Why the Nicholas School?
The Nicholas School Edge
Environmental problems are global and interdisciplinary in nature. The health of one forest, the integrity of a single barrier beach, are not just isolated problems. They signify processes that have shaped the evolution of our world -- and which define its future. Environmental stewards who wisely guide Earth's resources must be, in turn, inclusive, multi-disciplinary thinkers. Workable solutions to ecological issues require critical expertise driven by a broad perspective - professionals who are comfortable with scientific research and effective at public policy, and who can speak the language of the regulator and the economist. Unique among American universities, the Nicholas School of the Environment builds such expertise in its students. Located in the heart of the Duke University campus, the school functions as an environmental forum, an intellectual hub drawing input from all top notch disciplines at Duke - law, economics, medicine, science, engineering. The goal - to develop critical and creative thinkers and doers who will shape tomorrow's Earth. The Nicholas School is global, empirical, ethical. It is about our world - today and tomorrow.
No other university - and no other environmental school -- takes such a broad approach to environmental science and policy. The Nicholas School emphasizes a systems perspective. Science, economics, policy, decision-making, and risk analyses are the real-world tools students are taught to employ when examining critical global issues. Here, courses on "barrier island ecology" and the "estuarine environment" combine with others on "tourism and local development," "environmental conflict resolution" or "evaluation of public expenditures," to provide the blend of science and policy needed to solve contemporary problems. Rigorous academic study is complemented by unique access to natural ecological laboratories - the 8,000-acre Duke Forest in Durham and the year-round Duke University Marine Laboratory on the edge of the Atlantic - as well as resources available at three nearby universities and at Research Triangle Park, home of several federal environmental agencies. A high priority is placed on career development. The Nicholas School has produced alumni who are leaders in conservation management, industry, government, environmental consulting, and academia. We educate environmental problem-solvers who are as poised in a corporate boardroom as they are at home in nature.
We hope that as you review information contained in these Web pages, you will gain an understanding of the pivotal role the Nicholas School plays in working on critical environmental problems. We invite you to ask questions, we invite you apply and we hope you will join us!
