The Nicholas School of the Environment offers courses with travel components during the fall and spring semester to degree-seeking and non-degree students. Trips vary significantly from location to the activities students participate in. Trips are sometimes scheduled to occur overnight, weekends and during university fall and spring breaks.
The Nicholas School defines travel courses as any class that travels away from main campus to include but not limited to trips in the local Durham (e.g. downtown Durham, Raleigh, RTP, the Duke Forest, and local businesses), cities within North Carolina, traveling to states and territories outside of North Carolina and internationally.
In addition to semester undergraduate, master’s degree or graduate (see the Graduate School) tuition costs, students will be responsible for:
In the case of withdrawal, any remaining paid tuition will be refunded in accordance with the Duke University refund policy outlined in the Duke University Bulletin. View refund outline by school/program. If a student elects to withdraw from a travel course before classes begin, the program fee will be removed from the student’s bursar account. Airfare is nonrefundable; students are responsible for these costs if they withdraw from the course after the purchase has been made.
Duke students asked to withdraw due to academic or disciplinary probation, suspension, or violation of the Duke Community Standard once a program is underway will not receive a refund.
Most, if not all, travel courses require instructor consent to enroll in the DukeHub.
Very often, space is limited and students should contact instructors right away if they are interested in enrolling in a course with a travel component. As much as possible, instructors will work to ensure fair distribution of slots for undergraduates and graduates (where appropriate).
Students enrolled in course/s with a travel component should work directly with their instructor and the TA (if applicable) to ensure they are adequately prepared to travel.
All participants will be asked to complete a Participation Agreement, which includes a Travel Course Waiver & Release and a medical information form, for each course. Students must submit this information prior to the trip.
Passports should have at least six months of validity when traveling internationally. Most countries will not permit a traveler to enter their country if their passport expires in less than six months from the final day of travel.
If you don’t have a passport, or if you need to renew, you can apply at any local passport facility. Review additional travel preparation details at Global.Duke.edu.
Check the Center for Disease Control website for any recommended or required vaccinations. Duke has a travel clinic on main campus (Durham, NC) to support student vaccination needs. Students should check with the travel clinic to determine the best way to get any needed vaccines (prior to the trip).
Your instructor, TA or trip program staff want to make sure you are healthy and safe. If you have any concerns, please reach out to your instructor, TA or trip program staff. He or she will help you find the resources you need. Personal safety and security concerns like street crime and terrorism exist all around the world, including in the United States. Just like in the United States, it is important that you are vigilant and take commonsense precautions to safeguard yourself while on your study away program. Indeed, it may be even more important to be vigilant while studying abroad, as you may not know all of the nuances of your host country’s local laws and cultural norms. There are proactive steps you can take to help make sure you have a safe trip abroad. Here are a few of the best practices to follow while abroad. Read More at the Global Education Office website.
Lyft Rides Program: Through a pilot program with Lyft, Duke University will cover the transportation costs of certain Lyft rides that Duke students and employees can take to and from designated locations. Visit Duke's Parking & Transportation website for more information.
Students traveling outside the US are also required to register with the Duke Travel Registry. There is additional information at Duke’s Travel Outside the US website, including SOS International Travel Insurance.
As part of their undergraduate course, Duke students traveled with noted biologist Stuart Pimm to Dry Tortugas National Park—off the coast of Key West, Fla., to learn how to track migratory patterns and analyze survival rates of the sooty tern.
