Even though the Spring semester has only just begun, it is not a bad idea to begin considering your plans for next year. And for many underclassmen, these plans may or not include studying abroad. The study abroad experience can be a major college career highlight. Ask any Duke student who went abroad last semester, and I would bet that nearly all of them would tell you that they had a fantastic experience. However, a semester or year abroad is definitely not for everyone. Here are a few things you should know before making the commitment to study abroad for a semester or year:
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Certain majors are not offered at many foreign institutions: Many foreign institutions do not offer as many majors and concentrations as Duke. While most universities will offer classes in the humanities and natural sciences, engineering classes and courses in some social sciences, such as psychology, may be more difficult to find. Engineering and pre-med students probably have the most constraints in terms of where they can study due to a somewhat limited selection of related classes abroad.
All of your credits abroad may not count toward your major/minor: Every department has their own guidelines and rules for transferring credits, but many departments place a limit on the number of transfer credits that can count toward your major/minor. However, the classes that you are not able to use for your major/minor will still count toward your overall graduation credit. Make sure to check out the rules for each department before you commit to studying abroad.
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You may have to get classes approved: Certain study abroad programs at Duke have been extremely popular in the past, and there are a number of classes at these institutions that have been pre-approved  (meaning you do not have to go through any sort of course approval process).   However, if you want to take a course that has not been pre-approved by Duke, you will need to submit specific materials to the study abroad office, which can be somewhat of a hassle. To find out if a class has been pre-approved, check out the database of pre-approved courses on Duke’s study abroad website: http://studyabroad.duke.edu/
There are a number of summer study abroad opportunities:You can still take classes abroad without having to spend an entire semester away from Duke. Duke offers a number of study abroad programs that run throughout the summer, allowing students to take Duke courses abroad yet remain on campus during the school year. You can also spend a summer studying abroad through programs that are not affiliated with Duke; however, just be aware that you will need to get the program and classes approved if they have not been approved already. Again, the study abroad website is a great place to check out for semester- and summer-long programs: http://studyabroad.duke.edu/
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Photo Sources:
http://studyabroad.duke.edu/home/Getting_Started
http://studyabroad.duke.edu/home/Programs/Semester/Duke_in_France
http://studyabroad.duke.edu/home/Programs/Summer/Duke_in_London_Drama
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