International Students

A Global Community

The drive to build a better world is a feature of our common humanity. Duke convenes a global community that shares its spirit, values and vision. Students from more than 100 countries have found a home at Duke.

Our qualified and dedicated support staff work hard to help international students acclimate to life in the United States and at Duke—and not just at orientation.

Throughout your academic career you’ll have access to classes, workshops, and one-on-one coaching to build your presenting and writing skills. They’ll even help you make sense of, and perhaps even master, that daily ritual of American life, “small talk.”

Explore Student Programs & Services

international students on a hike at the Eno River

Welcome to Your New Home: Duke

Full of workshops, guided tours, tasty local dining, and team-building fun on the beautiful Eno River, our Summer Language Intensive Communications Experience (or, SLICE) is an engaging four-day program especially designed to help our international students transition to life at Duke.

More about SLICE

Duke’s Application Processes

All students who want to join our community use the same application systems. There are no separate applications for international students.

And, unlike many schools, Duke does not require international students to provide financial support documents as part of the application process. Instead, students submit this information after being admitted and choosing to enroll.

Click below for links to detailed application information.

  • Duke’s Undergraduate Admissions office will help you navigate the application process. For information on visas, interviewing, financial aid and more, check out Duke’s detailed admissions website.

  • Master of Science

    Students in our Master of Science programs submit applications through The Graduate School at Duke. You can find application instructions and details about language requirements, obtaining a visa and more at the Graduate School website.

    Master of Engineering

    The Pratt School of Engineering processes applications for our Master of Engineering (MEng) programs. Read details about the application process, English language testing and obtaining a visa at our website for MEng applicants.

    Master of Engineering Management

    The Pratt School of Engineering processes applications for our Master of Engineering Management (MEM) program. Review details about the application process, English language testing and obtaining a visa at our website for MEM applicants.

    English Language Testing for Master’s Applicants

    For our Master of Engineering and Master of Engineering Management applicants, we prefer the Duolingo test of English proficiency.

    UGPA Submission for Master’s Applicants

    Applicants must submit a calculation of their undergraduate graduate point average (UPGA). Please see our instructions for calculating and submitting your UGPA.

  • Applicants to our doctoral programs submit applications through The Graduate School at Duke. Find instructions and details at the Graduate School website.

UGPA Submission for Master’s Applicants

International applicants to our master’s degree programs are required to provide their undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) and document the calculation used to convert the UPGA to the 4.0 grading scale used in the United States. 

Who Must Submit a UGPA Calculation 

  • Applicants who attended a college or university outside of the United States for all or part of the undergraduate degree, not including study abroad 
  • Applicants who transferred 12 or more credits from another institution toward an undergraduate degree 
  • Applicants who failed a course that appears on the transcript but is not included in the school’s calculation of UGPA 

NACES-Accredited Evaluation Partner is Preferred 

The Pratt School of Engineering strongly prefers, but does not require, applicants to use a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES)-accredited evaluation partner.

Accepted NACES-accredited evaluation partner reports include:

  • Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) — Course-by-Course
  • Educational Perspectives — Line-by-Line
  • SpanTran — Course Analysis Option
  • World Education Services (WES) — Course-by-Course Evaluation

We also recommend the Scholaro Premium evaluation service. Please pay particular attention to the grading scale selected for conversion.

UGPA Submission Requirements 

  • Include all undergraduate coursework completed at the time of application in the Academic History section of the application 
  • Include grades from all undergraduate schools attended. Calculate UPGA for each school, and then calculate a cumulative UGPA. For example:
    • School 1: 20 credits * 3.9 UGPA = 78 
    • School 2: 123 credits * 3.5 UGPA = 431 (rounded) 
    • Cumulative GPA = (78+431)/(20+123) = 3.6 (rounded) 
  • Include all grades earned from repeating a course 
  • Do not include dropped courses  
  • Do not include courses that did not award a letter grade. (examples: satisfactory/unsatisfactory, pass/fail, credit only) 
  • Do not include study abroad courses 
  • Do not include graduate-level courses, unless the courses count toward an undergraduate degree. There is a separate place on the application for you to provide your graduate grade point average.