Academic Connections

While it’s not required, many DukeEngage students choose a program related to their academic interests, so that they can begin to see how those interests connect to real communities and pair academic knowledge with community wisdom.

“A combination of FOCUS, DukeEngage and Bass Connections had catalyzed the development of critical thinking and analysis skills, introduced me to research and deepened my enthusiasm for civic engagement.” — Sarah Rapaport (’18)

All DukeEngage programs benefit from the leadership of Duke faculty members, who are well-positioned to recommend follow-up courses and supervise independent studies or honors theses.

Sanjeev Dasgupta (’18) discovered a passion for refugee and displacement issues during DukeEngage Serbia. He built on that new-found interest through participation in DukeImmerse: Deconstructing/Reconstructing the Refugee Experience and dug even deeper conducting research with the Kenan Refugee Project.

DukeEngage and Curricular Requirements

Many students utilize DukeEngage to fulfill an experiential curricular requirement. Below are the majors, minors, and certificates where we believe DukeEngage is most commonly used to fulfill a requirement.

Students: If you have connected your DukeEngage experience to an academic program not listed here, we would love to hear about it!

Public Policy Major

Duke students majoring in Public Policy must apply their skills in a real-world context by completing an internship. ALL DukeEngage experiences fulfill this internship requirement, though check with Sanford regarding the necessary prerequisites. Students seeking explicit policy/analysis content are encouraged to discuss possible work placements with the DukeEngage program director and with Sanford Career Services staff.

Global Health Co-Major

Students majoring in Global Health must complete an eight-week, full time experiential learning activity that addresses a global health question, context or challenge. Contact DGHI to discuss whether your DukeEngage experience might meet this requirement.

Environmental Sciences & Policy Major

Students completing an A.B. in Environmental Sciences/Policy are required to complete a Field Experience or Internship. Contact the Nicholas School Undergraduate Program Office to discuss whether your DukeEngage experience might meet this requirement.

Environmental Science & Policy Undergraduate Program 

Ethics Certificate

Students completing the experiential version of the Ethics certificate must complete a non-credit community-based field experience such as DukeEngage, as a part of crafting their own coherent pathway focused on one of five program areas. Contact the Kenan Institute for Ethics for more information.

Study of Ethics Certificate Program

Global Development Engineering Certificate

Students completing the Global Development Engineering certificate must complete an experiential component such as DukeEngage, in which they design and implement a solution to an identified need. The component is typically a month-long experience within the United States or internationally, where the student teams with a community partner to identify, design and implement their idea.

Global Development Engineering Certificate Program

Health Policy Certificate

To earn the Health Policy Certificate, students take four courses, complete two experiential learning activities (such as DukeEngage), and create a public facing e-Portfolio that details their health policy work and scholarship.

Health Policy Certificate Program

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate

Students earning an undergraduate certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship are required to complete two immersive co-curricular experiences in order to gain real-world knowledge and hands-on learning. DukeEngage projects can often be connected to concepts of social entrepreneurship, as DukeEngage students are commonly involved in generating, implementing, or learning about innovative solutions to social problems.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate Program 

Science and the Public Certificate

Students earning a Science and the Public Certificate must complete two approved research experiences consisting of either two semester-long independent study courses, or one semester-long independent study course plus one approved summer research experience such as DukeEngage.

Science and the Public Certificate Program

Sustainability Certificate

Students completing the undergraduate certificate in Sustainability Engagement must complete two different experiential learning activities that are thematically related to the pathway the student has laid out. Each experience must integrate at least two of three primary dimensions of sustainability (society, economics, and environment). The experiences must be undertaken in response to needs identified by community partners and must embody principles of collaboration, cooperation, and reciprocity.

Sustainability Certificate Program