Fuqua (Duke) Ph.D. Program Guide

Question

I am starting the Ph.D. guide series to get you everything about Ph.D. programs at one place. As a matter of accuracy and authenticity, I will use only the school’s official website for any kind of information. This thread will help members at GMAT Club in getting unified information, instead of juggling multiple websites online.

Table of Content

1. Introduction
2. Academic Experience
3. Program Requirements
4. Fields of Study
5. Admissions
6. Required Documents and Information
7. Important Reminders
8. Applying for Readmission
9. Application Review Process
10. Graduate admission FAQs
11. Financial Aid
12. How to Submit Your Decision
13. Deferring Your Enrollment
14. Official Transcripts and Degree Confirmation
15. Apply for a Visa
16. Housing
17. Cost and Finances
18. Guaranteed Funding Package
19. Types of Financial Support
20. Financial Aid FAQs
21. Tell Duke What you need
22. Students with Children
23. Professional Development
24. Fuqua Business Ph.D. Stats

Introduction

Fuqua's PhD Program in Business Administration prepares candidates for research and teaching careers at leading educational institutions and for careers where advanced research and analytical capabilities are needed.

At Fuqua, you'll develop close working relationships with leading scholars in your field in a stimulating and collaborative learning environment. Fuqua encourages strong collaborations between students and faculty, both within their academic area and across different areas, in order to foster the groundbreaking interdisciplinary research, Fuqua is known for.

Academic Experience

Fuqua PhD program focuses on three critical development areas to prepare you for your career:

Independent inquiry
Competence in research methodology
Communication of research results

From the start, you'll be introduced to rigorous coursework and the research activities across the faculty and your PhD student peers.

Fuqua Ph.D. Faculty
In Fuqua PhD degree program, you'll work with the world-renowned faculty who are recognized for excellence in both teaching and research, and for their accessibility across degree programs.

Program Requirements

The PhD in Business Administration is a degree of the Graduate School of Duke University and follows the degree requirements set by Duke's Graduate School. In general, the PhD program requires an average of 5 years to complete. After you and a faculty member in your academic area determine your specific study program, according to your interests and goals, you'll be required to:

Gain expertise in your area of special interest through your coursework and independent study
Complete a preliminary qualifying exam in this area of study by the third year of residence, or earlier
Defend your dissertation successfully

How to Apply
The application deadline is December 15. Admission is based on both merit and on a competitive basis. On average, each academic area matriculates 2-3 students each year. The acceptance rate ranges between 2% and 8% across the areas.

Fields of Study

Fuqua has following seven fields of study to research

Accounting
Decision Sciences
Finance
Management and Organizations
Marketing
Operations Management
Strategy

Accounting
The Accounting PhD program is designed to produce great scholars and educators by providing a solid foundation in both the theoretical and empirical tools of accounting research. Your program of study will be personalized to leverage your background and research interests.

Through coursework, research seminars, and individual original research, you’ll demonstrate your mastery of accounting through summer papers and your dissertation. The Accounting faculty will both supervise your individual research project and engage in collaborative co-authored research.

Decision Sciences
The Ph.D. program in Decision Sciences at Fuqua prepares students to pursue cutting-edge research under mentorship of the faculty. The training and research themes in Fuqua’s Ph.D. program are comparable to that of top Ph.D. programs in operations research and management science with a strong methodological and rigorous component. The Decision Sciences Ph.D. program is primarily intended to prepare graduates for academic research careers, though positions in industry are also a possibility. Prospective Ph.D. students with strong mathematics background and a desire for theoretical research in areas of decision sciences and operations research are encouraged to apply.

Finance
Fuqua’s Finance PhD program is rigorous, technical, and specifically designed for students who aspire to become faculty members at leading universities and to contribute to the research in the field at these institutions. The program provides you with the tools and techniques to push the frontiers of research in financial economics.

A unique aspect of the Fuqua Finance program is how closely the faculty work with you from the very start. The Finance team is a small group, only admitting 3 to 4 students each year, which enables ongoing faculty input for each student. Those who complete the program will receive a PhD in Business Administration with a Finance focus.

Management and Organizations
The Management and Organizations Area focus on research in the management of organizations in an increasingly diverse and interdependent world. Fuqua aims to understand multiple aspects of organizations, such as interpersonal perceptions, motivation, decision making, perceptions of fairness, diversity, leadership, and team processes. Fuqua draws on multiple literatures and theoretical perspectives, including organizational behavior, social psychology, and cognitive psychology.

Research at Fuqua contributes to the development of the scholarly disciplines, infuses teaching, and advances management practice. The Management and Organizations PhD program trains you in the pursuit of original research in the field, with the goal of providing you with skills and tools for conducting scholarly research.

Marketing
Marketing is the process by which demands for products, services, and ideas are anticipated, managed, and satisfied. There are three major facets of marketing examined in PhD program at Fuqua:

Examination of factors affecting the structure and efficiency of markets and firm profitability within markets, often using economic theory
Study of managerial and strategic issues in marketing, using diverse methods to examine marketing decisions and how such decisions can be improved
Understanding the factors affecting buyer/consumer behavior, often using psychological approaches

The objective is to provide PhD students with exceptional training that enables them to have successful research and teaching careers in any of these areas. This is accomplished by having students take courses selected to meet their individual needs and interests, work with faculty members on joint research beginning early in their program, and develop their own original research projects culminating in a dissertation. Students also assist faculty in teaching marketing courses to gain some teaching experience.

Operations Management
Operations Management concerns the processes used to produce goods and services. It includes the problems faced in managing a single firm, but also those entailed in coordinating the activities of several organizations. Examples of research topics in Operations Management include operations strategy, supply chain design and control, inventory management, production scheduling, service operations, industrial contracting, dynamic pricing, behavioral operations, and supply chain sustainability issues.

Fuqua is one of the top-ranked business research institutions in the world, and the main purpose of the doctoral program in Operations Management is to train individuals in the pursuit of original research in the field. Although the program is primarily designed to prepare for academic careers, some of the graduates choose consulting or other industry positions. Fuqua’s goals are to provide the necessary skills and tools for conducting scholarly research and to instill and cultivate the desire and ability to think conceptually, carefully and creatively about operations issues.

Strategy
The Fuqua Strategy PhD program trains students to do independent research on firm strategy, with an emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship. All students receive rigorous theoretical and empirical training through coursework, including in economics, statistics, public policy, and computer science, at Fuqua as well as at other graduate schools within the University.

A core thesis of the program is to train the next generation of scholars requires hands-on mentorship. You will begin working on collaborative research with faculty in your first year, within the framework of a multi-year apprenticeship model.

Over the five years it typically takes to complete the program, you are expected to fulfill the following requirements:

Successfully complete coursework that develops your theoretical and empirical skills, including in microeconomics, econometrics as well as various advanced methods.
Successfully complete coursework in several topical areas including firm strategy, the economics of innovation, entrepreneurship, and organizational theory.
Attend and participate in the Strategy Area’s seminar series, where leading scholars from around the world present their latest research.
Complete and successfully defend to the strategy area faculty:
- A second year paper co-authored with a faculty member and presented to Strategy Area faculty. This paper will likely still be work-in-progress.
- A third year paper, which is typically a more advanced version of the second-year paper, but is judged to be of publishable quality. A defense of this paper constitutes the comprehensive examination that will determine advancement to candidacy.
- An independent research project that culminates in a dissertation proposal (year 4) which constitutes a contract specifying the required work for the final dissertation.
- A dissertation (year 5) and job market paper, which serves as the final requirement to complete the Strategy PhD program.

Admissions

Finding the right fit is important—for you, and for Fuqua—so the admissions process for each of programs is designed to ensure that students and faculty learn about each other. Fuqua invests in your success even before you’re a student, helping you identify the program that’s right for you and supporting you throughout your application.

Application
Applicants must hold either a US bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a regionally accredited institution. If the degree was granted by an institution outside of the US, the institution must be accredited by the governing educational body of the country (such as the ministry of education). Fuqua recommends that candidates who did not receive a 4-year bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university have their credentials evaluated by a third-party service, such as WES, ECE. This evaluation will confirm if your degree is equivalent to a US 4-year bachelor's degree.

Note: If you plan to apply to more than one program, DO NOT open multiple applications in the same browser. Your application data could be corrupted. If you want to work on two different applications, please close out of one before you open the other, or have them open in different web browsers.

Apply
The nonrefundable application fee is $105 (payable by Visa or Mastercard).

Required Documents and Information

Transcripts
Letters of recommendation
Statement of purpose
Life Experiences Statement
Resume
GRE scores
English language proficiency test scores (if English is not your first language)
GPA
Supplemental application requirements

As part of your online application, you must upload a Life Experiences Statement. The statement should be no more than one (1) page single spaced.

How This Differs from the Statement of Purpose
While the Statement of Purpose focuses on your academic and professional goals, research interests, and reasons for applying to Duke, the Life Experiences Statement is designed to provide insight into your personal background and the unique experiences that have shaped who you are. This statement should highlight how your life experiences contribute to your identity, how you plan to leverage them within Duke’s academic community, and expand on any perspectives and experiences.

Life Experiences Statement Prompt
Please provide a brief statement that highlights the unique life experiences that have shaped your personal and professional identity and prepared you for graduate work. Share how these experiences have influenced your perspectives and your vision for leveraging them to contribute to Duke’s academic community.

Tips for Writing Your Life Experiences Statement

Be Authentic: Share genuine experiences that have significantly impacted your life.
Reflection: Discuss how your background and experiences contribute to a welcoming and inclusive community.
Resilience: Highlight any challenges you’ve faced and how you’ve overcome them.
Engage with the Community: Explain how you plan to engage with and contribute to Duke’s academic and social community.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)
As part of your online application, you must upload a resume or curriculum vitae (CV). This document should summarize your education, academic achievements, work history, and professional accomplishments. It may also include a list of skills, publications, research experiences, and other credentials that demonstrate your preparedness for graduate study.

TOEFL or IELTS
If your first language is not English, you must submit scores from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the academic modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Duolingo English Test with sub-scores.

Minimum Score
The Graduate School generally seeks scores no less than:

577 for paper-based TOEFL
90 for an Internet-based TOEFL*
7.0 for the IELTS Academic
125 for the Duolingo English Test

Note: The average scores of the admitted students are above these levels.

Be sure to alert Fuqua if the name on your application is different from the name on your score report. You do not need to notify the school about minor differences in spacing or hyphenation (such as "Juan Carlos" vs. "JuanCarlos" or "Jane Henry Doe" vs. "Jane Henry-Doe").

TOEFL
Ask Educational Testing Service to report scores to the Duke University Graduate School. Use institution code 5156. ETS will require you to select a department code. It does not matter which department code you choose. The Graduate School will receive the scores as long as you choose institution code 5156.

*For exams taken before January 21, 2026, program generally seek scores no less than a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 90. For exams taken on or after January 21, 2026, no less than a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 5.

IELTS
The Duke University Graduate School is registered to receive electronic IELTS scores using the IELTS Results Service E-Delivery. Please send scores via e-delivery by selecting the "Duke University Graduate School" option.

Duke University Graduate School Graduate Office of Admission
2127 Campus Drive
Durham, NC 27708
USA.

Duolingo English Test
There is no institutional code for Duolingo, but applicants will need to select “Duke University Graduate Programs type level as the institution to send scores to. Please Note: Make sure to include sub-scores when you select your institution. Score reports without sub-scores will not be accepted.

Score Requirements

Your score must not be more than two years old from August 1 of the application year. For example, if you submit your application between August 2026 and May 2027 to apply for Fall 2027 admission, your score report must be dated August 1, 2024 or later, regardless of when you submit your application during that period.
Fuqua does not accept personal copies, attested copies, or notarized copies of test scores.

Additional Language Requirements for International Students
All admitted international students whose first language is not English are required to take placement exams conducted by the English Language Support Program at the beginning of the term of matriculation, even if the TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo English Test requirement is waived.

TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo English Test Waiver Policy
To be eligible for a TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo English Test waiver, you must have studied fulltime for two years or more at a college or university where the sole language of instruction is English and, in a country, where English is the primary spoken language. The two years of study must be completed prior to the start of the program.

If you believe you qualify for a TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo English Test waiver based on the above criteria, indicate your eligibility in the Additional Academic Information section of the application under the Test Score Instructions for the TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo English Test exam. Due to the volume of applications the program receives, It is not possible to examine, confirm the status of, or grant any waiver requests prior to extending an offer of admission.

Verification of Application Data
The data you enter in the online application, including the contents of all attachments, is subject to verification. It is your responsibility to ensure that all the information provided in the application is accurate.

Per Graduate School policy, the graduate admissions staff is required to verify the application credentials of any student who receives and accepts an admission offer. This verification process includes contacting educational institutions to verify degrees earned. U.S. degrees are verified by the National Student Clearinghouse. Chinese degrees are verified by the Chinese Higher Education Student Information and Career Center (CHESICC). Degrees from countries outside of the U.S. and China are verified by a third-party vendor, Re Vera Services. U.S. and Chinese degrees that cannot be verified through the National Student Clearinghouse or the CHESICC will also be verified by Re Vera. Incoming students will not be charged for these degree verification services.

Duke University reserves the right to withdraw an offer of admission or to terminate enrollment if there is any discrepancy between the submitted application data and the subsequently verified data. You are required to notify The Graduate School immediately and in writing of any new charge, violation, or suspension filed against you after application submission but prior to enrollment. Your failure to do so may be grounds to deny or withdraw your admission or to dismiss you after enrollment.

Important Reminders

Be sure that your full name, as given on your application, appears on all documents submitted on your behalf (e.g., GRE scores, letters of recommendation). Please call attention to variations of your name that might appear on submitted materials.
Submit all application materials electronically. Do not send materials by mail unless the program asks that you do so.
To prevent application processing delays, do not send required application materials to the department to which you are applying, unless the department specifically requests that you do so.
Do not submit extra or unnecessary documents, such as secondary-school records, awards/certificates/commendations that are not strictly academic credentials as stated in our requirements, or letters of recommendation beyond the required three. Excessive amounts of unnecessary information can actually hurt your chances of admission.
The graduate admissions office does not alter submitted applications. If you would like to add an updated CV listing new awards, appointments, or publications, you can do so from your applicant portal.
Applicants holding Ph.D. degrees or their equivalent are generally not eligible for admission to Duke University for a second Ph.D. The dean of The Graduate School will consider exceptions only if the department or program demonstrates that the proposed field of study is unrelated to the field of the first Ph.D., and that the educational experience afforded by the proposed doctoral field is essential for the applicant’s long-term research objectives. Please note that applicants who have not yet had the opportunity to benefit from a doctoral education will be prioritized in the admissions and financial aid process.

Applying for Readmission

Students who have discontinued study in a Duke graduate degree program and who wish to be readmitted must follow the instructions below.

If you discontinued study prior to completing a Duke graduate degree program and wish to reenroll, you must submit a written request to The Graduate School. Your request should include an explanation and should be e-mailed to John Klingensmith, associate dean for academic affairs, at [email protected].

If you discontinued study after earning a master’s degree and wish to pursue a doctoral degree, you must submit a new application for the doctoral program.

Application Review Process

Who Reviews Your Application
After you submit your online application, it will be made available to your department of interest within one to two business days. The actual in-depth review of your file is conducted by graduate faculty, usually an admissions committee headed by the director of graduate studies.

How Your Application is Reviewed
All applications are reviewed with respect to openings in the department and the strength of other applicants. Attention is given to every aspect of an application, with an attempt made to evaluate past achievement as well as scholarly potential. Academic records, letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and your statement of purpose are all taken into consideration.

Admission to the Duke University Graduate School is a competitive process, and your chances of being admitted will differ from year to year depending on the strength of the applicant pool. In recent years, approximately one in five applicants has been offered admission; however, admission rates vary significantly by department.

When You will be notified
Application review schedules vary significantly by department. Decisions about fall admission are generally made by February and March. Most decisions about spring admission will be made by early November. Questions about the timetable for decisions or the reasoning behind those decisions should be addressed directly to the department to which you applied.

How Fuqua Notifies You of the Decision
All applicants are notified of admission decisions via e-mail (Fuqua does not mail paper copies of notifications). The notification e-mail will provide instructions for accessing the online decision letter. Only the Dean has the authority to extend offers of admission. An email or phone call from a graduate department stating that you have been recommended for admission does not constitute a formal offer of admission.

If You Are Accepted
If you are offered admission, unless otherwise indicated, you must notify The Graduate School of your enrollment through your applicant portal within 15 days of your receipt of the admission letter. Applicants for Fall enrollment have until April 15, to accept their offer if admitted before April 1. If the program does not hear back from you by then, It will assume that you have declined the offer of admission, and your application record will be withdrawn.
Instructions on how to submit your decision

Application Status
After submitting your online application, you can check the status of your application materials via your Applicant Portal. You should log in to this system periodically to ensure that all required application materials have been received. Incomplete applications will either not be considered or will be rejected on the basis of incompleteness.

Graduate admission FAQs

Click here for graduate admission FAQs

Financial Aid

Upon receiving your admission offer, you will be able to review your financial aid package from Duke. You can see this information under the Financial Aid tab in the Applicant Self-Service portal. Questions about financial aid should be directed to [email protected].

First-Year Ph.D. Stipend Schedule
In their first year, Ph.D. students entering in the fall will receive their stipend in equal monthly installments starting at the end of August. In subsequent academic years, students get their first stipend payment at the end of September.

This means the annual stipend is split over an extra month in the first year than in subsequent years. This is done to allow incoming students to start getting their stipend a month earlier so that they have funds on hand to help with expenses associated with relocating to Durham.

For students entering in the fall term who are receiving 12-month stipends from their departments, this applies to their stipend payments from August of the current year through August of the following year. Starting in the fall of their second year, students’ stipend schedule will start in September rather than August, so their monthly stipend amount will be higher.

Notifying The Graduate School of Your Decision
After you receive your admission offer, you must notify The Graduate School of your enrollment decision following the steps below. This is required even if you have already notified your department, and you are not officially enrolled until you do this.

How to Submit Your Decision

Submit your decision through your Applicant Portal.
If you accept the offer of admission, the admissions office will send you an e-mail requesting that you have your official transcripts sent to The Graduate School. International students needing visas will also receive an e-mail on how to begin the visa process. You will not receive an information packet in the mail from The Graduate School.

Note: Your admission offer is only for the semester and program specified in the admission letter. Requests for deferral are rarely approved by The Graduate School. Valid reasons for a deferral include serious health issues, visa issues which are beyond the student's control, or military service. If you wish to defer your admission, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies of the program or department to which you applied.

Deferring Your Enrollment

Accepting an admission offer to The Graduate School (TGS) is for a specific semester and year. You may, with the permission of your admitting program and TGS, defer your enrollment for up to one year from the semester stated in your admission letter. Deferral requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and only students who have experienced one of the following circumstances are eligible. Note that not all requests are approved.

Personal medical emergencies
Military deployment
Visa application delays

Deferral Request Process
To officially request a deferral, follow the steps and timelines below.

Accept your offer of admission through the Slate Status Portal if you have not already done so. Your deferral request will only be considered after you have accepted your offer of admission.
Email your department directly with your request and provide a summary of your situation.
Your department will review your request and submit it to TGS on your behalf.
A final decision on your request will be emailed to you by TGS. Final decisions are typically distributed within two weeks of a department request.

Please note that if your deferral request is approved, it is a final decision. You will not be able to reactivate your original start date.

Official Transcripts and Degree Confirmation

After you have been admitted, you must submit official transcripts from each institution listed in your application. You do not have to provide separate official transcripts from study abroad institutions, as long as the study abroad credits appear on the official transcript from your home educational institution.

The final transcript should show all work completed and the conferral date of the degree. This also serves as your degree confirmation. When you request a final transcript from your institution, verify that the transcript states the date that the degree was conferred or awarded. It is very important to verify this, as there is often a delay between the date of graduation and the date of degree conferral. Your official transcript must be in an envelope sealed by your school for it to be recognized as official by the Graduate School. Official documents sent to The Graduate School will not be returned.
If your transcripts cannot be sent due to valid extenuating circumstances, please contact the graduate admissions office at [email protected] or (919) 684-3913.

How to Submit
Request that each institution you have attended send Fuqua a final transcript. Electronic transcripts sent directly from the educational institution are considered official and should be sent to [email protected].

Paper transcripts should be mailed to
Duke University Graduate School
Office of Admissions
2127 Campus Drive, Box 90065
Durham, NC 27708

IMPORTANT: If you received your diploma or degree from a Chinese institution, Fuqua also needs the China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center (CHESICC) degree verification report.

If Your Final Transcript Is Not Yet Available
If you completed your degree very recently or are still enrolled in a degree program, your final, official transcript may not be available until as late as August. If this is the case, DO NOT wait until June, July, or August to have your official transcript sent to school. Instead, request that your educational institution send your most up-to-date transcript as soon as possible. Once the final transcript with the degree conferral date becomes available, request that it be sent as well.

If Your Transcript Is in a Language Other Than English
If the transcript is not in English, the school needs both the transcript in its original language and an English translation of the transcript. If your institution does not issue documents in English, you must have the transcripts translated by a professional translation service. Self-translations and notarized translations will not be accepted.

If You Only Have One Official Transcript
Some international schools issue only one official transcript. If this is the case for the school(s) you attended, DO NOT send this document to Fuqua, because no materials submitted in support of an application will be returned to you. Instead, send an exact copy that has been stamped as a “Certified True Copy” by the appropriate institutional official of each institution that you attended. Uncertified copies are not acceptable.

If Your Transcript Does Not Show a Degree Conferral Date
If the date of degree conferral is not included in the final transcript, still ask the institution to send a complete transcript that includes your final grades. You must then send the graduate admissions office a certified, true copy of the diploma or certificate of degree completion showing the date the degree was conferred. Uncertified copies will not be accepted.

(IMPORTANT: If you received your diploma or degree from a Chinese institution, The school only needs the final transcript and the CHESICC degree verification report. The school does not need a copy of the diploma or the degree certificate.)

If the diploma or degree is not in English, you must provide both an English translation and the diploma or degree in its original language. Most university officials will provide English translations if asked to do so; therefore, Fuqua strongly encourages you to work with your university to obtain a translation.

If you are absolutely unable to obtain an English translation from the institution, you must obtain one from a professional translation service. Self-translations and notarized translations will not be accepted.

Apply for a Visa

If you are an international student and expect that you will need either the I-20 form (for the F-1 student visa) or the DS-2019 form (for the J-1 exchange visitor visa), follow the steps below. You will not be able to enroll at Duke until you have done so.

Accept the offer of admission via your applicant portal.
After your enrollment decision is submitted and processed, the graduate admissions office will e-mail you the username and password needed to access the Request for Temporary Visa Form, Part II, as well as instructions for how to complete the form. Submit the completed form, along with all required documentation, to the graduate admissions office.
In addition to completing the form, you must provide verification of adequate financial resources to cover the cost of studying at Duke and living in Durham. Instructions for submitting visa documents are printed on the form.

US government regulations require that the school retains original documents confirming verification of funds; therefore, any original bank statements or scholarship/award letters will not be returned to a student for any reason (It is recommended that you request duplicates of these documents at the time of issuance).

Once all documents are received in good order, the visa eligibility form will be sent to you by the Visa Services Office. Only one form will be issued per student. Any unused form must be returned to The Graduate School’s Admissions Office.

Note! You must have visa documents, a passport, and a visa stamp to enter the U.S. While it may be cheaper to book your travel far in advance, you are taking a big risk. If you do not have a visa stamp, you cannot travel, and you may lose money canceling and rebooking. Fuqua strongly recommends that you wait until you have the visa stamp in your passport before you book your travel.

Important Note for International Students Currently Studying in the US
If you are currently in the United States on a student visa, you must transfer your visa from your current school to Duke. After completing the visa request form and submitting it to the Duke University Graduate School, contact the appropriate office at your school and request that your record be transferred to Duke.

Housing

It is the responsibility of the student to obtain housing. There is a limited amount of on-campus housing for graduate and professional school students offered through the Duke Housing and Residence Life office. Assignment priority will be given to graduate or professional students on student visa status. Please visit Duke HRL's website for more information about on-campus housing.

Most graduate and professional students rent off-campus housing from private landlords in Durham.

Guaranteed Funding
The Graduate School provides a competitive package that provides Ph.D. students with financial support for at least a majority of the time they are registered and working toward their degree. This support includes four main components: a stipend, tuition coverage, fees coverage, and coverage of health insurance premiums.

Generally speaking, The Graduate School guarantees Ph.D. students five years of stipend, tuition, and fees support, plus six years of full coverage for health and dental insurance premiums.

Cost and Finances

Departments with Ph.D. programs vary in the financial support they provide beyond the guaranteed funding package. Fuqua strongly encourages prospective and current students to talk to their program’s director of graduate studies to get a clear understanding of the financial support they can expect from the department as they plan their budget for their time in graduate school. Below the given table shows who's paying for what in which year to help students plan their finances during graduate school. Each component of the Ph.D. financial support package is explained in detail below.

NOTE: All numbers below require annual approval by the Board of Trustees.
Provides prior and current academic year tuition, stipend, and fee rates.

Rates	Actual	Actual
	2025-2026	2026-2027
Tuition
Ph.D. Students (per semester - Yrs 1-3 AY)	33,862	34,940
Ph.D. Students (per semester - Yrs 4+ AY, All Students summer)	4,680	4,830
Fees
Transcript Fee (charged first term)	120.00	120.00
Student Recreation Fee (charged fall and spring)	194.50	204.00
Activity Fee (charged fall and spring)	19.00	20.00
Student Services Fee (charged fall and spring)	12.50	14.00
Health Fee (charged fall and spring)	503.50	523.50
Health Fee (charged summer)	374.00	400.00
Graduate Audit Fee (charged per audited course)	535.00	535.00
Other
Tuition Remission Rate** - effective 9/1 each year	33.8%	34.0%
Ph.D. Student Fringe Benefit Rates - effective 7/1 each year	10.1%	11.7%
Duke Student Medical Insurance	3,751.56	4,290.00
Duke Student Dental Insurance	353.00	383.00
Recommended Stipends for Ph.D. Students
(All Position Types)
The stipend rates listed below are the amounts recommended by The Graduate School. Funding sources for the commitment vary depending on each program’s available resources.
First-year matriculants (Stipend starts in August)
Academic Year - 10 Months, August to May	31,875	32,831.40
Per month - 10 Months, August to May	3,187.50	3,283.14
Full Year Total - 13 Months, August to August*	42,500	43,775.16
Per month - 13 Months, August to August*	3269.23	3,367.32
Year 2 and Beyond (EFFECTIVE AY 26-27 STIPEND RATE STARTS IN AUGUST)
Full Year Total - 12 Months, August to July* starting AY 26-27	42,500	43,775.16
Per Month	3,541.67	3,647.93
Teaching Assistantships***
Teaching Assistant (Instructor per-course rate)	6,100	6,100
Teaching Assistant (Grader per-course rate)	3,050	3,050
TGS Summer Research Fellowships
Summer Term - 3 Months June to August*	10,625.01	10,943.79
Per Month	3,541.67	3,647.93

* - All tuition, fee, and stipend rate are projected until approved by the Board of Trustees.
*The following AY stipend rate will be shared with programs when available, so August rates can be adjusted appropriately.
** - For longer term projections, the tuition remission rate can be assumed to increase 0.7% per year.

Cost to Attend
Students must be registered each fall and spring semester until all degree requirements are completed. In some cases, they may also need to be registered for a summer term. For each term in which students are registered, they are charged the following tuition and fees. Rates are subject to change each year. Tuition typically increases by no more than 4 percent per academic year.

Generally speaking, The Graduate School covers the tuition and fees for a Ph.D. student’s first five years. After that, students are responsible for tuition and fees, and most students obtain external or departmental funding that helps cover those costs. The Graduate School also covers health insurance for years 1-6 if students choose the Duke student medical insurance plan.

2026-2027 Estimated Cost of Attendance for Ph.D. Students in Years 1-3
Note: Tuition, fees, and health insurance (for the Duke student medical insurance plan) in years 1-3 are generally covered by The Graduate School's financial support package.

	Fall 2026	Spring 2027	Summer 2027	12 Months
Tuition, Years 1-3	$34,940	$34,940	$4,830	$74,710
Health Fee	$523.50	$523.50	$400	$1,447
Transcript Fee	$120			$120
Grad Student Services Fee	$14	$14		$28
Recreation Fee	$204	$204		$408
Activity Fee	$20	$20		$40
Health Insurance	$4,290			$4,290
Dental Insurance	$383			$383
Total - Tuition/Fees	$40,494.50	$35,701.50	$5,230	$81,426
Books, Course Materials, Supplies, & Equipment	$338	$338	$338	$1,014
Housing	$6,320	$7,900	$4,740	$18,960
Food	$1,968	$2,460	$1,476	$5,904
Transportation	$952	$1,190	$714	$2,856
Miscellaneous	$2,000	$2,500	$1,500	$6,000
Total - Living Expenses	$11,578	$14,388	$8,768	$34,734
Total Cost of Attendance	$52,072.50	$50,089.50	$13,998	$116,160

2026-2027 Estimated Cost of Attendance for Ph.D. Students in Years 4+
Note: The Graduate School's financial support package generally covers tuition and fees for years 4-5, as well as health insurance (for the Duke student medical insurance plan) for years 4-6. Starting in year 6, students are responsible for tuition and fees, and most of the Fuqua students obtain external or departmental funding to help cover those costs. Duke also provides sixth-year tuition and fees scholarships for students who applied for but did not obtain external or departmental tuition-and-fees support.

	Fall 2026	Spring 2027	Summer 2027	12 Months
Tuition, Years 4+	$4,830	$4,830	$4,830	$14,490
Health Fee	$523.50	$523.50	$400	$1,447
Grad Student Services Fee	$14	$14		$28
Recreation Fee (optional)	$204	$204		$408
Activity Fee	$20	$20		$40
Health Insurance	$4,290			$3,939
Dental Insurance	$383			$370
Total - Tuition/Fees	$10,264.50	$5,591.50	$5,230	$21,086
Books, Course Materials, Supplies, & Equipment	$338	$338	$338	$1,014
Housing	$6,320	$7,900	$4,740	$18,960
Food	$1,968	$2,460	$1,476	$5,904
Transportation	$952	$1,190	$714	$2,856
Miscellaneous	$2,000	$2,500	$1,500	$6,000
Total - Living Expenses	$11,578	$14,388	$8,768	$34,734
Total Cost of Attendance	$21,842.50	$19,979.50	$13,998	$55,820

Guaranteed Funding Package

Stipend
The Graduate School guarantees all Ph.D. students a stipend for their first five years of study. Starting in fall 2022, all Duke Ph.D. students will receive a 12-month stipend during their first five years of study.

Tuition Coverage
Tuition for all Ph.D. students in their first five years of study is covered by either The Graduate School or external fellowships.

In year 6, as long as students make an effort to get tuition support from their department or an external source, their tuition is covered. Most sixth-year students receive external or departmental funding to cover tuition, and those who apply for it but don’t get it are eligible for a sixth-year tuition and fee scholarship from Duke.

In year 7 and beyond, tuition is paid by external funding, departmental funding, or the student. Ph.D. programs differ in whether they provide tuition support, so check with the DGS.

Fees Coverage
The Graduate School covers mandatory fees for all Ph.D. students in their first five years of study.

In year 6, as long as students make an effort to get fee support from their department or an external source, their mandatory fees are covered. Most sixth-year students receive external or departmental funding to cover fees, and those who apply for it but don’t get it are eligible for a sixth-year tuition and fee scholarship from Duke.

In year 7 and beyond, fees are paid by external funding, departmental funding, or the student. Ph.D. programs differ in whether they provide fees support, so check with the DGS.

Health and Dental Insurance Premiums Coverage
The Graduate School covers the full premiums for medical and dental insurance for all Ph.D. students in their first six years of study, as long as they are on the Duke student medical insurance plan and student dental plan. Students are responsible for any dependent coverage premiums.

In year 7 and beyond, students are responsible for paying the premiums. The premiums could also be covered by external fellowships or departmental funding, if available (the premiums of Ph.D. students serving as research assistants are covered no matter what year they are in).

Expectation for Students
Support for Ph.D. students comes from a combination of funding from The Graduate School, the departments, and external funding sources such as governmental or private grants. Students are expected to play a part by making a good-faith effort to obtain external fellowships at some point during their funding period, and they should be encouraged to pursue such opportunities. It is important to understand that the overall graduate awards budget is dependent on a significant number of students obtaining such external support. External grants and fellowships also benefit students because they bring distinction, and competing for such awards provides opportunities to practice grant-writing skills that could serve students well in their future careers.

Types of Financial Support

A student’s support package may comprise several types of funding, including the following:

Full or partial scholarships: Cover tuition and fee expenses.
Fellowship stipends: Require no service. Many departments also offer endowed fellowships. Selection for these fellowships is usually made by faculty committee within the individual department.
Training program appointments: For US citizens and permanent residents participating in federally funded training programs.
Research assistantships: Available for graduate students whose special training and qualifications enable them to serve as assistants to individual faculty staff members in certain departments.
Graduate assistantships: Available for full-time PhD and master’s students who perform a combination of teaching and incidental research activities, generally under the direct supervision of their assigned adviser.
Teaching assistantships: Part-time instruction opportunities for qualified graduate students to serve as instructors, preceptors and section leaders, tutors, and graders.

Other Ph.D. Financial Resources

Aside from the main support package, The Graduate School also offers a number of other financial resources, such as:

conference travel grants
childcare subsidies
medical expense and financial hardship assistance
short-term loans for emergencies.

Medical Insurance
All Duke students are required to maintain adequate medical insurance while enrolled at Duke. As such, they must either enroll in Duke’s Student Medical Insurance Plan (SMIP) or waive the SMIP if they meet the waiver criteria. The Graduate School covers the cost of premiums for the SMIP for Ph.D. students in their first six years of study and for Ph.D. students in any year who are serving as research assistants (contact your program if you are not sure about your RA status).

Medical Expense Assistance
Ph.D. students can apply to The Graduate School for financial assistance with medical expenses that are not eligible for reimbursement and which create a significant financial hardship. The assistance program gives grants of up to $5,000.

Dental Insurance
Duke provides a dental insurance plan for students through Aetna. The plan provides 100% coverage (up to the policy limits) at the on-campus dental clinic Campus Smiles, and all in-network providers. The Graduate School covers the cost of premiums for this dental insurance plan for Ph.D. students in their first six years of study and for Ph.D. students in any year who are serving as research assistants (contact your program if you are not sure about your RA status).

Financial Aid FAQs

Click here for Financial Aid FAQs

Tell Duke What you need

Get Involved, Share Your Ideas
The Graduate School is a school of students. As such, it make a conscious effort to solicit and incorporate input from the graduate students as the program works to enhance their experience. This is done in a number of ways, including standing meetings between the school leadership and various student organizations, particularly the Graduate and Professional Student Government, the official representative body for Ph.D. and master's students in The Graduate School. Aside from those meetings, there are several other ways the program receives input from the students.

Graduate Student Affairs Advisory Committee
The Graduate Student Affairs Advisory Committee (GSAAC) is made up of representatives from the graduate faculty, students, and staff. It provides The Graduate School with advice and direction about student support services, student-faculty community-building efforts, recruitment activities, and program development. The committee also shares suggestions about ways in which the school can best serve students' needs and improve the overall quality of graduate student life at Duke.

The GSAAC meets twice during the academic year (typically in October and March) and maintains email communication about updates, questions, and ideas as needed. If you are interested in serving on the committee, contact Senior Assistant Dean Melissa Bostrom ([email protected]).

Graduate Student Affairs Graduate Student Liaisons
The GSA graduate student liaisons help The Graduate School strengthen its relationships with graduate departments and programs. The GSA liaisons help accomplish this through efforts such as providing word-of-mouth promotion of Graduate School events and resources, informing the school of student-life and professional-development needs and concerns within their departments, and volunteering for Graduate School events such as orientation, recruitment, appreciation week, and graduation.

Students also benefit from their service as GSA liaisons by gaining awareness of resources from The Graduate School and opportunities to shape those resources, getting a chance to develop leadership skills as a student representative for the department, and increasing their visibility for representation on university-wide committees and other opportunities.

If you are interested in becoming a GSA graduate student liaison, contact Senior Assistant Dean Melissa Bostrom ([email protected]).

About Graduate Student Affairs
The Office of Graduate Student Affairs (GSA) works with students, faculty, and other campus offices to develop programs, resources, and services to meet the graduate students’ needs in areas such as health, safety, childcare, mentoring, and professional development. Fuqua also works to address the needs of students from various ethnic backgrounds, international students, women, the LGBTQ community, students with disabilities, and other groups.

Graduate study is a time of growth and discovery, and often comes with increased challenges and stress. Duke provides many resources to help graduate students build resilience, address personal challenges and stress, and improve their physical, mental, and social wellbeing.

Whether you are facing an immediate crisis or are looking to build your sense of belonging and community, Fuqua encourages you to explore and make use of these resources. If you have wellness-related concerns, questions, or suggestions, please contact Graduate Student Affairs at [email protected].

Addressing Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct
Graduate students are entitled to learning and training environments free from discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct. The Graduate School has developed several resources to help the students understand the options and processes for reporting and addressing such concerns. Students with concerns about any of these issues or other situations can also reach out to The Graduate School’s Office of Graduate Student Affairs ([email protected], 919-684-2056). Please note that members of The Graduate School staff are required to report information about discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct.

Students with Children

The Duke Graduate School provides a number of resources to help graduate students who have children juggle school and family.

Childcare Subsidy
Since 2003, The Graduate School has been offering full-time Ph.D. students subsidies of up to $5,000 per year to help cover the cost of enrolling their child/children at a child-care center or a family child-care home.

Childbirth and Adoption Accommodations (Parental Leave)
Since 2009, Duke Ph.D. students have been guaranteed a specified amount of time off from full-time graduate studies and duties after the birth or adoption of a child to help them transition to parenthood.

GradParents Student Group
The GradParents group is an active organization for graduate students who have children. Resources for parents and families are a significant aspect of the group. GradParents typically holds one or two on campus or off campus events per semester (such as Disney on Ice or a pumpkin patch) and lunches.

Professional Development

Start Your Professional Development Today
No matter what your career plans are, your graduate school experience must encompass more than just coursework, research, presentations, and publications. The Graduate School provides programs, resources, and events to help you with every step along the way-from identifying potential career paths, to developing skills to compete for them, to managing your career. These opportunities will help prepare you for success in academia, business, entrepreneurship, government, and nonprofits. Professional development is not one workshop or one course; it is something you do throughout your time at Duke. So get started now.

Fuqua Business Ph.D. Stats

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