Study Abroad/Away
Global Education Office for Undergraduates
During the academic year or summer, a Duke student may earn Duke or study abroad/away transfer credit, depending on the program type, for approved work completed (1) on a Duke-administered program; (2) at an approved foreign university; or (3) on an approved program abroad that is sponsored by another US college or university. No credit will be awarded for college coursework completed on a study abroad program undertaken prior to matriculation at Duke.
A student who wishes to receive credit for study abroad/away should take into account the following criteria established by the faculty and administered by the Global Education Committee for Undergraduates:
A scholastic grade point average of at least 2.7 for semester or academic year study abroad/away—a student lacking this average may request a GPA waiver from their academic dean if there are unusual circumstances;
Pre-departure approval of the program and courses by the Global Education Committee and the Global Education Office for Undergraduates (GEO);
Confirmation of eligibility to study off campus from the Office of Student Conduct and the student’s academic dean;
Approval by the appropriate directors of undergraduate studies for the courses to be taken abroad/away.
Please note that a student on academic or disciplinary probation or one who does not meet academic continuation requirements will not be permitted to study abroad/away, regardless of the student’s acceptance to a program.
Generally, there are two types of study abroad/away programs available to Duke undergraduates: Duke-administered and Duke-approved programs. Duke-administered programs have varying degrees of academic and logistical oversight from Duke; offer a mixture of Duke credits and study abroad/away transfer credits, depending on the program; and charge Duke tuition, a program fee, and a housing fee (when applicable). Duke-approved programs are administered by other US institutions or foreign universities; offer study abroad transfer credits that do not compute in the Duke GPA, but are eligible for credit toward certain curricular requirements at Duke; and charge tuition and fees entirely apart from Duke. For Duke-approved programs, Duke charges a per semester Study Abroad Fee (see the section Fees for Study Abroad for details about fees charged for Duke-approved study abroad programs).
Students in Duke-administered and Duke-approved programs are expected to enroll in the equivalent of 4.0 Duke course credits each semester. No underloads and no overloads are permitted. To receive the maximum amount of transfer credit at Duke—generally 4.0 course credits for a full semester, 8.0 course credits for a full academic year, 2.0 course credits for a summer—students on Duke-approved programs are expected to take a full, normal course load, as defined by the GEO and the Duke University Registrar. Students should confirm the required course load for each program with GEO advisors.
Study abroad/away transfer credit will be awarded for work satisfactorily completed in Duke-administered and Duke-approved programs abroad in accordance with GEO policies and procedures found at globaled.duke.edu/about/forms-policies. Study abroad/away transfer credit courses may, upon evaluation, carry Areas of Knowledge codes. The foreign language (FL) mode of inquiry is only available to transfer courses through a separate approval process upon return.
Students should consult the section on Academic Recognition and Honors or their academic dean to determine the eligibility of study abroad courses for honors such as the Dean’s List. Seniors planning to spend their final semester studying off campus may face postponed graduation because study abroad/away semester dates may differ from Duke’s, and transcripts may be delayed.
Duke-Administered Semester Study Abroad/Away Programs
Duke currently administers a number of its study abroad/away programs. In these programs, Duke faculty and/or academic departments are involved in the academic design and implementation of the programs, and the courses receive Duke credit, as courses on campus do, unless otherwise noted. Information on these programs is available from GEO at globaled.duke.edu/programs/duke-in-programs.