Duke University Top Questions

Tell us about your professors.

Raanah

On whole, the professors at Duke are really good. Many of them are the leading voices in their field and are extremely passionate about the subject they teach. I've been lucky to have some really great classes with professors I admire a lot. However, with the amount and diversity of classes offered at Duke, you're bound to get some professors who aren't so great. You usually only really get to know a professor when you take smaller classes or seminars. Professors who teach seminars or smaller classes tend to be more invested in their students and more willing to meet outside of class. Its hard to get to know a teacher in a huge 200 person lecture.

Lillie

Overall, I like my professors in my small lecture classes, but in big lecture classes I have found I generally dislike my professors. In big classes, the professors somehow tend to be worse than the ones who get to teach small classes. I am currently in Bio 101, one of Duke's introductory biology courses that has the lowest teacher ratings of any teacher ever at Duke. However, I'm also in 3 amazing small lecture classes with engaging and intellectual teachers. Basically, if you power through the big intro classes that you'd have to take at any school, Duke's smaller, more focused classes have really great professors that will work with you in and out of the classroom, and will often offer research or other opportunities.