Mission & History

The Mission of the Pratt School of Engineering

The mission of Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering is to provide a rigorous engineering education for both undergraduate and graduate students, enabling them to lead productive, rewarding, and ethical lives for the betterment of society.

The History of the Pratt School of Engineering

Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering is a vibrant teaching and research institution focused on education and exploring the frontiers of engineering in a hands-on, cross-disciplinary learning environment. A Duke engineering education is built on a foundation of partnership and shared commitment between students and faculty. Pratt students become successful leaders and compete with the very best students in the world for prestigious scholarships and fellowships.

The mission of the Pratt School of Engineering is to provide a rigorous engineering education for students, enabling them to lead productive, rewarding, and ethical lives for the betterment of society. It is Pratt’s vision that engineering students and faculty will be catalysts for generating and integrating knowledge across the disciplines required to address complex issues facing a global society.

The school offers bachelor, master of science, and doctoral degrees majoring in biomedical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and materials science. The school also offers a professional master of engineering management degree and a suite of master of engineering degrees for students who want to pursue applied engineering roles in industry.

The Pratt School of Engineering and Trinity College of Arts & Sciences are the undergraduate schools of Duke University. The Pratt School of Engineering is also one of Duke’s nine graduate and professional schools and has extensive collaboration with the School of Medicine, the Sanford School of Public Policy, Nicholas School of the Environment, School of Law, The Fuqua School of Business, and The Graduate School.

The Pratt School of Engineering is located near North Carolina’s famed Research Triangle Park, named for the Triangle formed by Duke University in Durham, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University in Raleigh. The 7,000-acre Research Triangle Park, recognized internationally as a center for cutting-edge research and development, is home to more than 200 organizations and more than 100,000 employees.