Transfer & Entrance Credit

Transfer of Work Taken Elsewhere

Work Taken during High School

College-level courses taken elsewhere before matriculation at Duke may be considered for prematriculation credit provided they meet each of the following criteria: was taken after the commencement of the junior year of high school and yielded a grade of B- or better, not used to meet high school diploma requirements, taken on the college campus, taken in competition with degree candidates of the college, taught by a regular member of the college faculty, part of the regular curriculum of the college, not taken on a study abroad program completed before matriculation at Duke, and not precalculus or English composition courses. A formal review of courses meeting these criteria will proceed after an official transcript of all college courses taken and documentation pertaining to these criteria are received by the university registrar. (See also the section on entrance credit on this page for a discussion of the number of prematriculation credits that can transfer and how they may be used at Duke.)

Work Taken after Matriculation at Duke

After matriculation as a full-time degree-seeking student at Duke, a student in Trinity College may receive transfer credit for no more than two courses taken at another accredited four-year institution, whether in the summer, while withdrawn from Trinity, or while on leave of absence for personal, medical, or financial reasons. A student in the Pratt School of Engineering is limited to four of these types of transfer courses. In cases that involve transferring study abroad credit, a student in Trinity or Pratt may transfer up to four credits for a semester or eight credits for a full year, plus two for a summer. In no instance, however, may a student transfer more than ten courses when combining study abroad and the allowable number of transfer courses. No credit will be accepted for coursework taken while a Duke student is withdrawn involuntarily.

Only those courses taken in which grades of C- or better have been earned are acceptable for transfer credit; courses taken at other institutions with P/F grading or the equivalent are not accepted for transfer credit. The course credit unit of credit awarded at Duke for satisfactorily completed courses cannot be directly equated with semester-hour or quarter-hour credits. Credit equivalency is determined by the university registrar. Courses for which there is no equivalent at Duke may be given a 100 or a 300 number, lower to upper level. All courses approved for transfer are listed on the student’s permanent record at Duke, but grades earned are not recorded. Once the limit of transferred credit has been reached, no additional transferred work will be displayed on the record or used as a substitute for a previously transferred course. Further information is available from the university registrar.

Courses taken at other institutions that, upon evaluation, yield transfer credit at Duke may be given Areas of Knowledge but not Modes of Inquiry. (The same is true of courses taken as a part of a study abroad program, except the FL Mode of Inquiry, for which students may apply upon completion of the course). They could count toward the major, minor, or certificate if approved by the relevant academic unit. For purposes of this regulation, interinstitutional credits (see the section Agreements with Other Universities in the Duke University Bulletin) are not considered as work taken at another institution.

At least half of the courses submitted toward fulfillment of a student’s major field must be taken at Duke, but departments may make exceptions to this rule in special circumstances. No credit is given for work completed by correspondence, and courses taken online are not eligible for transfer credit. Credit for not more than 2.0 course credits is allowed for extension courses.

Approval forms for Duke students taking courses at institutions other than Duke may be obtained online or from the offices of the academic deans. Students wishing to transfer credit for study at another accredited college while on leave or during the summer must present a catalog of that college to the appropriate dean and director of undergraduate studies and obtain their approval prior to taking the courses. Students wishing to receive the FL Mode of Inquiry code for transfer coursework taken in study abroad must apply for the FL code using the Transfer Course FL Mode of Inquiry Request Form available at trinity.duke.edu/undergraduate/academic-policies/transfer-credit.

Transfer Credit for Students Transferring to Duke

Students transferring from a degree program in another accredited institution may be granted credit for up to 17.0 course credits. Courses accepted for transfer in this circumstance may be given, upon evaluation, Areas of Knowledge and Modes of Inquiry codes. They may count toward a major, minor, or certificate program if approved by the relevant academic unit. See the section above for information on the evaluation of courses for transfer and the limitation on transfer courses for the major. For questions about transfer credit for transfer students that have been offered admission to Duke, please email transferstudents@duke.edu.

Transfer Credit and the Foreign Language Requirement

The same rules that apply to the transferring of courses to meet other curriculum requirements apply to foreign language courses. Foreign language courses taken elsewhere and approved for transfer as credit to Duke may be used for language placement. Students who request placement on the basis of non-Duke courses will be required to show their work (including books, syllabus, writing samples, and exams) to the director of undergraduate studies in the department of that language, and/or to pass an in-house proficiency exam appropriate to the level.

Entrance Credit & Placement

Scores on the tests discussed below and documented previous educational experience are the criteria used to determine a student’s qualifications for certain advanced courses. In addition, a limited amount of elective course credit may be awarded in Trinity College of Arts & Sciences on the basis of precollege examination and/or credits earned of the following three types: Advanced Placement (AP), international placement credit (IPC), and prematriculation college credit. Trinity College will record on students’ permanent Duke records courses of these three types completed prior to their matriculation at Duke. The three types of precollege work are regarded as equivalent and may be used for placement into higher-level coursework and to satisfy departmental major and minor requirements at Duke to the extent allowed by the individual departments. Additionally, Trinity College students may be granted up to two elective course credits toward the degree requirement of 34.0 course credits for any combination of AP, IPC, or prematriculation credits. Up to six additional credits may be awarded for acceleration toward the degree. Acceleration is defined as completing the requirements for the bachelor’s degree one or two semesters earlier than the original expected graduation date. Specifically, the two electives, as well as up to two acceleration credits, may be included in the graduation total for students graduating in seven consecutive semesters. The two elective credits, as well as up to six acceleration credits, may be included in the graduation total for students graduating in six consecutive semesters. Students may not use acceleration credits in order to compensate for time taken away from their studies due to a leave of absence, voluntary or involuntary withdrawal from the university, or a period of practice-oriented education that does not include credit-bearing coursework taken to satisfy graduation requirements. Students wishing to graduate early must complete an early graduation form, available from their academic dean, by the end of the fifth semester of enrollment. AP, IPC, and prematriculation credits may not be used to satisfy general education requirements—the Areas of Knowledge or the Modes of Inquiry.

The Pratt School of Engineering evaluates AP and IPC credits as Trinity College does. These courses, with limitations, may be used to satisfy general education requirements toward the BSE degree. The criteria for evaluating such work are the same as in Trinity College (see the section Work Taken during High School on the previous page). Enrollment in a course for which AP or IPC credit has been given will cause the AP credit to be forfeited.

Forfeiture of Precollege Credit Awarded

Students who successfully complete a course at Duke for which they received precollege credit may not use that or any higher precollege credit in that subject to satisfy degree requirements, but the precollege work will remain on the Duke transcript. A Trinity College student who enrolls in a course for which precollege credit was awarded and who subsequently fails or withdraws from the course after the Drop/Add deadline will be allowed to apply the precollege credit toward graduation requirements according to the policy governing use of such credits (see above). A Pratt School of Engineering student enrolled in a course for which precollege credit was awarded and who subsequently fails or withdraws from the course after the Drop/Add period will not be allowed to use the precollege credit nor any higher credit in that subject to satisfying degree requirements.

College Board Advanced Placement Program (AP) Examinations

A score of four or five on College Board Advanced Placement Program Examinations, taken prior to matriculation in college, is the basis for consideration of placement in advanced courses in some departments. Departmental policies regarding Advanced Placement may vary. Approval of the director of undergraduate studies or supervisor of first-year instruction in the appropriate department is required before final placement is made. Scores must be submitted directly from the appropriate testing service to the Office of the University Registrar. The expectation is that they will be sent prior to matriculation.

Advanced Placement courses completed with a score of four or five will be recorded on a student’s permanent Duke record. Students may use all of these courses for placement into higher-level courses and to satisfy departmental major and minor requirements at Duke to the extent allowed by individual departments. AP credit is usually not accepted to satisfy introductory physics course requirements for Physics and Biophysics majors. In the Pratt School of Engineering, AP or IPC courses count toward the general requirements, and the student is required to take one physics course at Duke. If awarded AP, IPC, or PMC credit for Physics 25 and 26, the student must take one of the following physics courses here at Duke: Physics 152L, 153L, 264, 361, or 362. Students have the option of taking Physics 152L which will result in forfeiture of Physics 26L AP. This AP will remain on the transcript. In Trinity College, AP courses do not count toward the general education requirements, i.e., the Areas of Knowledge or the Modes of Inquiry.

Advanced Placement in Physics. Neither credit nor Advanced Placement is given for a score below five on the Advanced Placement (AP) Physics-B exam. Trinity College students with a score of five on the AP Physics-B exam may be placed out of Physics 141L with consultation and approval of the physics director of undergraduate studies, although no credit will be granted for these courses. This option is not available to students in the Pratt School of Engineering. Entering students with a score of four or five on the AP Physics-C Mechanics exam will receive credit for Physics 25; students with a score of four or five on the AP Physics-C Electricity and Magnetism exam will receive credit for Physics 26. This policy applies to students entering either the Pratt School of Engineering or Trinity College. For more details about AP course credits and international AP course credits in physics, see physics.duke.edu/undergraduate/prospective-students/transfer-credit/college-board-advanced-placement-ap.

International Placement Credit (IPC)

Duke University recognizes the International Baccalaureate Program; the French Baccalaureate; the British, Hong Kong, or Singapore A-Level Examinations; the Cambridge pre-U; the Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examination; the German Abitur; the Swiss Federal Maturity Certificate; the All India Senior School Certificate Examination; the Indian School Certificate examination; and the Israeli Matriculation Certificate. Scores acceptable for consideration are determined by the faculty and evaluated by the university registrar. Course equivalents for these programs may be recorded on a student’s permanent Duke record for placement and credit according to the same policy governing the use of AP and prematriculation credits (see above). In Trinity College, these credits do not satisfy the general education requirements and, thus, may not be used for the Areas of Knowledge or the Modes of Inquiry. Any combination of two IPC, AP, or prematriculation credits may be used toward the 34.0 course credits required for graduation. Additional IPC, AP, and prematriculation credits may be used to accelerate. In the Pratt School of Engineering, these courses may be used to satisfy general education requirements toward the BSE degree.

Prematriculation Credit

First-year Duke students may submit for evaluation college courses taken at another US regionally accredited college or university after the commencement of the student’s junior year of high school. (For details concerning transferring this work, see the section Work Taken during High School on the previous page.) In Trinity College, prematriculation credits awarded for such work may be used as electives and may not be used to satisfy the general education requirements—the Areas of Knowledge or the Modes of Inquiry. Any combination of two prematriculation, IPC, or AP credits may be used toward the 34.0 course credits required for graduation (credits do not have to be designated by the student). Additional IPC, AP, and prematriculation credits may be used to accelerate if early graduation is intended and if there has been no gap in the student’s studies at Duke. In the Pratt School of Engineering, these courses may be used to satisfy general education requirements toward the BSE degree. No prematriculation credit will be awarded for college coursework completed on a study abroad program undertaken prior to matriculation at Duke.

Placement in Languages and Mathematics

Placement in French, German, Latin, and Spanish. Newly admitted students who wish to continue the study of French, German, or Latin begun in secondary school should take a College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Examination in that language by June of their senior year in secondary school. Students who do not take these tests or submit test scores should refer to the placement guidelines on the website of the relevant department, or consult with the relevant language program director. In Spanish, French, and German, a score of four or five on the AP literature exam, or a score of five on the AP language exam qualifies students to enroll in a 300-level course. Students who plan to take mathematics at Duke are expected to present College Board Scholastic Achievement Tests (SAT), Mathematics Achievement (Level I or Level II), or Advanced Placement Program (AP, either level AB or level BC) scores.

In French and Spanish students must receive permission from the relevant language program director to enroll in a course one level below their placement (e.g., from 300 to 204 or from 204 to 203, in French; from 305S to 204 or from 204 to 203 in German). Without permission, no credit will be allowed for courses two levels below the achievement score; similarly, no credit will be given for French 101 or Spanish 101 to students who have completed more than two years of French or Spanish in high school without permission from the relevant language program director.

Students should check the Self-Placement Guidelines:

  • French (romancestudies.duke.edu/undergraduate/languages/french)

  • German (german.duke.edu/undergraduate/language-program/placement)

  • Latin (classicalstudies.duke.edu/undergraduate/placement-latin-greek)

Placement in Languages Other than French, German, Spanish, and Latin. Students who wish to continue in any language other than French, German, Spanish, or Latin should consult with the appropriate director of undergraduate studies. In the case of Russian, Polish, and Turkish, the department offers a written examination and oral interview, which are used in conjunction with other criteria for placing students at the appropriate level. In the case of Asian and African languages, students should consult with the appropriate language coordinators.

Placement in Mathematics. All students who plan to take mathematics during their first semester at Duke, and who do not submit the College Board SAT or Achievement Test or Advanced Placement Program score in mathematics, should refer to the placement guidelines on the website of the Department of Mathematics, or consult with the supervisor of first-year instruction in mathematics during New Student Orientation. New students who have been placed in Mathematics 105L or 111L on the basis of College Board SAT, Achievement, or Advanced Placement Examinations but who believe that their background in mathematics justifies a higher placement should also confer during New Student Orientation with the supervisor of first-year instruction or with the director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Mathematics. Placement testing in mathematics is not offered during New Student Orientation.