Studying Abroad

Studying abroad is a particularly desirable option for Medieval and Renaissance Studies majors and minors—for an obvious reason: so much of what we study is the history and culture of places outside of America.

Tour of Stirling Castle
A MEDREN major and friends outside of Stirling Castle in Scotland

We encourage students to study abroad. You can earn credits in Medieval and Renaissance Studies for coursework that you do in Oxford, London, Glasgow, Paris, Berlin, Venice, Rome, Bologna, Madrid, Geneva, among other places. There are many different Duke-sponsored international and domestic programs to choose from, including semester and summer options. If one of the Duke study abroad programs does not meet your specific needs, you can enroll in any number of study abroad programs around the world that Duke has approved.

Learn more on the Duke Global Education site.

A major question for students is how to get transfer credit for study abroad courses. The Global Education Office maintains a database of previously approved courses and their transfer equivalents at Duke. If your course has not been previously approved, you can apply for approval. It’s best to start this process well before you leave for the program.

Getting a course approved for transfer credit, however, does not mean that it will automatically count for the Medieval and Renaissance Studies program requirements. You must independently consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies about how study away courses might count toward your major or minor. The DUS will need to see a course description and syllabus to be able to assess its relevance for our program.