Academic Eligibility
Although individual study away programs and overseas institutions will have their own criteria for admissions, Duke University students are additionally held to an institutional standard before being allowed to study abroad for credit. The institutional standards for participation in GEO study away programs are as follows.
Summer Programs
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.
Semester Programs
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
The minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) required for Trinity students wishing to study abroad/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 abroad/away by GEO.
Pratt School of Engineering
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. Additionally, all Pratt students must agree to the Pratt Study Away Policies outlined in the Pratt Study Away Contract. This signed contract must be submitted to their academic dean before students can be placed on Study Away Agreement.
Non-Duke Students
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 Duke program director. Students who are not matriculated at a college or university are not eligible to participate in Duke’s GEO programs and will not receive credit for programs attended via another institution.
Students under Academic or Disciplinary Sanctions
A student who is on academic or disciplinary probation or who does not meet academic continuation requirements will not be permitted to study away during the period 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. Non-Duke students are required to submit the Home College/University Approval Form, which requests eligibility 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. The full refund policy can be found at https://globaled.duke.edu/finances/withdrawal-cancellation.
Students may not apply to study away programs while suspended from Duke or their home institution.
Major Declaration
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 should declare their major in the semester before they leave. Pratt students should check with their advisor about declaring their major if they plan to study away as a sophomore.
