Current Student FAQs

An elective is a course at the Graduate School level outside of the required immunology core curriculum. However, the content of an elective course should relate to a student's thesis project and enhance their career trajectory in the biomedical sciences (e.g., Roman History classes are not a suitable elective). Consult the DGS if the course is not directly related to biomedical sciences.

That depends on the nature of your project. For instance, if you are focusing on neuroimmunology, you may consider neuroscience courses. If you anticipate a heavy computational component to your project, you may want to take courses from the computational biology and bioinformatics programs. If unsure, check with your DGS, fellow students, and thesis advisor.

By the end of the Spring semester of the second year. Courses and workshops can be taken during the third year with the prior approval of the DGS and the dissertation advisor.

You can TA other courses after you’ve completed the Principles in Immunology (IMM544) TAship. You can also use the TA Pillars of Immunology (MM701) to satisfy the teaching requirement if the IMM544 TA slots are full. Course directors will solicit TAs, or you may approach them if interested. Students who do a second TAship will receive a paid supplement.

Students must register for a 'CTN' (continuation) credit every semester, including the summer term until graduation. Unless students are on an unpaid Leave of Absence, they should have this CTN credit each semester. Registration for the CTN credit ensures that the University knows the student is active and enrolled.

Yes, as long as it is related to your research work.

You can get this information from the DGSA.

This information can vary from year to year, so it is best to check T3 for the latest updates.

Rotations are usually eight weeks long, beginning on your first day of classes. Biocore students start in early August.  A typical first rotation would be the end of August to the end of October; the second would be the end of October to the end of December, and the third would be the beginning of January to the end of March.

Yes. However, the DGS must first approve any rotation with a faculty member outside of the Immunology PhD training program.

By August 1, at the latest, at the end of the first academic year, it is strongly recommended that you have identified a lab by late spring.

See the 1st year curriculum section of the website for further details.

This is discouraged and only allowed under unusual circumstances. This is why it is important to coordinate all rotations with the DGS.

The Lab Affiliation Form is required for all students, and the Financial Backstop Agreement is required for faculty with secondary affiliations. Both forms are downloadable from the Affiliation with a Lab for Dissertation Research section of the website.

A comprehensive and up-to-date searchable list is available on the Duke Graduate School site.

You should consult your thesis advisor to identify faculty who can provide technical and conceptual expertise to advance your research objectives. You may also identify faculty outside your research area who you and your advisor think can provide fresh perspectives on your project. We suggest identifying faculty who can help broaden your mentoring network and will be invested in your success. Ensure you check with the DGS that the overall composition of your committee meets the criteria outlined in the PhD curriculum.

Each person has 25 minutes, including Q&A. The rotation talks are 10 minutes per person and include Q&A.

We suggest the following:

1. Check the Duke Event Calendar
2. Check the websites of other departments for seminars
3. Ask specific departments or programs to add you to their mailing list

First-year student stipends are divided into 13 equal payments. The first payment is made in August, around the last working day of the month. The payment schedule is here.  

All first-year students are on a Non-Compensatory Payroll (i.e., their stipend is not paid to compensate them for work performed). If students set up direct deposit by the first week of August (you can set this up in DukeHub), their stipends will be directly deposited into their bank accounts.

Notify the DGSA promptly. The DGSA will contact the Duke Payroll Office to request an off-cycle payment.

For students on Comp Payroll (i.e., your stipend is paid to compensate you for work performed as a Research Assistant), you should be able to find your W2 on Duke@Work, typically in early February.

For students on NonComp, make sure your address is up to date since Payroll mails tax forms to the address on file. See the Duke Finance website for further details.

For purchases made on behalf of your lab or the department, which must be first approved by the PI, submit your receipts to the business office in Jones 156. 

To apply, students need to submit the Travel Advance application form, a brief letter of intent, and a copy of the abstract to be submitted. See the TGS webpage on conference support for more details. 

The DGSA will need to submit all application documents to TGS on behalf of the student. Following the conference, the student must submit all travel receipts to the DGSA within 20 days of returning. The student should order their original receipts by date and tape them to 8.5” x 11” paper (portrait style) with the expense purpose indicated. All receipts should be scanned and submitted to the DGSA as a PDF.

If you have questions about your research projects and which classes can be considered electives, contact the DGS. For questions related to credit hours, please contact the DGSA. If unsure, email both the DGS and the DGSA with your questions. Check the following items first:

• Consult the ‘Curriculum’ section of this website for required courses
• For RCR requirements, check the OBGE website, as requirements vary by matriculation year
• Check your RCR progress in DukeHub using the steps outlined on the TGS website

The DGSA will send reminders for required Annual Committee Meetings, deadlines to apply for graduation, etc. In December, the DGSA will check that second-year students are on track to have completed 24 graded credits by the end of spring of the second year and will notify students who have short credits so they can adjust their schedules accordingly. If the DGSA identifies some other issue, they will notify the DGS, and they will decide how to proceed from there.

To apply for graduation, please refer to the TGS website for the most current deadlines.

Once you have the final version of your dissertation, contact the DGSA. The department will pay for a gift copy for you and one for the library. If your PI also wants a copy, provide a fund-code number to the DGSA.

The EDI committee has assembled a guide on how to become established as a graduate student in the US. This guide was created by compiling various independent resources across Duke, including the Duke International Student Center and Duke Visa Services. It is intended to be a starting reference point for students.

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE

If you have further questions, contact the DGS, the DGSA, the Duke International Student Center, or Duke Visa Services.