What is Focus?

“Focus was quite possibly one of the most exhilarating, exciting, and intellectually stimulating things I have ever done.”
—2002 Focus Program participant

The Focus Program is an exciting opportunity for students to be exposed to ideas from the vantage point of different disciplines across the humanities, sciences and social sciences. 

The Focus Program offers these extraordinary opportunities to first-year and second-year students:  

• Interdisciplinary seminar clusters that nurture the Focus student’s intellectual curiosity and sense of academic adventure.  Students apply to Focus – the program – not to a specific course.  Each cluster offers a range of interrelated seminars and features a community element while fulfilling Duke curriculum requirements.
• Small group seminars of no more than 18 students interacting with some of Duke’s most distinguished professors.  This intimate learning experience encourages personal intellectual responsibility while establishing student-professor rapport.  Faculty and students engage in a comfortable interaction which continues throughout their academic life and later careers.
• Shared housing with other Focus students that facilitates discussion and scholarly exploration while taking part in Duke’s rich East Campus living environment.
• Integrated learning experiences across academic disciplines and opportunities to venture beyond Duke’s campus into the community.  Field trips, travel, community service, and research are incorporated into the interdisciplinary Focus learning experience.

Learn more about Focus students and apply to Focus.  Housing information is available or you can submit your application.

Second-year students may apply to participate in Focus clusters offered in the spring semesters.