Duke University Global Education Office for Undergraduates

General

Is study abroad possible at Duke?
Yes. Studying abroad is an increasingly popular option for Duke students who want to expand their educational horizons. Duke University is committed to providing an internationally grounded liberal education that will enable its students to understand the world better, appreciate the international contributions to knowledge, and to cope effectively with an increasingly intercultural environment. Duke strongly encourages its students to study abroad: direct experience of another culture is the best way of communication across barriers of custom, language, geography, and politics. An encounter with different values, educational methods, and with a foreign culture can broaden the student's understanding of the world. To see who is studying abroad and where, please review our statistics.

Why should I study abroad?Everyone will give different answers to this question. Duke students who have studied abroad enthusiastically agree about its advantages. They find class work in a foreign country stimulating and their encounters outside the classroom educational and exciting. They come back with a broader, deeper understanding both of another country and of their own cultural background. Entering Duke students should start planning early to enjoy this unique opportunity.

What happens if a student goes on a study abroad program and then has great difficulty with the language? Does this ever happen?
Students who choose to go on language immersion programs generally are placed into the level most appropriate to their skills. We are not aware of any problem with students going abroad and having problems just with the language component.

I'm interested in general evaluations of different programs. Do students equally enjoy the programs? Academic quality? Academic programs?
Students generally speak highly of their academic and personal experiences abroad. Evaluations are kept on file in the Global Education Office and are available to all who visit our Reference Room.

Do most students elect to study abroad for a single semester (rather than a full year)?
Yes. Very few of our students study abroad for a full academic year. In 2010-11, 459 studied abroad one semester and 14 went for the whole year.

Do students ever participate in multiple study abroad programs?
Yes. The most common combination is summer and fall, or multiple summer programs.

Are there a few favorite study abroad sites?
In 2010-11, the most popular study abroad destinations among Duke students were Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Australia.

What types of programs are available to Duke students?
There are two types of programs: those administered directly by Duke ("Duke-in" programs), and those sponsored by other American and foreign universities which are approved by Duke. Visit the Programs page to search the list of Duke-approved programs.

What is a Duke-administered program?
These are programs administered and supervised by Duke. Duke faculty are directly involved, and the courses receive Duke credit and grades like courses on campus. Duke-administered programs appear on the Programs page. Direct programs are not Duke-administered programs.

What is a Duke-approved program?
These programs are sponsored by other American and foreign universities and are approved for Duke students by the Duke Committee on Global Education. Over 120 programs are approved for Duke student participation in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Oceania. Students receive transfer credit toward their degrees. Grades are not recorded on the Duke transcript. Visit the Programs page to search through the list of Duke-approved programs.

What about other programs, not in these categories?
There are more than a hundred study abroad programs on the Duke-approved list. If a student is interested in a program not approved or administered by Duke, s/he must meet with a study abroad advisor to discuss the viability of that program. If it appears to be a viable program, a petition packet will be provided. The student must complete this packet, which involves providing more complete information for the program, obtaining DUS approval for the courses they wish to take, and writing an essay describing the academic reason this program meets their needs. The packet is submitted to the GEO-U, and reviewed by the Faculty Committee on Global Education, where the petition will either be approved or not. Students interested in studying at foreign universities by direct enrollment (without a U.S. college program's sponsorship) may apply directly to these universities in order to attend regular university courses. Direct enrollment must also be approved by the Committee on Global Education.

How many Duke-In study abroad programs do we currently have? What are they and how many students attend each year?
There are 15 Duke-in programs and about 20 summer programs. Among Duke students, the most popular semester Duke program is Duke in Madrid and the most popular summer program is Duke in Oxford. You may view GEO-U statistics here.

What about Semester at Sea, or other programs that visit many places in one semester?
Duke considers programs such as Semester at Sea and the Scholar Ship to be domestic programs, which means Trinity students can only transfer up to two course credits for a semester program, and Pratt students up to four. Domestic transfer credit is handled by a student's academic dean, and not the Global Education Office. The rationale behind this policy is that the programs do not provide an immersion experience abroad.

Where can I find more information about study abroad programs?
The first step for any Duke student who wants to study abroad is to read this website thoroughly and visit the Global Education Office, Smith Warehouse,114 S. Buchanan Blvd., 2nd Floor, Bay 6. At the office, you will be able to browse the following information:
• program brochures
• travel guides
• websites
• scholarship information
• foreign university bulletins
• program evaluations from previous participants
• applications
• necessary forms to be completed by all study abroad participants

The Global Education Office assists students in clearing their study abroad plans through Duke and in understanding Duke's policies on study abroad. After initial visits, students may schedule appointments with the office staff or the Associate Dean for Study Abroad to receive individualized guidance in their planning for the best possible international educational experience.

What about housing when I come back to Duke?
Students should be in touch with the Housing Office. There is a form to fill out that will alert Housing to a student's plans and ensure that there will be campus housing available when the student returns. Click here for more information.

 


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Postcard from Abroad

Dear Global Education Office:

Spending a semester in Paris offered me some of the rarest and most incredible experiences of my life. Living with a charming French woman across the river from the Eiffel Tower, my rich experience of French culture began with conversations, excursions, and authentic French meals with her. It extended to attending French university classes, shopping at the outdoor market near our apartment, and strolling along the streets and feeling the pulse of the city. It included exposure to the wealth of art in the city’s many museums where I nursed a new-found passion for modern art.

My five months in Paris truly allowed me to explore and appreciate the depth and beauty of a new culture. Moreover, my proximity to other European countries allowed me to travel and experience a vast range of cultures.

Following my semester in Paris, I was able to continue my time abroad in England where I spent a month doing research at London’s Public Record Office. As a history major, going to London provided me with access to sources which have been fundamental to my studies at Duke, thus giving me an invaluable opportunity to pursue my academic interests.

– Anna Faircloth

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Tea tasting in Kunming


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Postcard from Abroad

Dear Office of Study Abroad:

I loved our trip to the Afro-Ecuadorian regions of Ecuador. Our trip to Playa del Oro was particularly eye-opening. I have heard many people who have traveled to impoverished areas express varying forms of pity and sadness at the circumstances they saw. While I was sad in some ways to witness poverty and the affects of exploitation, I had an entirely different experience actually getting the chance to talk to the people.

Many of them were very concerned with preserving their culture and didn't desire help from organizations or people with different priorities and values. Others wanted roads and schools. The differences in opinion and the reasons behind these differences made me think about their struggles in ways I had not previously considered.

Additionally, I saw such joy in the close-knit communities and a celebration of life that was inspiring and completely different than the depression and sorrow I somehow expected. We played soccer with some kids from Playa del Oro one night. The town also threw a sort of town-dance for us, with musical performances and then a general time of dancing together. When we were leaving Playa del Oro, many people gathered near the river to see us off with singing and dancing.

The generosity and kindness of the people was overwhelming. I really saw a different perspective on wealth and happiness. It was such a beautifully fun experience, and I thought that the way they lived, valuing the resources they had and sharing with each other, was so personal and human. It really made me appreciate different ways of living and different values as not just valid, but as good and beautiful.

– Kristen Jones

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Catania Market


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Postcard from Abroad

Dear Global Education Office:

My four weeks in Greece taught me more than I could have learned from reading the same textbook and attending the same lectures in a campus classroom setting. It was very enlightening to learn about Plato and Socrates one afternoon, and then visit the ancient agora where they taught and debated then next. The museums and archaeological sites truly brought the ancient Greek civilization to life for me.

This was my first class in philosophy, a stark contrast to my science-heavy course load as a biology major. But the program opened my eyes to a new area of study and I became much more interested in history and classical civilizations. I plan to take courses in history and perhaps philosophy in subsequent semesters at Duke.

Constantly traveling through the islands as well as the mainland of Greece, I experienced many facets of Greek culture. From catching some sun in Santorini to hiking up Mount Olympus, and from avoiding donkey traffic in Hydra to visiting the Parthenon in Athens, the differences between our culture and theirs intrigued me. In the future, I hope to conduct research in epidemiology and volunteer abroad in order to learn from other cultures as well as share medical knowledge with other parts of the world.

– Cheryl Ho

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