<p>Duke is not really known for the Bio department itself. But I think this is because of our strong BME and Neurobiology depts, and the Center for Genome Sciences and Policy initiative. They kind of overshadow/overlap with the biology department, and a lot of the genetics and molecular biology research groups are actually associated with these other departments. I think this also reflects the bio program (and Duke) in general, the academic program is extremely interdisciplinary, and as a result there is a lot of freedom and opportunities for specialization - you can do a bio major with concentration in biochem, pharm, ecology, etc. So I would say that the Bio sciences departments as a whole at Duke are VERY good (of course I am biased ^-^). The bio dept itself is more associated with ecology-related areas, and they also have associations with initiatives like the Nicholas School for Environmental Policy, and a ties to some fantastic DukeEngage (study abroad) programs related to biodiversity.</p>
<p>The changes to the bio curriculum are pretty minor, yeah I think it has to do with AP credits and med school stuff. Basically they are combining 25, 116, 118 into 101 and 102. You can go to <a href=“http://www.biology.duke.edu/undergrad/transition2010.pdf[/url]”>http://www.biology.duke.edu/undergrad/transition2010.pdf</a> to see what it is exactly.</p>
<p>I’m interested in research too, and seriously, Duke faculty are really open to having undergrads in their labs. I think its one of the best things about this school, because there is so much good research going on in the bio-related depts. 2 months into freshman fall, I had already gotten involved in BME research, and I also got a paying lab job in a neurobiology/genetics lab, and my PI is actually pretty well known in his field. All you need to do is go to [url=<a href=“http://dukelist.duke.edu/]DukeList[/url”>http://dukelist.duke.edu/]DukeList[/url</a>] to check for open positions. Or you just find professors yourself and email them, but I didnt even need to do that. If you are on financial aid, Duke has a work-study program where the employer only has to pay half your salary and Duke pays the other half, so its actually beneficial to labs to hire undergrads! For certain concentrations like biochem, research is required as part of the curriculum too.</p>
<p>Hopefully this helps. I didnt know much about bio at Duke either before I came, only the BME program, but I’m really glad I ended up here. I would also encourage you you consider the BME program too! It is pretty tough academically though.</p>