Immerse Policies & Forms

Duke University policies and procedures apply to all students studying on Duke Immerse programs. Below is an index of Immerse-specific policies. Both students and their families should be familiar with these policies.

COVID-19 Polices

The following is a list of the COVID-19 related policies impacting Duke Immerse programs. These policies are subject to change. Students enrolled in Fall 2021 Duke Immerse programs impacted by these policies will be contacted directly if updates are made to these policies.

    • Travel: As of May 2021, Duke Immerse restricts all student travel between countries for all Duke Immerse participants. All Duke Immerse participants will be asked to submit a travel form whenever they leave the host city on travel not related to the program.
    • COVID-19 Vaccinations: Duke Immerse requires COVID-19 vaccines for all participants or a documented, Duke-approved medical or religious exemption. This policy mirrors the Duke-wide policy which requires that all students on campus during fall 2021 show proof of vaccination against COVID-19. Vaccines ensure your safety, the safety of others on your program, and help the United States contain and reduce the number of infections. If you have any concerns about this policy, please contact Duke Immerse director at immerse@duke.edu.

Policy Index

For Duke Immerse programs involving travel, prior to the start of the semester or term, all students must submit a signed and completed Duke Immerse Participation Agreement. Each participation agreement is program-specific and includes important medical information.

Each participant must complete the medical information section of their Participation Agreement and designate an emergency contact.

Due to the structure and integrated nature of Duke Immerse curricula, participating students are required to enroll in all 4 program-specific Immerse courses, unless noted elsewhere by Immerse program descriptions. Please review the program-specific page for more information and contact Duke Immerse, immerse@duke.edu, if you have specific questions.

Overloading may be possible with the permission of the Immerse faculty and the overloading instructor before the start of the semester. Overloading is not encouraged; the expectation is that the student participates fully in Duke Immerse. 

Any student withdrawing from a Duke Immerse program must submit a signed Duke Immerse Withdrawal Form as soon as possible after a student decides to withdraw. Students wishing to withdraw from Duke Immerse after Duke’s drop/add period should work with their academic advisor and academic dean to make a plan.

If the student withdraws before the first day of classes, the program fee is refunded. If the student withdraws on or after the first day of classes, the program fee is not refunded. 

In the case of withdrawal from Duke Immerse and withdrawal from Duke, the student must meet with the Time Away Office. Any remaining paid tuition will be refunded as follows, in accordance with the Duke University refund policy outlined in the Undergraduate Bulletin:

      • On or after the program start date, through the second week of the semester – 80%
      • During the third, fourth, or fifth week – 60%
      • During the sixth week – 20%
      • After the sixth week – no refund

Forms