The Anne Flexner Memorial Award for Creative Writing was established by the family and friends of Anne Flexner, who graduated from Duke in 1945. English majors at Duke can enjoy the benefits of the university's outstanding libraries which provide over four million volumes and subscriptions to more than 10,000 periodicals and 200 newspapers from around the world. The 12 million-item manuscript collection includes significant papers in English and American literature. The Rare Book Room contains rare books, sheet music, incunabula and early printed books, papyri, broadsides, first editions, limited editions, and books in manuscript written before the invention of printing. A wide variety of cocurricular activities is available at Duke, many of which are particularly attractive to students of English.
Students studying English often go on to graduate school.