Graduate Program in German Studies

Life at Duke and the Research Triangle

Founded in 1924, Duke University is recognized around the world as a major research university. The graduate faculty enjoy both national and international distinction. In a total enrollment of 12,100 at Duke, 2,200 are graduate students. As a matter of policy, the Graduate School is small enough to ensure that personal contact remains a central feature of its programs, and that fruitful interaction across disciplines is a common experience.

Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina, one of three city hubs in what is known as “the Triangle,” a metropolitan area of over 1,100,000 residents. To the southwest is Chapel Hill (twenty minutes) and to the east is the state capital, Raleigh (twenty-five minutes). The sunny climate and moderate cost of living attract many people to the Triangle, which has all the amenities of a larger urban environment. With its major universities and research institutes the area offers a dynamic and energetic social and cultural life. Outdoor recreation is possible all year, and beautiful national and state parks, hiking, and camping areas are in close proximity. In a little over three hours, you can also be on the North Carolina beaches to the east or in the Great Smoky Mountains to the west.

Within the well-known Research Triangle are Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University in Raleigh, and North Carolina Central University in Durham. Duke has reciprocal agreements with these institutions, enabling students to enroll in off-campus courses and receive Duke credit. Similarly, students from these schools may enroll in classes at Duke. This is but one way Duke graduate students may become acquainted with the larger educational community.