Incoming TRINITY Transfer Students
We are thrilled you will be continuing your academic journey at Duke! Over the course of the summer you will work with a team of advisors, faculty, and administrators to help you settle into your academic life at Duke. Admitted students will be contacted in early May with instructions for how to begin the coursework evaluation process. In the meantime, please gather syllabi for all of your prior courses. For courses that you might build upon at Duke, you will likely also need to provide a reading list.
Matriculated students will enroll in classes in late July. This date provides time for determining placement in Duke courses. However, please be assured you will have the opportunity to register for classes before incoming first-year students.
All incoming transfer students who matriculate after Spring semester 2025 will be subject to the new Arts & Sciences Curriculum. We encourage you to explore all of the features of the Arts and Sciences Curriculum found here: https://trinity.duke.edu/curriculum
Below you will find the specific curricular expectations for transfer students. These expectations are designed to:
- provide transfer students with the opportunity to fully engage in the Duke educational experience and cultivate the values of community, curiosity, and humility.
- honor the fact that transfer students have already begun their college journeys and enter Duke at various stages of their undergraduate careers.
- capitalize on the diverse and valuable experiences transfer students bring to Duke.
- account for the fact that transfer students have a shorter time at Duke than someone starting in their first year.
All transfer students will complete coursework across the Liberal Arts Categories, in Language, and in Writing during their time at Duke. Transfer students will not participate in the First-Year Experience (Focus or Constellations). Instead there are specialized opportunities for transfer students to build community and jump start their academic engagement with faculty across campus and within the majors. All transfer students must complete at least half of any major, minor, or certificate at Duke. Only one major is required for graduation.
Transfer Students entering Duke with at least two years of full-time college enrollment (entering nominally as juniors) are required to complete the following coursework during their time at Duke:
- At least 1.0 credit in each of the SIX Liberal Arts Categories
- One Century Course may be used to complete at most 2 Liberal Arts Categories (not offered until Fall 2026)
- At least 1.0 credit of Language at any level
- At least 1.0 credit of Writing (Writing 120 requirement is waived)
Transfer Students entering Duke after one year of full-time college enrollment (entering nominally as sophomores) are required to complete the following coursework during their time at Duke:
- At least 1.0 credit in each of the SIX Liberal Arts Categories AND 3.0 additional credits across the Liberal Arts Categories
- Two Century Course may be used to complete at most 4 Liberal Arts Categories
- Complete a language pathway
- One approved transfer course may be applied to the chosen pathway
- 1.0 credit of Writing 120 AND at least 2.0 additional Writing credits
- Prior coursework will be evaluated to determine if Writing 120 can be waived. If Writing 120 is required, the transfer student will enroll for Spring 2026.
- At most one approved transfer course may be applied to the Writing requirement; at least 2.0 Writing credits must be taken at Duke.
Prior to the matriculation deadline, we will verify which group of requirements apply to you. This verification is based on the preliminary evaluation of your prior coursework. Throughout the summer we will solidify the details of your course evaluation and guide you through the placement process.
Pratt to Trinity Or Trinity to Pratt Transfer Students
After completing at least one semester in the college or school into which they matriculated, Trinity College and Pratt School of Engineering students may apply to transfer between the two schools. Until their transfer has been approved, students wishing to transfer between Trinity and Pratt should complete all applicable academic requirements of their original college or school.
If you are considering a Trinity/Pratt transfer, please review the deadlines and steps you need to follow.