The Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences is one of seven graduate and professional schools at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. A secondary facility is maintained in the coastal town of Beaufort, North Carolina. The school provides educational opportunities for students at the doctoral level (Ph.D), graduate professional level (Master of Environmental Management and Master of Forestry), and undergraduate level (B.S. and A.B). It is composed of three research divisions: Coastal Systems Science and Policy, Earth and Ocean Sciences, and Environmental Sciences and Policy.
History
Nicholas School Shield
Environmental and earth sciences at Duke are almost as old as the university itself. The School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and the Marine Lab were both formed in 1938. Duke's Department of Geology was formed in 1936. The Nicholas School was founded in 1991 when Duke combined its School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and the Duke University Marine Laboratory. In 1997, the Department of Geology joined the Nicholas School as the Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences. Though the school was originally called the Duke School of Environment at its inception in 1991, it was named the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences in 2000 following a $20 million gift from Peter M. and Ginny Nicholas.
