Policies

For Trinity College of Arts & Sciences students: The minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) required for Trinity students wishing to study away during the semester is 2.7 on a scale of 4.0. A student with a GPA lower than 2.7 must use the GPA Waiver Form to obtain permission from their academic dean before they will be approved for study away by the Global Education Office for Undergraduates (GEO).

For Pratt students: Pratt students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA in order to receive conditional approval to study away, and they must maintain a 3.0 minimum GPA in order to be allowed to participate in a study away program.

There is no minimum cumulative GPA required for Duke students wishing to study away during the summer, but students must meet continuation requirements at Duke and are subject to program-specific admissions requirements, which may include a higher minimum GPA.

Non-Duke students must be in good standing at an accredited college or university, provide a transcript of all work taken, and be accepted into the program by the applicable Duke program director. Students who have not matriculated at a college or university are not eligible to participate in study away on Duke’s programs and will not receive credit for programs abroad taken through another institution.

A student who is on academic or disciplinary probation or who does not meet academic continuation requirements will not be permitted to study away while the sanction is in effect, regardless of the student's acceptance to a program. Upon submission of the General Application questionnaire, GEO will conduct a check of each student's academic and disciplinary record to determine eligibility to study away from Duke or, in the case of a non-Duke student, will request such information from their home institution. 

A student who is put on academic or disciplinary probation during the course of a study away program is not permitted to continue on the program. In this event, the student must leave the program and forfeit academic credit. This will be considered an involuntary withdrawal and no refund will be given. 

Students may not apply to study away programs while suspended from Duke or their home institution.

Students must abide by the Duke Community Standard and may be dismissed for violations. A dismissed student will receive no refund or credit for the program.

As a participant on a Duke-Approved or Duke-Administered study away program, each student is a representative of Duke University, their home institution, and the United States, and should conduct themselves in a manner that reflects favorably on all.

Duke Community Standard: Duke students remain subject to the behavioral requirements set forth in the Duke Community Standard (the “Standard”) while participating on a study away program. While participating on a Duke-Administered program, non-Duke students are also subject to the Standard. Duke may terminate a student’s participation in the program if Duke determines, in its sole discretion, that: a) student has violated the Standard, b) continued student participation in the program poses a risk to the health, safety or welfare of the student or others, or c) continued student participation in the program session will materially disrupt the program. In such an event, the student agrees to leave the program and the student will not receive a refund or academic credit for the program.

Compliance with Laws: While on a program, students must comply with all applicable laws and regulations. If the program takes place outside of the United States, students are required to comply with all laws and regulations of the host country and city, including those regarding required travel documents such as obligations to obtain visas and study permits (it is the sole responsibility of the student to obtain the necessary permissions to enter or remain in a country) and laws with respect to the purchase, possession or consumption of alcohol or illicit drugs. If Duke determines that a student has violated a law while participating on a Duke-Administered program, Duke will terminate the student’s participation in the program. For Duke-Approved programs, Duke will terminate its involvement with regard to the student’s participation on the program.

Lectures/Field Trips: Duke-Administered and Duke-Approved programs may include required lectures and/or field trips that are considered germane to the educational experience. All enrolled students must participate in such activities unless exempted by the program director.

Late Arrivals & Early Departures: Duke-Administered programs have established start and end dates, which include mandatory orientation programs. Without exception, each student must arrive in time for the official start date of their program and must remain until their program officially ends.

Duke students participating on Duke-Approved programs should also abide by the official start and end dates of their programs. Please note that the Global Education Office will not provide letters of permission for students to arrive late or leave early from Duke-Approved programs.

All Duke students are required to meet continuation requirements while studying away.

• Continuation requirements for Pratt students
• Continuation requirements for Trinity College students

Students should be aware that grade expectations and continuation rules apply to Duke-Administered and Duke-Approved programs alike. The fact that you may ultimately be earning transfer credit for your coursework does not relieve you from the high academic expectations of Duke University.

Students enrolled in graduate study at Duke may apply to take undergraduate-level courses through the Global Education Office (GEO). The courses will appear on the student’s transcript as undergraduate course credit(s), except for some programs with pre-approved graduate numbers.

Graduate students must pay the posted GEO tuition and program fee as well as out-of-pocket for expenses that are not covered by the program: airfare, visa, books, uncovered meals, etc.

GEO is not able to enroll a graduate student until the applicant submits a Graduate Student Enrollment Form. Graduate students will gain access to this PDF form in MyGlobalEd upon initiation of an application to a program.

As an international student, there are a few steps you must take in order to maintain your F-1 visa status while studying away:

1. Notify Duke Visa Services of your plans well in advance of your actual time abroad.
2. Make sure your visa documents (I-20 form, visa stamp, and passport) are current and in order before traveling and re-entering the United States after your program.
3. Before leaving on your study away program, update your local/residential address in DukeHub to reflect your address in the country where you are studying away.
4. After you return to the United States, please remember to update your local/residential address in DukeHub to reflect your current U.S. address.

Duke students must declare their major no later than the spring of their sophomore year. This means that students wishing to study away in their 4th semester must declare their major in the semester before they leave. Pratt students should check with their advisor about declaring their major if they plan on studying away for a semester program as a sophomore.

Duke-Administered Programs

Housing type and options will vary depending on the program; details can be found on individual program pages. Students are expected to abide by program housing rules as established by the individual programs. Concerns regarding housing arrangements for Duke-administered programs should be addressed to the GEO program manager for that program. 

Petitions

Duke students are required to live in petition program housing.

Duke-Approved Programs

Duke students are required to live in study away program-provided housing, if offered. Students are required to apply for program housing within one week of the program housing portal/application becoming available.

Exceptions to the GEO housing policy will only be considered for the reasons listed below. Please note that failing to apply for program housing by the program deadline is not an exception-granting reason. Failure to apply for program housing could result in administrative withdrawal from the program. Requests for housing exceptions should be emailed directly to geodirectors@duke.edu and include all required documentation outlined below. Students will be notified of their request status by email from GEO Directors.

Disability Accommodation: 

• A letter from the institution/provider that states that they cannot meet your accommodation needs. 
• An up-to-date Duke DAAS accommodation stating the needs that must be met. 
• Your in-country address and in-country contact information for emergencies. If you are still searching for housing at the time of your request for an exception, you may state that in your email. If approved, your exception request will be “conditionally approved,” until GEO receives your in-country address. Failure to submit this information before 2 weeks of the program start date could result in administrative withdrawal from the program. 
• A signed independent housing form by student and guardian. Please email geodirectors@duke.edu for a copy of this form. 

 
Living with a Family Member Abroad: 

• A letter from the family member who is a permanent resident of the country stating you can live with them for the duration of the program. 
• Proof of residency from the family member (for visa purposes). Proof of Residency includes: 
  • *Copy of family member’s ID with current address
  • *Copy of passport from the country or copy of their residency visa
  • *Copy of lease or other document with family member’s name that shows the address listed 

• Your in-country address and in-country contact information for emergencies. 
• A signed independent housing form by student and guardian. Please email geodirectors@duke.edu for a copy of this form. 
• Note: You cannot live with any other student on the program. 

 
Institution/Provider Runs Out of Housing: 

• Confirmation from the program that the student submitted housing materials within 1 week of the provider making it available. 
• Your in-country address and in-country contact information for emergencies. If you are still searching for housing at the time of your request for an exception, you may state that in your email. If approved, your exception request will be “conditionally approved,” until GEO receives your in-country address. Failure to submit this information before 2 weeks of the program start date could result in administrative withdrawal from the program. 
• A signed independent housing form by student and guardian. Please email geodirectors@duke.edu for a copy of this form.  
• Note: You cannot live with more than one other Duke student who has not secured program housing. Students who received program housing are not permitted to leave the program housing to live with other Duke students.

Duke students who are granted a housing exception should consider Duke’s Office of Global Health and Safety’s recommendations on alternative accommodations. 

Duke students requiring a housing accommodation should follow the instructions outlined on the GEO DAAS webpage to request that accommodation on their program.

All Duke students studying away and all non-Duke students studying away with Duke University, along with their parents or legal guardians, are required to sign and submit a Participation Agreement in the semester prior to departure.

Students who fail to submit properly completed forms by the published deadlines may not be placed on Study Away Agreement with the university and may not be allowed to study on a global education program.

Non-Duke students studying on Duke-Administered programs will receive instructions regarding the form at the time of acceptance. The signed form must be submitted by the date indicated in the acceptance letter.

Duke students studying away on approved programs will be put on Study Away Agreement status for the duration of their study programs. Study Away Agreement status will preserve the student's place and standing at Duke while away from campus.

Policies differ depending on whether the student withdraws voluntarily, the student withdraws involuntarily, or the program was canceled.

The Study Abroad Fee will be charged by Duke University to all students participating in Duke-Approved programs administered by institutions other than Duke University.

All courses taken while abroad on a Duke-Administered or Duke-Approved program must be approved by the appropriate academic department at Duke before academic credit will be granted by the Duke University Registrar.

On semester study away programs, you must take whatever is considered a normal, full-time course load (not the minimum load) on your program or at your host institution. No underloads are allowed. No overloads are allowed. Failure to complete a full course load while on study away may result in being put on academic probation or being dismissed from the university due to continuation requirements not being met.

Credit may not be granted for the same course twice. For example, a student who has taken POLSCI 219 at Duke may not receive credit for taking an equivalent course on a program away. The reverse is also true.

Duke students on Duke-Administered and Duke-Approved programs taught in English in non-English speaking countries (e.g., Duke in Venice, DIS, NYU in Prague, etc.) are required to take at least one course in the local language while on the program. The only exception to this policy is the ICCS program in Rome, where Greek or Latin may be substituted for Italian.
 
The language course must be taught over a span of at least four weeks and be eligible for transfer credit approval by a Duke department. If students do not comply with the requirement, a maximum of three course credits will transfer back to Duke for the semester, regardless of credits earned.

Students may not enroll in independent study courses based at the Duke’s Durham campus while studying away. This includes Bass Connections projects.

Duke-Administered programs: Independent studies on Duke-Administered programs must be pre-arranged in close consultation with the GEO and in accordance with Duke University’s independent study policies, as well as study away credit transfer policies.

Duke-Approved programs: For independent studies, directed research courses, field studies, and academic internships on Duke-Approved programs, students must consult with the GEO about credit possibilities before going away. Students cannot assume a course will be approved, but must obtain approval from the appropriate Director of Undergraduate Study (DUS), before going and after returning through completion of the Practicum Course Approval Process. To receive final approval for such courses, students must bring back evidence of written work in the course (syllabus, papers, exams, portfolio, etc.). To facilitate receiving more than 100 (lower-level) credit at Duke it is recommended that students write a term paper for these courses, even if the instructors do not require it.

A course will not earn transfer credit unless the U.S. equivalent of a C– or higher is earned. If a student earns below a C–, the course will be recorded on their Duke transcript as a TNC (transfer no credit). Transfer credit grades and TNC will not be factored into a student’s GPA.

While on study away, students are not allowed to enroll in online courses for credit. Standing approvals for the same course number in the GEO Approved Course Database are void if the modality changes to online delivery.

Duke University does not allow students, including those visiting from other institutions, to take courses on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) basis while studying away. All courses must be taken for a grade to receive academic credit at Duke. This applies both to Duke-Administered credits and transfer credit courses taken on any program away.

Students may not take physical education courses (e.g. kayaking, hiking, bowling) on study away programs for transfer credit.

Course Value and Length Minimum
In order to receive Duke credit, students must enroll in courses that each meet for a minimum of 4 weeks (35 contact hours) and each have an equivalency of at least 3 U.S. semester hours.

Course Modality or Structure Changes
Students are responsible for reviewing the syllabi of approved courses in the GEO Approved Course Database to ensure the content and modality have not changed. No online coursework is allowed. Standing approvals for the same course number in the GEO Approved Course Database are void if the modality changes to online delivery.

Small Group Learning Experience (SGLE) general education credit is possible, but not guaranteed for Duke-Administered and Duke-Approved study away programs. For a course to carry SGLE designation, the Duke Office of the Registrar will need an official letter or fax (on letterhead) from the instructor or program director stating two things:

• The format was a seminar or tutorial. Seminar generally means that student presentations were an integral part of the class.
• The class size - a number, which must fit Duke's rules for SGLE credit (generally 12 - 15 students, exceptionally to 18).

All SGLE letters for credit abroad should be submitted to the Global Education Office (geocourses@duke.edu). Upon receipt, the letter will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar on the student's behalf.

The courses you take on a study away program may offer Duke credit, transfer credit, or a hybrid of both Duke and transfer credit. To learn how each course you take on study away might satisfy curricular requirements and/or factor into your progress towards graduation, see: Academics: Types of Credit.

Students must be in compliance with Duke’s vaccination policies.

Any student wishing to remain with the same study abroad program for an additional semester will need to complete a Notification of Extension of Study Abroad Form.

In addition, students should contact their academic dean and the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) for their major prior to making a final decision to extend time away.

Semester Program Withdrawals

All students who need to terminate their participation in their study away program for any reason after being placed on Study Away Agreement must submit a Semester Withdrawal Form to the Global Education Office as soon as possible after deciding to withdraw:

Duke students who leave their programs without providing the GEO with this official withdrawal notification may be withdrawn from Duke and will need to apply for readmission in accordance with official Duke University guidelines. Students on Duke-Approved programs should also consult the program's withdrawal policy in addition to filling out the withdrawal form mentioned above.

Earning Credit: Students must complete the academic program requirements of the Duke program and/or Duke-Approved program in order to receive credit for study away courses. If students withdraw prior to completing course work, it is unlikely that they will be eligible to receive credit from foreign institutions, even if part of a Duke program. Grades reported by the program will appear on the student's Duke record in accordance with Duke grading and grade requirements as stated in the Duke University Bulletin of Undergraduate Instruction.

Returning to Duke: Students are responsible for making all arrangements for their return to campus the following semester and should consult their academic dean as soon as possible. If a student withdraws in time to return to the Duke campus for the semester (that is, by the end of the semester's drop/add period), they may enroll in courses back at Duke on a space available basis.

Financial Aid Implications: Financial aid recipients considering withdrawal after the start of a study away program (and after the start of classes on Duke's campus/their home campus) should discuss the situation with the issuing financial aid office prior to making a final decision.

Responsibility to Pay: Policies differ depending upon whether the student withdraws voluntarily, involuntarily, or the program was cancelled.

Summer Program Withdrawals

Students who need to terminate their participation in their study away program for any reason must notify GEO by signing and submitting the Summer Withdrawal Form before leaving the program. Students are also responsible for notifying the faculty director of the summer program of their intent to withdraw from the program.

Earning Credit: Students participating on Duke-Administered summer programs who leave the program after the first three days will receive a 'W' for withdrawal as determined by the faculty director.

Duke students who leave their programs without providing GEO with official withdrawal notification will remain enrolled in their programs, earning grades in accordance with Duke grading and grade requirements in the Duke University Bulletin of Undergraduate Instruction.

Responsibility to Pay: Policies differ depending upon whether the student withdraws voluntarily, the student withdraws involuntarily, or the program was cancelled.

Duke University requires all students studying away on Duke-Administered and Duke-Approved programs to be covered by adequate sickness and accident insurance from a U.S.-based insurance carrier for the duration of their programs. If students are planning to use their existing domestic insurance carrier abroad, they should check with this carrier to ensure that their coverage will extend abroad, as they will be financially responsible for all medical expenses incurred during their program.

Students should be sure to bring a copy of their insurance card and review and understand their coverage prior to departure. In most instances, medical expenses incurred abroad will first need to be paid by the student out of pocket, after which they will need to seek reimbursement from their insurance company.

Duke students studying abroad can elect to purchase the Duke Student Medical Insurance Plan (SMIP) administered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Carolina. See the Student Affairs Health Insurance website for additional information. Non-Duke students in need of insurance coverage abroad should consult the student services and/or study abroad offices of their home institutions for suggestions or recommendations.

Due to laws and regulations in certain countries, programs, and/or foreign institutions, some programs abroad will require students to enroll in country-specific supplemental insurance plans. Please note, however, that enrollment in such plans does not exempt students from the requirement of having U.S.-based insurance coverage while on their programs.

Duke University has contracted for international medical, security, and travel assistance services, managed and administered by a company called International SOS (ISOS). For both Duke students and non-Duke students, ISOS membership is automatically active upon enrollment in a Duke-administered study away program. For complete details, see: International SOS (ISOS): Emergency & Travel Assistance Service.

Students are not permitted to operate motor vehicles during program-sponsored activities or events. Duke highly discourages students from driving motor vehicles for personal travel while on their study abroad/away programs. Students who plan to operate a motor vehicle must be sure to obtain the proper credentials for legally operating a vehicle in the applicable foreign country/countries, and must obtain liability and collision insurance that will cover them and their vehicle(s) abroad.

Duke is not responsible for a student’s personal property that is lost or stolen while the student is studying away. Students are encouraged to insure their property from loss or theft while abroad/away, since out-of-pocket replacement expenses for lost or stolen personal items (e.g. laptops, iPhones, digital cameras, etc.) can be quite costly.

To insure your travel arrangements against unexpected illnesses, delays, or other disruptions, you may want to consider purchasing travel insurance from your airline or travel agent. Be sure that you read and feel comfortable with any exceptions to coverage before purchasing a policy.

Students are not required to purchase tuition insurance, but students on Duke-administered programs may purchase insurance through the Tuition Refund Plan. See Duke Bursar’s Office website for more information.