Types of Credit

The courses you take on a study away program may offer Duke credit, transfer credit, or a hybrid of both Duke and transfer credit. Make sure you understand how each course you take on study away might satisfy curricular requirements and/or factor into your progress towards graduation.

Study away courses issuing Duke credit are designed to be as rigorous as a course on Duke’s campus. These courses are offered on Duke-In programs, which are administered and supervised by Duke University, either fully or in partnerships with other institutions, and Duke faculty are directly involved.

In study away courses bearing Duke credit:

• You earn Duke grades that are factored into your GPA. Your grades are considered in determining your eligibility for academic honors and recognition such as Dean’s List.

• Courses count towards graduation, just like any Duke class.

• Courses count towards your major, minor, or certificate, just like any Duke class.

• You can fulfill Areas of Knowledge (ALP, CZ, NS, QS, SS).

• You can fulfill Modes of Inquiry (CCI, STS, EI, W, R).

• You can fulfill the (FL) Mode of Inquiry requirement.

The courses you take on study away for transfer credit are added to your record upon your return, so long as you follow the instructions for getting a course approved and reconciling your transfer credit.

In study away courses approved for transfer credit:

• You must take the course for a grade. You cannot take a course Pass/Fail.
• You must earn the U.S. equivalent of a C- or higher.
• Grades are not factored into your Duke GPA and do not appear on your Duke transcript, but you still have to take the course for a grade.

Transfer no credit:

If you earn below a C-, your course grade will be recorded on your Duke transcript as TNC (transfer no credit). TNC courses will not be factored into your GPA.

FULFILLING CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS

Provided you earn the appropriate grade, transfer courses approved by academic departments at Duke:

• Will appear on your transcript in accordance with the type of approval granted for the course, either as the course's direct Duke equivalent or as a departmental elective.

• May count towards graduation.

• May be used to satisfy major, minor, and/or certificate requirements at your department's discretion.

• Can be used to satisfy Areas of Knowledge requirements (ALP, CZ, NS, QS, SS). A course may not be used to satisfy more than one Area of Knowledge, even if the course carries more than one Area of Knowledge code.

• Cannot satisfy the following Modes of Inquiry requirements: CCI, STS, EI, W, R. 

• May be used to retroactively apply for the (FL) Mode of Inquiry if certain criteria are met, though approval is not guaranteed. See Trinity Policies on the FL Requirement.

Some Duke-In semester programs are designed with a hybrid credit structure. This means you will enroll in a mix of Duke courses and courses offered at foreign universities, and, as a result, you will earn a mix of Duke credit and transfer credit on the same program.

See sections above for the differences between Duke credit and transfer credit. 

Which programs have a hybrid credit structure?

• Duke in Madrid
• Duke in Madrid–Intermediate Track
• Duke in Berlin
• Duke in Glasgow
• Duke in France/EDUCO
• Duke in Los Angeles
• Duke in NY: Fall Creative Industries

The courses you take on study away for transfer credit are added to your record upon your return, so long as you follow the instructions for getting a course approved and reconciling your transfer credit.

If you are a non-Duke student enrolling in a Duke study away program, please find information about academic credit and transcripts in the Guide for Non-Duke Students.