There are a variety of special majors available to those interested in the field of biology.

Joint Majors

These are special majors that combine some of the requirements from two separate departments. They are created by the student in consultation with the Chairs of the two departments (or the Associate Chair, in the case of Biology), and must be approved by the Associate Dean of the Faculty. See The College Catalog for more information.

Double Majors

These require the completion of the major requirements in two departments.

Special Studies

These special majors require the development of a unique major program in consultation with the Special Studies adviser, Amelia Rauser, Associate Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Art History. See the College Catalog for additional information.

Duke 3/2 or 4/2 Environmental Science, Management and Policy Program

The College offers a cooperative program with Duke University in the areas of environmental science, management, and policy. The student earns the bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years, spending three years at Franklin & Marshall and two years in the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at Duke.

The A.B. degree is awarded by Franklin & Marshall upon successful completion of one year of study at Duke, provided that 32 credits are earned. Duke awards the professional degree of Master of Forestry (M.F.) or Master of Environmental Management (M.E.M.) to qualified candidates at the end of the second year. The student must complete a total of 60 units at Duke.

The M.F. degree is in Forest Resource Management. Eight options are available for the M.E.M. degree: Coastal Environmental Management; Conservation Science and Policy; Ecosystem Science and Management; Energy and the Environment; Environmental Health and Security; Global Environmental Change; Environmental Economics and Policy; or Water and Air Resources.

Concurrent degrees may be earned alongside the M.F. or M.E.M. in Business (M.B.A.), Law (J.D.), Public Policy (M.P.P.), or Teaching (M.A.T.) through formal agreements between the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences and other professional schools at Duke. Alternatively, some students prefer to complete the requirements for the bachelor’s degree at Franklin & Marshall before entering Duke. The requirements for these 4-2 students are essentially the same as those for students entering Duke after the junior year.

Interested students should consult the coordinator, Dr. Timothy Sipe, Associate Professor of Biology, early in their careers at Franklin & Marshall, about appropriate course scheduling, so that the necessary prerequisites for admission to Duke can be completed. Additional information about the Duke program is available at: http://www.nicholas.duke.edu