Concurrent Degrees

The most current information on all concurrent degree programs can be found at nicholas.duke.edu/academics/masters-programs/concurrent-degree-programs. In general, the Nicholas School works with the partner school to coordinate enrollments between the two schools. Students must apply to and be admitted by each school, and each school makes its own admission decisions. Typically, each school agrees to reduce by one semester the number of credits a student must earn, and the student agrees to tie the two degrees together so that the student may not earn one degree without the other.

Financial aid for concurrent degree students will be adjusted to take into account the reduction in required semesters of enrollment and credits needed. Students pursuing or interested in pursuing a concurrent degree should consult with the financial aid counselor for the Nicholas School for details particular to their specific concurrent degree program.

Master of Environmental Management and Master of Forestry

With careful planning of their curriculum, students can earn both the MEM and the MF degrees concurrently. The requirements for earning both degrees are as follows:

  • The student must qualify for either the MEM or MF degree by earning 48 graduate credits under the requirements outlined in the previous section.

  • For the second degree, the student must complete an additional 24 graduate credits of study that, in combination with courses taken for the first degree, meet the substance of the requirements for the second degree. Two additional semesters in residence are normally required, although, with careful planning, the student may complete both professional degrees in a total of five semesters.

  • One master’s project should combine the two areas of study.

Determination of eligibility for the degrees will be made on an individual basis and will consider the educational background and objectives of the student.

Master of Business Administration

Students interested in a professional degree in environment and business at Duke have two options: 1) the Master of Environmental Management (MEM) degree in the Business and the Environment Concentration of the Nicholas School or 2) concurrent Master of Environmental Management or Master of Forestry/Master of Business Administration degrees (MEM or MF + MBA) from the Nicholas School of the Environment and the Fuqua School of Business. At least three years of study are required to earn the combined degrees of Master of Environmental Management/Master of Business Administration or Master of Forestry/Master of Business Administration. At least 36 graduate credits within the Nicholas School, recorded on the Nicholas School transcript, are required to receive the MEM or MF degree. Students are also required to fulfill the MEM master’s project requirement by either reporting on an applied project or expanding on a project that they have already completed during their MBA degree. A typical program sequence would involve spending the first year in the Nicholas School followed by a year in the Fuqua School of Business and concluding with the final year of combined work in both schools.

These concurrent degrees stress analytical reasoning and management science, while providing the student with knowledge of current problems in the natural resources, energy systems, and sustainable business practices. The study of managerial, resource, and energy economics, organization theory and management, strategy and natural resource management, the legal environment, and the public policy aspects of resource industries form a substantial component of each degree.

Because of the academic demands of these degrees, those entering without the necessary analytical skills or life science background may be required to take additional work beyond that specified.

Students who wish to undertake both the Master of Environmental Management or Master of Forestry and Master of Business Administration degrees must apply and be admitted by both the Nicholas School and the Fuqua School of Business. Students electing to pursue the MEM or MF concurrently with the MBA must complete the requirements for both degrees before either degree will be awarded. For information on the Master of Business Administration degree, the prospective student should visit fuqua.duke.edu.

The concurrent MEM/MBA or MF/MBA is also an option at the Nicholas School and the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The application and admissions processes are completely separate; applicants must meet Nicholas School requirements as well as requirements stated by Kenan-Flagler. The sequence of enrollment between the two schools differs slightly as well. Students considering pursuing the concurrent MEM/MBA at UNC should consult with a member of the Student Services team for additional details.

Detailed information on the MEM/MBA Program and requirements can be found at nicholas.duke.edu/academics/masters-programs/concurrent-degree-programs.

Master of Public Policy

Students interested in a professional degree in environmental policy at Duke have three options: 1) the Master of Environmental Management (MEM) degree in the Environmental Economics and Policy Concentration of the Nicholas School; 2) a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree from the Sanford School of Public Policy; or 3) concurrent MEM/MPP (or MF/MPP) degrees from the Nicholas School and the Sanford School. Doctoral candidates in the Nicholas School are also eligible to undertake the Master of Public Policy.

The concurrent MEM (or MF)/MPP degree provides training in the politics and economics of resource and environmental policymaking. Emphasis is placed on understanding the social and political forces involved, developing facilities with quantitative and logical methods of forecasting, and evaluating policy consequences. Knowledge of the uses and limitations of policy analysis and an awareness of the ethical dimensions of policy choice are also stressed.

The concurrent degree takes three years to complete. Typically, the first year is devoted to study in the Sanford School of Public Policy, the second year is spent in the Nicholas School of the Environment and the third year combines work in both the Nicholas School and the Sanford School. At least 36 graduate credits within the Nicholas School, as recorded on the Nicholas School transcript, are required to earn the MEM or MF degree. A summer internship with a resource or environmental agency, or with a related legislative, judicial, or interest group, is required for the policy degree. Students in this concurrent degree program have the option of doing two separate master’s projects (MP), or one combined MP. Concurrent degree students working in a group MP in the Nicholas School must choose the two-MP option. Students electing to pursue the MEM (or MF) concurrently with the MPP must complete the requirements for both degrees before either degree will be awarded.

Students must apply to and be accepted by both the Nicholas School of the Environment and the Sanford School of Public Policy. For detailed information on the public policy degree, write to the Director of Graduate Studies, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Box 90243, Durham, NC 27708-0243, or visit the Sanford School of Public Policy website at sanford.duke.edu.

Juris Doctor in Environmental Law

Environmental and natural resource issues increasingly require legal and regulatory knowledge for resolution. There is a growing demand for resource managers and scientists who have legal credentials; similarly, attorneys are facing more situations in which knowledge of natural resources and the environmental sciences is critical to the resolution of disputes. To satisfy these demands, the Nicholas School of the Environment and the Duke University School of Law have developed a cooperative arrangement to allow the pursuit of concurrent Master of Environmental Management (or Master of Forestry) and Juris Doctor degrees.

For students in the concurrent MEM (or MF)/JD Program, the Nicholas School requires 36 graduate credits, including a master’s project. The School of Law requires 84 graduate credits in law, 12 graduate credits of which may be satisfied through courses taken in the Nicholas School.

Typically, a student will complete the first year of study at the Duke Law School and the second in the Nicholas School. During the third and fourth years, the student will take a combination of courses in both schools. Students electing to pursue the MEM concurrently with the JD must complete requirements for both degrees before either degree will be awarded.

MEM/JD candidates must apply to and be accepted by both the Nicholas School of the Environment and the Duke Law School. For information on the law degree, prospective students should write to the Duke University School of Law, Admissions Office, Duke University, Box 90393, Durham, NC 27708-0393, law.duke.edu.

Master of Arts in Teaching

Over the past several decades, international concern for protecting ecosystems has led to an increased need to educate citizens on the challenges facing the environment. Numerous education programs are now aimed at K-12 students as well as the general population. Environmental education is of increasing importance to those who prepare to teach, particularly in the sciences. Duke’s concurrent degree program between the Nicholas School of the Environment and The Graduate School allows students to meet this challenge by earning a Master of Environmental Management (MEM) and a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree.

In this concurrent degree program, to earn the MEM degree students must complete 36.0 course credits in the Nicholas School, including a master’s project. For the MAT degree, students will complete 30.0 course credits, including a full-year teaching internship and all requirements for the North Carolina teaching licensure in comprehensive science at the high school level. Competencies required by the state will be met through undergraduate courses taken prior to admission to Duke, science courses taken as part of the MAT, or courses taken as part of the MEM

Students will normally enroll in the MAT Program during the summer and then complete an academic year of student teaching and MAT coursework prior to enrolling in the MEM Program for three semesters. Students electing to pursue the MEM concurrently with the MAT must complete requirements for both degrees before either degree will be awarded.

Students must apply to and be accepted by both the Nicholas School of the Environment and The Graduate School of Duke University, citing the Master of Arts in Teaching Program. Students admitted to the MAT Program in comprehensive science must hold an undergraduate degree in one of the natural sciences with significant undergraduate preparation in biology and chemistry. Organic chemistry is required.

Questions concerning the MAT degree should be addressed to the Director of the Master of Arts in Teaching Program, (919) 684-4353, educationprogram.duke.edu/MAT.

Master of Engineering Management

Duke’s concurrent degree program between the Nicholas School of the Environment and the Pratt School of Engineering provides a broad perspective to blend the Master of Engineering Management (MEMP) students’ engineering backgrounds and the Master of Environmental Management (or Master of Forestry) students’ training in natural and social environmental sciences, resulting in graduates with a strong mix of technical and contextual knowledge and tools well suited to careers in several environmental sectors, particularly energy and environment, environmental health, and water resources. Students wishing to pursue the MEM in a concurrent arrangement with the MEMP should plan on two to three years of study.

Students must complete 36 graduate credits in the Nicholas School, including a master’s project. An additional 24 graduate credits must be taken in the Pratt School of Engineering, including a required summer internship.

Prior to enrolling in the fall, students fulfill their required engineering internship in the summer preceding the fall term. During the first year, courses are split evenly between engineering and environment with an emphasis on core engineering courses. The second year includes elective credits in the Pratt School of Engineering and key core courses in the Nicholas School. During the third year, students will complete their master’s projects for the Nicholas School; they may be able to finish in one additional semester or may require the full year to complete the remaining credits and the master’s project.

Students must apply to and be accepted by both the Nicholas School of the Environment and the Pratt School of Engineering. Students electing to pursue the MEM or MF concurrently with the MEMP must complete requirements for both degrees before either degree will be awarded. Questions concerning the MEMP should be addressed to the Master of Engineering Management Program, Phone: (919) 660-5455; pratt.duke.edu/grad/masters.

Master of City and Regional Planning

The Master of Environmental Management & Master of City and Regional Planning (MEM/MCRP) dual degree program between the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke and the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill provides this knowledge, along with the technical and analytical skills needed to become a leader in urban sustainability, resilience, and environmental stewardship. Individuals with expertise in environmental policy and finance, renewable energy, environmental health, or urban ecology, as well as urban planning and design, will be especially competitive in the emerging job market. MEM/MCRP graduates will find employment in the public and private sectors and nongovernmental organizations, and the dual degree will open employment options at the local (municipal) and regional levels.

MEM/MCRP students must fulfill the core course requirements for each program and will earn separate degrees. The MEM requires at least 36 graduate credits, while the MCRP requires at least 42 graduate credits, allowing MEM-MCRP students to complete both degrees in three years (six full-time semesters).

The MEM and MCRP programs each require a capstone Master’s Project (MP) 

  • Students may fulfill their Nicholas School MP requirement by (1) completing a separate individual or group MP, or (2) reporting out and expanding on an applied project such as an independent study or a class project that they may have already completed as part of their MCRP studies by diving deeper into a related environmental component. 

  • Students fulfill their MCRP MP requirement by completing a final project of professional quality on a topic in their area of specialization. This is an independent project and students must complete it in their last semester in the program. Students may expand on work they have already completed as part of their MEM requirements by carving out an independent portion if the MEM project was a group project and by diving deeper into the Urban Planning component of the project.

Prospective MEM/MCRP students apply separately to each institution, with admission to one program not guaranteeing acceptance into the other. The MEM/MCRP program requires three continuous years of full-time study and leads to a Master of Environmental Management degree conferred by Duke, and a Master of City and Regional Planning degree conferred by UNC Chapel Hill. Students must complete requirements for both degrees before either degree will be awarded.

Students may begin at either Duke or UNC Chapel Hill and spend a full year as well as one semester of their third and final year in each program.

Concurrent Degrees with Other Universities

With the special permission of the education committee and the dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment, students are permitted, on an individual basis, to establish concurrent degree programs with certified graduate degree programs either within or outside of Duke University. In the past, students have designed such programs with law schools, business schools, and graduate engineering programs. As with the other concurrent degrees, the student must be enrolled in the Master of Environmental Management or Master of Forestry degree program for at least 36 graduate credits and be in residence for three semesters.

To receive permission to pursue a specially designed concurrent degree, the student must show an official acceptance from another certified graduate degree program. For additional information concerning special concurrent degrees, applicants should consult the Nicholas School Office of Student Services.