Courses

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Duke Summer Session offers courses from across the arts and sciences so you can get ahead in you major, minors, and certificates; complete general education requirements, and delve into your interests. Courses are primarily offered in-person, with a selection of online courses available.

Summer Session courses are open to currently enrolled Duke and DKU undergraduates, and undergraduate students from other universities. Select Term 2 courses are also open to advanced, academically qualified rising high school juniors and seniors.

With a relaxed atmosphere and time to focus on a smaller course load, summer is ideal for focusing on challenging courses or taking courses that fill quickly during fall and spring semesters.

Please see the Projected Course Listings for courses that departments are currently planning to offer. On February 19, the course schedule will be available on DukeHub and will include the most up-to-date course information.

For more information, email summer@duke.edu.

Maximum Enrollment

  • Trinity College students and visiting college students may enroll in two courses per 6-week term of Summer Session. One of these courses may be a laboratory science course. 
  • Pratt School of Engineering students must make an appointment with their Academic Dean in order to discuss taking more than one laboratory course in a 6-week term of Summer Session. 

Students may also enroll in a physical education activity course for one-half course credit or an applied music course for one-quarter or one-half course credit, not to exceed a total of 2.5 course credits in a 6-week term.

A greater course load may be possible on rare occasions with the approval of your Academic Dean or the appropriate Director of Graduate Studies. Visiting students must obtain approval from the director of the Summer Session.

If a course must be cancelled due to low enrollment, this decision is made as early as possible in an attempt to avoid undue hardship on students. Students already enrolled in a cancelled course will be notified immediately. If possible, courses are offered as scheduled.

General Information about Course Levels

  • 0 - 99 – Advanced Placement credit; House Courses; First-Year Seminars, First-Year Writing
  • 100 - 199 – Introductory-level undergraduate courses; basic skills / activity courses
  • 200 - 399 – Undergraduate courses above introductory level
  • 400 - 499 – Advanced undergraduate, senior seminars, capstone courses, honors thesis courses
  • 500 - 699 – Graduate courses open to advanced undergraduates