of the participating departments, which include those in the Nicholas School. Direct inquiries to
ecology@duke.edu or to Graduate Studies, University Program in Ecology, Box 90328, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708. Further information on the University Program in Ecology can be found on the Internet at:
http://www.ecology.duke.edu.
The University Program in Environmental Policy was established in 2009 and is jointly administered by the Nicholas School and the Sanford School of Public Policy. It is the first and only PhD program in the United States jointly administered by a school of the environment and a school of public policy. It is a multidisciplinary, research-focused five-year doctoral degree, intended to prepare candidates for positions in applied academic departments and professional schools (e.g., environment and natural resources, public policy, public administration, international affairs), domestic and international public agencies and environmental organizations, research institutes, and policy consulting firms. Although the program is multidisciplinary, it is designed to ensure that students have strength in a particular social science discipline. Students designate their concentration when applying and currently may select either environmental economics or environmental politics.
The University Program in Environmental Policy provides a focal point for faculty and graduate students in the Nicholas School and the Sanford School who are interested in environmental policy. It draws on the intellectual resources of not only the two schools but also related disciplinary departments (Economics, Political Science) and other professional schools (Law School, Fuqua School, Pratt School of Engineering) at Duke. Faculty in the program conduct research on economic and political aspects of a wide range of topics, including air and water quality, biodiversity conservation, climate change, community resource management, corporate sustainability, ecosystem services, energy, environmental health, fisheries, forests, and freshwater and marine resources, in both U.S. and international contexts. Applicants are encouraged to contact faculty members with related interests to learn more about their current research projects and interest in accepting new doctoral students.
Students seeking admission to the University Program in Environmental Policy should file an application with the Graduate School, specifying consideration by the UPEP. Direct inquiries to Meg Stephens (meg.stephens@duke.edu) Graduate Studies, University Program in Environmental Policy, Box 90328, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708. Further information on the University Program in Environmental Policy can be found on the Internet at:
http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/programs/doctoral/upep.html.
Students seeking admission to the Graduate School must have earned an AB or BS degree (or the equivalent in the case of foreign students) from an accredited institution. Usually the student should have majored in the area of intended graduate study or one closely related to it. Because research is such an integral part of doctoral education in the Nicholas School, the student’s undergraduate record must evidence the capability, motivation and commitment to conduct independent study and research at an advanced level.
Students in PhD degree programs initiate registration through the Directors of Graduate Studies of the Nicholas School (in Earth and Ocean Sciences, Environment, University Program in Ecology, and University Program in Integrated Toxicology). Registration for courses and continuation is completed through the online registration system. Registration requirements and procedures are described in the Bulletin of the Graduate School.
Students in all of the doctoral programs are normally supported for up to five years of study if they maintain satisfactory progress toward their degree. Some students receive fellowships to support their studies, while others are employed as teaching assistants, receiving a stipend that covers tuition and fees. Other students are employed as research assistants, with funding derived from research grants managed by their major professor. In recent years, a significant fraction of the doctoral students have also been successful in national competition for graduate fellowships from the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies.
Normally, students are supported on teaching assistantships for only the first two or three years of their graduate study. After that, they are usually supported on research assistantships for the remainder of their graduate programs. Students supported on teaching or research assistantships may also receive support for the three summer months from research funding.
The hours of assistance may limit the number of credit hours for which a student may register. Normally, PhD students who receive assistantships for ten hours per week are limited to 12 units of credit per semester. Exceptions require the permission of the student’s advisor.
W. D. Billings Fellowship. The University Program in Ecology awards the W. D. Billings Fellowship to an entering doctoral student who plans to specialize in some area of plant ecology. The award covers all tuition and fees and provides a full stipend for the first year of graduate study. The fellowship was established by Shirley M. Billings in honor of her husband, the late W. Dwight Billings, a physiological plant ecologist at Duke for more than 30 years who was renowned for his work in arctic and alpine environments.
Rachel Carson Fellowship. Established by William C. Powell, Thomas E. Powell Jr. and friends, the Carson Fund provides fellowships to PhD candidates who use the Rachel Carson Sanctuary site in Beaufort, NC, as a major component of their research. First consideration will be given to PhD students in residence at the Duke University Marine Laboratory.
Robert W. Safrit Jr. Fellowship. Established by Robert W. Safrit, this fellowship is for students at the Duke University Marine Laboratory.
Harvey W. Smith Graduate Fellowship. Established by Evelyn Chadwick Smith, the Harvey W. Smith Graduate Fellowship Endowment provides fellowships to doctoral candidates in marine science.
Dr. Larry Widell Memorial Fellowship. Established by Christopher M. Widell, this endowment provides fellowships to Nicholas School students, with preference given to doctoral candidates.
The Duke University Graduate School offers a number of campus-wide competitive fellowships and scholarships. The James B. Duke Fellowships and University Scholars Program are available to incoming doctoral students in all departments. Advanced students may apply for the Katherine Stern Fellowship, which provides dissertation-year support. They are also eligible for conference travel awards and for a variety of other special internships or fellowships. The Graduate School also provides a number of awards for international research travel for doctoral students.
Minority doctoral students may receive support from the Dean’s Graduate Award Fellowships and Presidential Fellowships or through the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science Inc.
The Frederick K. Weyerhaeuser Forest History Fellowship is given annually by the Forest History Society to a Duke University graduate student who wishes to study broadly in the area of forest and conservation history.
In addition to those awards available through the Nicholas School or the university, students are urged to compete for national and foundation awards for graduate study. Of particular interest to doctoral students in the Nicholas School are National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships and Minority Fellowships, NASA Doctoral Fellowships in Global Change and Earth System Science, and EPA STAR Fellowships. The Web sites of these agencies offer details on applying for these fellowships.
Funded from grant and contract research under the direction of various members of the faculty, research assistantships provide support during the course of study of the PhD candidate. Typically, the research assistant completes one or more phases of a research project under the direction of the principal investigator, a member of the faculty. Normally, the research completed forms a substantial component of the requirements of the PhD dissertation. However, in some instances students may pursue dissertation research in an unrelated area of study.
The academic year stipend is salary for research involving up to 20 hours per week. A regular schedule of research under the direction of the principal investigator must be maintained; therefore, some research assistantships require full-time service during the summer.
