Undergraduate Coursework

Duke works with local residents with a variety of educational needs: 

  1. Who want to take a few courses for career development.
  2. Who eventually plan to enter graduate or professional school.
  3. Who seek courses to complete degree programs from other institutions.
  4. Who wish to resume study towards a bachelor’s degree. 

We also work with current juniors and seniors enrolled at other U.S. colleges and universities who would like to spend one or two semesters at Duke as full-time students focusing on a subject area of unique strength and prominence—typically a subject area not available at their home institutions.

Those with unique educational circumstances should contact us at registrar@duke.edu.

Admitted students are given academic counseling are subject to the regulations set forth for degree candidates, unless explicitly noted otherwise. 

Duke employees, please visit the Duke Employee Tuition Rates page for more information on special rates for employees enrolled in Duke undergraduate coursework.

Eligibility

Duke welcomes applications from individuals seeking to enroll in courses for personal enrichment, professional development, or academic exploration. 

To take a course for credit (i.e. for a grade) you need to apply for admission. Applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria to be eligible: 

  • Earned a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by a national or regional accrediting body recognized by the Department of Education prior to matriculation at Duke.
  • Age 25-years or older with existing post-secondary coursework, and intend to pursue a few courses of interest.
  • Junior or senior who is currently enrolled at another U.S. college or university and would like to pursue an academic discipline unique to Duke University for one or two semesters.   

Applicants are expected to demonstrate academic readiness through their overall education record, including past GPA, coursework rigor, and relevant experiences. While prior academic performance, including GPA, is considered during the admissions review, no minimum GPA is required for admission.

In some cases, students may be admitted provisionally and asked to demonstrate academic readiness by successfully completing initial coursework with a grade of “B” or better. This flexible approach supports Duke’s commitment to lifelong learning and ensures that motivated learners have access to rigorous academic opportunities.  

Application Directions 

To get started, please use the following application link.
  Your complete application requires the following:

  • Educational history
  • An official copy (or copies) of your transcript(s)
  • Recommendation from professor (current students and recent graduates) and/or employer. If such a letter cannot be obtained, please explain why in your application essay (e.g., out of college for many years).  
  • Resume – chronological list of activities, indicating years of study, employment, etc., since leaving high school
  • Personal statement detailing reasons for wanting to enroll

Key Application Dates:
 

  • August 1 for admission to the Fall Semester
  • December 1 for admission to the Spring Semester
  • April 15 for admission to Summer Term I
  • June 1 for admission to Summer Term II
For applicants with special circumstances, there may be some flexibility with regard to the application dates above. We strongly encourage applicants to consult with our Director of Academic Services prior to submitting their 
application. Note: Email is not an appropriate medium for sharing sensitive data.
 
Individuals who have earned a college degree and desire to take a course numbered between 500 - 999 must apply for admission as a non-degree graduate student.

2026 - 2027 Tuition
 

Non-degree Undergraduate Tuition fall and spring semesters:    
$9,218.00 per course credit (One Duke undergraduate course credit is equivalent to a 3-4 credit undergraduate course at most other institutions).  

***Duke Employees should refer to Special Tuition Rates for Duke Employees to learn more about paying $975 to take an undergraduate course (numbered 001-499) for credit. 

 Audit Fee (Fall and Spring semesters only):   

$535 per one course credit. 

***Duke Employees should refer to Special Tuition Rates for Duke Employees to learn more about paying $100 to audit. 

 Tuition Summer 2026: 

  • $3,145 - regular or non-science lab course
     
  • $4,025 - science course with lab
  • $302 - audit 

Please see the Summer Session website for more information. 

 Transcript Fee:  

$120 - a one-time fee charged of all students the first term of enrollment for credit. 

Non-degree students are not eligible to apply for need-based financial aid from the university or from the federal government until they are admitted as degree-seeking candidates. 

Undergraduate instruction is focused upon the traditional arts and sciences and engineering. Undergraduate degree opportunities include the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Science, and the Bachelor of Science in Engineering. The official Course Schedule is available online only. 

We do NOT offer undergraduate preparation in nursing, social work, journalism, business administration, or accounting.  Although we do not offer a major in education, you may choose to pursue teacher licensure at the elementary or secondary level.

Continuing Studies Programs students are not eligible to take courses that are offered through the Duke Medical School, Law School, or the Fuqua School of Business.

Almost all regular university courses are offered only during the daytime.  No science or technical courses (such as in engineering) are offered in the evening.  A small number of courses—typically in humanities areas such as History, English, and Religion—are offered as evening courses.

The official Course Schedule  is available online only. Please contact us if you want to know whether a particular course is being offered in an upcoming semester and what its schedule is.

IMPORTANT DATES:
Please visit the Duke University Office of the Registrar’s Academic Calendar to review important dates. 

Got an academic question? Try the Academic Policies and Procedures for Undergraduates.

Duke Employees with at least two years of full-time, continuous service may be eligible to participate in the Employee Tuition Assistance Program. This program provides a reimbursement of tuition for a maximum of two classes per semester, up to $5250 per calendar year.  In order to qualify for reimbursement you must receive a grade of  “C” or better in the course, and remain at Duke for at least two years. For more detailed information and an application, please visit the HR website.

Also see section on Special Tuition Rates for Duke Employees

Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports

The Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report include institutional policies concerning campus safety and security, as well as statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Duke University property and on public property adjacent to campus and fires that have occurred in residence halls. A copy of these Reports can be obtained by contacting the Duke Police Department at 684-4602 or writing to 502 Oregon Street, Durham, NC 27708 or by accessing: https://police.duke.edu/news-stats/clery