Academics

BLUF: The following policies outline and define classroom expectations, academic requirements and resources for the Daytime MBA program. If you have questions about any of this information please contact the Office of Student Life (OSL).


The Fuqua Bulletin is the official academic handbook within which you will find a complete list of academic policies, procedures and regulations.
The academic calendar is available here. You can also access the academic calendar in FuquaWorld: https://go.fuqua.duke.edu/data/fuquaworld/Student_Resources/academic_calendars.html

During their time at Fuqua many students will utilize an academic resource of some kind for one, many or all of their classes. Below is a list of resources available to you. If you are confused about any topic, at any time, even on the very first day of class…..please reach out! You should also think of these academic resources as a mode of help instead of a sign of difficulty.

Teaching Assistants [TAs]: The TA’s are a resource to help you with your academic success. There is no cost to you to work with a TA and they can be tremendously helpful. They typically hold review sessions during the week and over the weekend. It is a good idea to get connected to your TA early in the semester if you are not familiar with the subject material as 1) you want to avoid falling too far behind; and 2) the TA supply is fixed and demand will rise as the semester progresses.

Professors: Of course the professors want you to do well in their class so if you don’t understand the material reach out to your professor and/or go see them during office hours.

Peers: Is there someone in your class that seems to be an expert on a topic that you are having trouble with? If so don’t be afraid to ask them for help > Team Fuqua!

Academic Fellows: These are SY students selected by faculty and their peers to assist all students in furthering learning objectives in each core course. This group of students also manages the TAs for all of the core classes.

The Office of Student Life: If you have tried the above resources and are still having trouble with class content please email the Office of Student Life so you can learn about other resources.

Note on In-Person Attendance Expectation for the 2023-2024 Academic Year

To maintain a healthy learning environment, it is necessary to prevent behaviors that can diminish the collective classroom learning experience. While we expect students to attend all class sessions, the Classroom Norms provide clear standards for in-class behavior that relates to promptness, courtesy and preparedness.

Promptness
  • Classes will start on time and end on time; breaks will end at the time specified. Students should be in their seats and prepared for class discussion before class starts and before the break ends.
  • Some classes have handouts and/or require you to turn in an assignment before class starts. You should arrive in time to pick up a handout at the front of the class or turn in an assignment. Don’t walk to the front once class has started.
  • If you arrive late, take a seat at the back of the classroom so as to avoid disturbing others. It is fine to move into a better seat at the break.
Courtesy – In General
  • Don’t leave the classroom while class is in session. Wait until a break or until class ends. If you are ill, or awaiting news because of a family emergency, let the instructor know before class and sit at the back of the classroom.
  • All electronic devices should be turned off during class. If you need to be in touch because of a family emergency, let the instructor know before class and keep your device on vibrate.
  • Eat before you come to class; no eating in the classroom, beverages are okay.
  • Clean up after yourself and others.
Courtesy – Class Discussion
  • Listen carefully: to the professor, to your classmates.
  • Raise your hand when you want to speak and wait to be acknowledged by the professor.
  • Do not interrupt someone else who is speaking.
  • If someone else makes the comment you planned to make, put your hand down. Don’t repeat a comment someone else has already made.
  • Be respectful of others’ comments and ideas.
Preparedness
  • Come to class having completed all the assigned readings, cases and other assignments. Do not adopt a strategy to divide and conquer the work within teams, because it minimizes individual learning. All students should contribute to the work of the team and are expected to be able to explain and apply the nature of the analysis and outcome.
  • Bring all the necessary class materials with you to class including cases, readings and an extra copy of your assignment (if one is due).
  • Always bring your name tent.
  • Cold calls are fair game, though it is better if you initiate the discussion.
Students requesting to take more than three 3-credit courses in any given term (Fall 1, Fall 2, Spring 1, Spring 2) should request an overload. Course overloads are approved the week before drop/add ends for each term.  If you would like to request an overload, you can do so by submitting your request in FuquaConnect. Search for the form "... Credit Increase Request". Requests are implemented the week prior to the start of each term. Once approved, a notification is emailed to let you know that additional courses can be added through DukeHub.

It is not necessary to request an overload for the following courses. These courses will be added to your schedule via the Fuqua Registrar’s office and credits will automatically be increased. Some of these courses are part of our Experiential Learning courses (EL). The professor teaching the course will alert us of the students who should be enrolled.
  • Finance 894 – Private Equity Buyouts Lab.
  • Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum (FCCP)  (EL)
  • Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE) (EL)
  • Hlthmgmt 705 & 706 – Health Sector Management Seminar Series
  • Hlthmgmt 716 - Management of Health Systems and Policy (begins before term 3 starts)
  • Hlthmgmt 896 – Practicum (DUHELP) (EL)
  • Hltmgmt 898 - Design in Healthcare Series
  • Independent Study with approval. Visit Fuqua Connect for Guidelines. (EL)
  • Management 754 - Mentored Study (EL)
  • Non-Fuqua Courses – Please find information about taking courses at Duke in FuquaConnect
  • Strategy 849, 851 – New Ventures courses
Additional Fuqua Registrar resources are found in FuquaConnect.
BLUF: If you are registered for a class you will be charged for that course pack. Course Packs are available to be picked up on the first day of classes at the start of each term. You will also be able to access the course pack online via your courses Canvas site. All pre-assignments will be made available on FuquaWorld until the end of the second week of classes.

COURSE PACK, PRE-ASSIGNMENT DISTRIBUTION & PAYMENT POLICIES

Daytime MBA Program, Master Of Management Studies and Master Of Quantitative Management: Course packs and pre-assignments are distributed by the Building Management Office (BMO). All registered students must purchase a course pack. After the Daytime MBA Drop/Add period, the Building Management Office will run the sales summary report for each class to assure that all students enrolled for credit or audit have purchased the course pack. Any student enrolled in a class who has not yet purchased their course pack will be charged to their Bursar account, and the course pack will be reserved for the student.

RETURN POLICY FOR COURSE MATERIALS

A student may return a course pack for credit to their Bursar account if they drop the course. The window for returning course packs will end after the 2nd full week of classes.

2022-2023 PRE-ASSIGNMENT & COURSE PACK DISTRIBUTION DATES

Pre-assignments will be available for pick up outside the BMO offices (A06) on the lower level of the Magat Academic Center for two weeks beginning on the following dates:
Academic Term Available beginning
Summer (MMS & MQM) TBD
Summer (Daytime MBA) TBD
Fall 1 August 24, 2023
Fall 2 October 16, 2023
Spring 1 January 4, 2024
Spring 2 March 4, 2024
All pre-assignments are also accessible to Students (and Faculty) online at Fuqua World until the end of the second week of classes. This measure is being taken during the drop/add period to help you make your final course decisions prior to picking up the assignment and to allow you access to your assignment if you could not arrange to be on campus during regular distribution. You may only pick up a pre-assignment outside the BMO if you are enrolled in or expect to add the class.

COURSE PACKS

MBA, MMS, and MQM course packs are distributed in a Kirby Reading Room during the first 2 days of class. Beginning on the 3rd day of class, you must pick up your course pack materials from the BMO Copy Center (A09), located on the lower level of the Magat Academic Center. Course packs are available through the end of the second week of classes as follows:
Academic Term Available Beginning
Summer (MMS & MQM) TBD
Summer (Daytime MBA) TBD
Fall 1 September 7, 2023 – September 21, 2023
Fall 2 October 30, 2023 – November 13, 2023
Spring 1 January 18, 2024 – February 1, 2024
Spring 2 March 18, 2024 – April 1, 2024

HOW TO ACCESS THE DIGITAL VERSION OF YOUR COURSE PACK

The cost of the course pack includes a printed and e-version of your course pack. The e-version of the student's course pack will be accessible via the Canvas course website. Should any questions or issues arise, contact Fuqua's Technical Support Team (help@fuqua.duke.edu).
Students may take up to 15 credits across all experiential courses that can count towards graduation requirements (i.e., GATE, Mentored Study, FCCP [Fuqua Client Consulting Practicums], P4E [Programs for Entrepreneurs], and Independent Study). Any experiential credits in excess of 15 do not count towards the graduation requirement.
Students who would like to request a grade review with a faculty member must follow the process outlined on FuquaWorld.

BLUF: To graduate students need 1) 79 credits; 2) no more than the pre-determined strikes per term; 3) all core classes completed, 4) completion of the Applied Learning Degree Requirement, and 5) a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.0

To graduate, Daytime MBA students must complete at least seventy-nine credits, complete or exempt all core courses, and have a GPA of at least 3.0. More information on graduation degree requirements can be found here.

Students may be dismissed from the program if they fail to make satisfactory progress to this goal. Satisfactory progress is defined by the following two criteria:

  1. Students must complete a minimum of forty-five credits in the first academic year of the program and seventy-nine credits by the end of the second academic year. Courses designated as required must be taken at the designated times unless the student has earned an exemption from the course, either by receiving an administrative exemption based on prior coursework or by passing an exemption exam.
  2. Students’ grades must exceed a minimum threshold defined by the following “strike system.” Students receive one strike for each F they earn and 0.5 strikes for each LP; these strikes accumulate through the program. If the total number of strikes received meets or exceeds the thresholds specified below, the student will be immediately dismissed from the program. The thresholds for dismissal vary by term as follows:

Threshold for Dismissal

Year/Term Strike Threshold
First Year - Summer 1 and Fall 1 1.5 Strikes
First Year - Fall 2, Spring 1, and Spring 2 2 Strikes
Second Year 2.5 Strikes

Thus, for example, a student who earns one F and one LP in Summer 1 and Fall 1 of the first year of the program will be dismissed. A student who earns one F in Summer 1 or Fall 1 and one LP later in the first year would not.

Students who are dismissed from the program may appeal their dismissal to the Curriculum Committee. The Curriculum Committee will review the appeal and consider extenuating circumstances, if any. Appeals must be submitted in writing within two weeks of notification of dismissal.

Students who earn an F in a required course must retake and pass that course at Fuqua. Per University policy, Fs remain on the student’s transcript and figure into the GPA even after retaking the course. They also continue to count in the strike total.

All Fuqua students receive a single laminated name tent at the beginning of each academic year.

If you need a new name tent reprinted because your name has changed during the academic year or you lost your name tent and cannot locate it in the Lost & Found, you can request a replacement. Start by downloading this template and input your details.

STEP 1: Use this template to create your name tent by filling in your PREFERRED FIRST NAME, LAST NAME, CLASS OF 202# & Pronouns (i.e., She/Her/Hers)

STEP 2: Save this template in your files.

STEP 3: Email the completed template to the Fuqua Copy Center at copy-bmo@fuqua.duke.edu to request a reprint. The copy center will email you once your name tent is ready to pick up. Directions to the Fuqua Copy Center can be found here.

Students can request official transcripts and degree verifications via DukeHub. In DukeHub, under Academics, choose the Request Transcript Option. Find additional information about transcripts here. if needed.  Unofficial transcripts can also be generated from DukeHub. The Duke University Registrar and not the Fuqua Registrars manage the transcript and verification process.