Fall Onboarding

Please see the Onboarding To Do Items (below) and the Onboarding Resources and Schedule page for further details about these deadlines.

• October 8: Applications for on-campus housing open on October 8 and can be found on the Graduate and Professional Student Housing page. Priority will be given to students attending school outside of their home country for the first time.
• October 29: Tier One Course Registration begins in DukeHub at 7:00 AM (ET)
• November 7: Please complete the Orientation RSVP form
• November 15 – January 6: Calculus and statistics diagnostic exam window.
• December 1: Submit your final undergraduate transcript.
• December 1: Submit proof of completion of prerequisite requirements.
• December 15: Please complete the Graduate Immunization Form by December 15
• January 7: Resolve any outstanding financial aid issues and pay your Bursar bill.

Before the start of the Spring semester, you will receive email messages known as ePacks to your Duke email. ePacks are designed to provide timely information and highlight topics important for enrollment. ePacks will be linked below after they are emailed.

• ePack #1
• ePack #2

• Students who have submitted their tuition deposit will receive a Duke NetID (network identification) within 2-3 business days of confirming their Spring enrollment. They do not need to request one. This NetID is necessary for accessing various university portals and systems, so it’s essential to keep it and the password secure. It’s crucial to note that the NetID is not the same as the Duke Unique ID (DUID), and both can be located in DukeHub under My Profile.
• Please ensure that you have checked your personal email address for any initial instructions and login details that you may have missed. It is also recommended to check your SPAM and Junk folders just in case. If you are unable to find this information, you can contact the Office of Information Technology (OIT) to request that the initial setup instructions be resent to you. Please be prepared to provide some personal identification markers such as your date of birth, permanent address, and so on.
• Email is Duke University’s official form of communication. Remember to check your email regularly.
• Your Duke email address will be added to the appropriate concentration listservs before the start of the spring semester. Please note that these listservs are intended for academic purposes only. We will add students to the listservs using their Duke Alias (firstname.lastname@duke.edu) email address. If you change your Duke Alias email address, kindly inform the Student Services office. The Concentration listserv addresses for first-year students are:
  • Environment Concentrations: firstcams@nicholas.duke.edu (Coastal and Marine Systems); firstee@nicholas.duke.edu (Energy and Environment); firsteeh@nicholas.duke.edu (Ecotoxicology and Environmental Health); and firsttfe@nicholas.duke.edu (Terrestrial and Freshwater Environments).
  • Management Concentrations: firstbe@nicholas.duke.edu (Business and Environment); firstceej@nicholas.duke.edu (Community Engagement and Environmental Justice); firsteam@nicholas.duke.edu (Environmental Analytics and Modeling); and firsteep@nicholas.duke.edu (Economics and Environmental Policy).
  • Forestry: firstmf@nicholas.duke.edu (Master of Forestry)

• All Duke students must carry major medical insurance.
• Duke University provides a highly rated medical insurance plan for its students. Duke students will be automatically enrolled in the Duke Student Medical Insurance Plan (SMIP) each year they are enrolled at Duke. International students holding an F1 or J1 visa are required to participate in the Duke SMIP.
• Questions about health insurance should be directed to insurance@studentaffairs.duke.edu. Due to volume, allow 2-3 business days for a response. 

• We are excited to welcome you to Durham, North Carolina! We encourage you to begin your housing search process early. Here are a few housing search resources to get you started
  • Off Campus & Community Life, Student Affairs, recently held a virtual session on ‘Finding a Place to Live in Durham.’ View recording.
  • Off-Campus Housing in Durham (Duke Student Affairs)
  • Search living options close to campus >> Housing Near Duke
  • DukeList also lists housing options
  • House Hunting Tips and Furnished Temporary Housing
• Please note that most new graduate and professional students must secure off-campus housing, though Duke does offer limited on-campus graduate and professional student housing. Applications for on-campus housing open on October 8 and can be found on the Graduate and Professional Student Housing page. Priority will be given to students attending school outside of their home country for the first time.

• All students at Duke University are required to possess a Duke Student ID card. To get your ID card, you need to upload your photo by mid-fall. Please watch the video that provides submission instructions. If you need more information about your Duke Card, please visit the DukeCard Office website.
• The DukeCard Office issues mobile DukeCards, which are easy to use and keep up with. However, students must have their mobile device with them at all times to access facilities on Duke’s Campus. If you don’t have a smartphone, you can request a physical card, but only by appointment. The DukeCard Office is happy to help new students with any challenges they face activating their mobile DukeCard.

• Compliance is required for all Duke Students. Please view this video for an overview of the NC immunizations process.
• All incoming students must provide Duke University with a copy of their current immunization records. The deadline to submit your immunization records and health history information is December 15. Although the deadline is December 15, the most important thing to remember is that you must have your immunization records submitted prior to the beginning of the spring semester. Failure to submit within 30 days of the start of the semester, will mean that you will not be permitted to continue attending class.
• You can view the following video for an overview of the NC Immunization Process: Summer 2025 Session.
• If you have additional questions about the immunization requirements/compliance, we encourage you to contact the Immunization Compliance Coordinator at immunizations@duke.edu. Immunization records should not be sent to the Office of Student Services at the Nicholas School of the Environment.
• Please complete the Graduate Immunization Form by December 15.

• Students who wish to park a vehicle on Duke’s campus must display a valid parking permit. By June, parking permits should be available for purchase.
• For those of you who are planning to purchase a parking permit, you may find this informational video about commuting to and parking at Duke helpful. Keep in mind, this video was created originally to be a part of the international students’ summer series, but the information is useful for any student wanting to learn more about parking and transportation options at Duke and in Durham. 
• Alongside your housing search, it is also important to consider an array of alternative transportation options available at Duke and in Durham. Learn more about transit, walking/biking, carpool, carshare, and commute planning at the onboarding resources and parking and transportation websites. 

• As a student in the Master of Environmental Management and Master of Forestry professional degree programs, tech preparation is essential. Students will need to use several different technologies in their classes and on special projects. Incoming students are encouraged to spend time over the summer getting familiar with these platforms and reviewing the fundamentals. 
• The tech prep resources are separated into three sections. Over the fall, incoming students should prioritize Part A.