ADMISSIONS

The Visiting International Student program is an opportunity for foreign-national students enrolled at universities outside the U.S. to study at Duke University. The program is designed for undergraduate students, usually in their second or third year of studies, who have a thorough knowledge of the English language.

Global Partners

The first step is to determine whether your university is considered a ‘Global Partner’ by reviewing the list of Duke’s partners schools. The admissions process will vary slightly depending on your home institution’s partner status. 

List of Global Partners

  • Fall & Academic Year Admissions
  • Requirements for Admission

Fall & Academic Year Admissions

The application and admissions process is the same whether you are applying for fall semester only or for a full academic year. However, applicants not affiliated with one of Duke's VIS Global Partners are advised to apply for fall semester only, as there is limited space available for academic year students. Spring semester-only applications will not be considered due to housing limitations on the Duke campus.

Requirements for Admission

Candidates must meet the following requirements for admission. Proof will be required as part of the application process:

  • Citizenship other than U.S.
  • A thorough knowledge of the English language, both written and spoken (see next tab)
  • Enrollment in a full-time, undergraduate course of studies at an accredited university based in a country other than the U.S.
  • A completed application for the Duke University Visiting International Student and Exchange Programs
  • Proof of sufficient financial support for the student's year of undergraduate study at Duke
  • Global Partner applicants: Applicants from all partner institutions must submit a letter of nomination from their home institution.
  • English Proficiency
  • Application
  • Deadline
  • Notification

English Proficiency

Students from abroad who do not use English as their primary language must demonstrate the ability to deal with idiomatic English as spoken in an academic setting. The students must have the ability to express thoughts quickly and clearly in both spoken and written English. Candidates for the Visiting International Student and Exchange Programs, therefore, must be completely fluent at the time the application is submitted.

Accepted English proficiency tests are as follows:

  • The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): The minimum required score on the TOEFL is 100 on the iBT (or 600 on the paper based test). To register for the TOEFL, contact Educational Testing Service.
  • IELTS (International English Language Testing System): The minimum required score on the IELTS is 7.0. To register for the IELTS, contact IELTS.

Please submit a scanned copy of your test results with your application.

Application

You will need to establish a login to start the application. If you do not attend one of our partner institutions, please choose "Other" from the institution menu. After you have begun an application, you can access your profile in the MyExperientialEd online application portal.

 

Apply to the VIS Program

Accompanying Documentation

  • Submit any accompanying application documentation electronically to valerie.cullen@duke.edu.
  • Where necessary, please obtain and submit official translations of all documents (transcripts, recommendations, etc.) that are not prepared in English.

Paper materials may be mailed to:

Duke University Visiting International Student Program
Global Education Office for Undergraduates
Duke Box 90057
114 S. Buchanan St.
Durham, NC 27708-0057, U.S.A.

Deadline

  • Non-partner student deadline: February 1
  • Global Partner student deadline: March 1, or by arrangement. Partner students needing to apply after the March 1 deadline should start an application, then email valerie.cullen@duke.edu to request an extended deadline.

Complete the application and submit it and other required materials by the appropriate deadline above for academic year and fall semester admissions.

Notification

For applications completed by February 1, notification of a final decision will take place by March 15. For applications submitted later, final decisions will depend on the availability of the selections committee.

Under the Campus Security Act (20 U.S.C. 1092f), prospective students may obtain a copy of the University's annual security report by visiting the Duke University Police Department at 502 Oregon Street, Durham, NC 27708 or by calling 919-684-4602. This report includes campus crime statistics and the University's safety and security policies.