Connections. Curiosity. Community.
Beginning in Fall 2025, all incoming Trinity undergraduates will complete a first-year experience as part of either FOCUS or Constellations.
In Constellations, students explore a timely topic from multiple disciplines and perspectives with some of Duke’s most esteemed faculty. Once matched with a Constellation, students delve into a central question in three courses in their first year: one in the fall, another in the spring, and their first-year writing course (Writing 120) in one of the two semesters.
FOCUS is an exciting opportunity for first-semester Duke students to be exposed to ideas from the vantage point of different disciplines across the Arts & Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. Each multidisciplinary cluster provides a range of seminar courses, and students enroll in two of these courses in their fall semester and a first-year writing course (Writing 120) in the spring semester. Additionally, FOCUS features a residential community element. This program is by application only. Admission is rolling, and the application deadline is May 25, 2025.
What are the differences between Constellations and FOCUS, and which one is right for you?