Effective Date: Applies to on-campus professional master’s students entering Duke for the first time for graduate work in fall 2020 and after
Last Updated: 09/27/2023
Program: Concurrent Degree Programs
Overview
While the cost of attendance falls on the student, the Nicholas School of the Environment (NSOE) makes every effort to financially support MEM and MF students with its limited resources.
The on-campus Master of Environmental Management (MEM) or Master of Forestry (MF) degree takes four semesters to complete (excluding summer terms) and a minimum of 48 credits on the NSOE transcript. Most financial aid offered by NSOE, both merit and need-based, is offered for the first year with the intention of the same amounts continuing into the second year provided the student remains in good standing (and, if applicable, there are no significant improvements in the student’s financial need status).
Any student who enrolls as a concurrent degree student or who is considering adding a concurrent degree program will incur additional tuition costs.
Process
Concurrent degree students are required to submit the Concurrent Degree Survey and meet with the NSOE financial aid counselor prior to October 15 of their first year at Duke, regardless of where they begin their studies (Duke or UNC Chapel Hill) or in which degree program they enroll first.
Tuition and financial aid impacts vary depending on whether the additional degree program is pursued with another program at Duke or if it is at another university (e.g., UNC).
Pursuing a Concurrent Degree with another Duke School
Some NSOE students choose to pursue a concurrent degree with another professional school at Duke. Generally, each Duke school involved agrees to reduce, by the equivalent of one semester, the number of credits the student must earn towards that particular degree. This reduction in credits acknowledges the work the student is doing towards the other degree. That is, each Duke school reduces their time in degree and the standard tuition by the equivalent of one semester.
For the NSOE, the result is that a student is enrolled in the NSOE for the equivalent of three semesters: two semesters of full-time enrollment typically during their first year and then one additional semester spread out through the remaining terms of enrollment at Duke. If the concurrent degree student is offered Nicholas School-based aid (either merit or need), they will receive the equivalent of three semesters of school-based aid. Two semesters will be awarded during the student's full-year of enrollment in the Nicholas School; the third semester of aid will be applied to their third year even though they may be taking classes in both schools during the semester.
Pursuing a Concurrent Degree within the Nicholas School or with a Non-Duke School
Students pursuing the MEM concurrently with the MF are required to be enrolled full time in a minimum of five semesters and pay five semesters of tuition and fees; they will receive five semesters of any NSOE-based aid offered at the time of admission. Students pursuing the MEM or MF concurrently with a non-Duke program receive the equivalent of three semesters of financial aid during the three semesters they are “homed” at Duke: two semesters during their full year at NSOE and one additional semester, usually in their third year. However, both of these student populations must attend the scheduled meeting with the NSOE financial aid counselor and submit the Concurrent Degree Survey.