Our program is an exciting opportunity for first-semester Duke students to be exposed to ideas from the vantage point of different disciplines across the Humanities, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences. We offer 16 interdisciplinary clusters that nurture your intellectual curiosity and sense of academic adventure. Each cluster provides a range of interrelated seminars and features a community element while fulfilling your Duke curriculum requirements.
Dr. Edna Andrews, Director of FOCUS
Phone: (919) 660-3142, (919) 660-3140
eda@duke.edu
Dr. Yana Lowry, Assistant Director of FOCUS
Phone: (919) 684-9371
yana.lowry@duke.edu
Abigail Probert, Senior Program Coordinator
Phone: (919) 684-9370
abigail.probert@duke.edu
Your first year at Duke will include many experiences. To help you navigate through these, we offer a number of signature opportunities that promote active inquiry and engagement. The Focus Program is one such opportunity.
Our program is an excellent way for incoming students to get acclimated to campus life, explore a variety of disciplines, experience in- and outside-of-classroom learning, engage with faculty, and position themselves for future success.
Duke Faculty find that teaching in the Focus Program is a rewarding experience. If you would like to be a part of this innovative program, or you would like to teach in a particular cluster, we would like to hear from you.
FOCUS has empowered me to pursue meaningful questions while building lifelong relationships. Analyzing educational inequities alongside the students in my cluster (Knowledge in the Service of Society... read more »
I wouldn’t be in my current profession without the inspiration and training FOCUS provided in my first year at Duke. My career path began in the Medieval and Renaissance FOCUS Cluster: classes on... read more »
"As a freshman arriving at Duke in 2001, I simply could not know how significant my experiences in the *Humanitarian Challenges at Home and Abroad* FOCUS Cluster would be for my future academic and... read more »
"Coming into Duke, I was unsure about how the Focus Program would affect my transition to college life. It was easily the best decision I made in my career thus far. I loved having all of my... read more »
"FOCUS broadened my understanding of a completely new area: the arts. As a PreMed student and Biology major, I was more comfortable with cell cultures than with creative writing. Being in FOCUS ... read more »
"I wanted a university where I could explore my interests, test my values, and chart a course for a future after college. With a strong public policy program, renowned science departments, and... read more »
"My FOCUS classes opened my eyes to a whole new perspective on the world and how we use our knowledge and education to give back to society. Being a part of FOCUS means that you will take classes... read more »
"Being a part of such a community (FOCUS) allowed me to transition into Duke with great enthusiasm for the academic, social, and extra-curricular opportunities that were in store for me. It equipped... read more »
