Why Duke Embark?
Small Class Sizes
Hands-On Learning
Natural And Social Sciences
Introduction to Research
Advising For Durham Transition
Research Travel Opportunities
Live and learn with a small group of first-year students at Duke鈥檚 Marine Lab Campus.
Get to know your professors, connect with other students and build relationships through shared classes and experiences.
Broaden your perspective across disciplines as you move from the classroom to the field to the lab.
Coastal environments are both subject and setting, with marshes, estuaries and coastal communities serving as extensions of the classroom.
The Marine Lab campus has what you need to succeed inside and outside the classroom.
In addition to dorms, dining and other student amenities, the campus offers uniquely Marine Lab perks, like access to the ocean by kayak, canoe or the swim dock.
Two campuses, one year, multiple connections.
Whether it's housing, experiential orientation or academic advising, you鈥檒l be connected to main campus from the start.
In Beaufort, you鈥檒l live on the Marine Lab quad in the fall, and you鈥檒l move to your East Campus room in Durham in the spring.
Organized visits to Durham in the fall will help you build relationships with peers and familiarity with main campus. Academic advisors and other Durham staff will visit you at the Marine Lab.
After your first year, you are always welcome back to the Marine Lab, as a student or a visitor. Your Embark connections will last a lifetime.
Duke Embark 101
Faculty member Lisa Campbell shares what students can expect from Duke Embark and why the Marine Lab is a one-of-a-kind place to begin your Duke journey.
Explore the Duke Marine Lab
Experience island living and hands-on learning with engaged faculty, small classes, low faculty-to-student ratios and the camaraderie of a close-knit community.
You really get to make a relationship with that professor, learn about them as a person, and you get to learn about their work a lot more closely than you would when you鈥檙e sitting in a lecture hall."
-Tessa Nyhan, Senior, Biology, RACHEL CARSON SCHOLAR
Enrollment
How do I apply?
Duke Embark is open to fall 2027 incoming first-year Trinity College of Arts & Sciences students from all academic interests and backgrounds. You may indicate your interest when applying to Duke, in the Common Application supplement. You will then express preference for Embark once you are admitted to Duke.
Can I use my financial aid when I participate in Duke Embark?
Yes! Duke need-based financial aid travels with you to the Marine Lab, so you will not experience a change in costs compared with studying on campus.
Other questions?
Please reach out, we're happy to help:
Schedule a visit to the Marine Lab
Duke Marine Lab
135 Duke Marine Lab Rd
Beaufort, NC 28516
(252) 504-7503
01 / 02 鈥 from our students
a day at duml
Aaron Siegle, T鈥26, shared highlights from an undergraduate visitation day at the Marine Lab when he was studying there for a semester as an environmental sciences and policy student. Visiting students got to experience the campus, the R/V Shearwater, a boat ride around Taylor鈥檚 Creek, the lab鈥檚 touch tanks and more!
02 / 02 鈥 from our students
duke marine lab Q&A Takeover
Sara Norton, T鈥25, spent a semester at DUML as a biology and marine science and conservation student. She shared some of her favorite spots on campus, wildlife sightings, favorite classes and more about life on the coast.
An Unforgettable Start to Your Duke Experience
Dive deeper into all the details about Duke Embark.