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Graduate School Welcomes Largest Entering Class

The Duke University Graduate School welcomed 766 new graduate students, the largest entering class in Duke history, on August 19.

"You are truly a very select group of individuals," Paula McClain, dean of The Graduate School, told the new students during orientation at the Bryan Center. "You should know and believe that you are the cream of the crop. ... All of you, no matter what your discipline, will be asked to think in new ways, to be creative, and to participate in a community of scholars that will inevitably open your mind to new ideas."

Provost Sally Kornbluth and senior associate dean Jacqueline Looney also offered welcome and advice for the new students. The students also heard from panels of faculty and students and received information from various campus organizations and services.

Quick Facts about the Entering Class of Graduate Students

  • Total number: 766
  • Women: 43 percent
  • International students: 42 percent (from 55 countries)
  • Underrepresented groups: 17 percent of domestic students
  • Master's students: 41 percent
  • Ph.D. students: 59 percent
  • Breakdown by academic discipline:
    • 13 percent humanities
    • 35 percent social sciences
    • 15 percent basic medical sciences
    • 37 percent natural sciences

Photos from Orientation Week