4-Year Course Planning Sheets can be downloaded from the DKU Academic Advising Student Resources page.

Before filling in your plan:

1) A four-year course plan is easiest to complete once you know what major you will declare, or once you have declared a major.

2) If you are not clear on a major (and are planning early, prior to major declaration), you may want to prepare multiple versions of a four-year plan that capture different scenarios of majors you are interested in.

When filling in the form:

1) Study your major/track requirements and options.

For major requirements and degree requirements that you have not yet taken, study your major/track pages in the DKU bulletin according to your class year. Make sure to note prerequisites and course sequences relevant to classes you will be required to take. Review historical timing of when these classes have been offered at DKU in previous terms.

• For example, Common Core 2 is only offered in Fall term; Common Core 3 is offered in both Fall and Spring terms (to allow for flexibility in studying away in either semester of your junior year).
• Although final DKU course schedules are not available until course registration opens each term, some classes have a predictable ‘pattern’ of being offered in only one session or semester, or offered in every semester.

2) Fill in all classes you have currently completed at DKU. 

3) Fill in courses you have not yet taken, but will need to take.

Next, using the bulletin or your DKU ‘What-IF’ report from DKU Hub as a guide, fill in other courses and degree requirements you will still need to complete. Check the sequence and historical course offering spreadsheet from the UG Advising Website to try to predict when certain courses you need will be offered in the future.

Note:

• Ideally and for maximum flexibility, first determine whether you could take all elective credits on your  junior study away term. This will tell you whether or not you have a specific need to study away in a program where you will find courses that are approved as equivalencies that fulfill specific DKU degree requirements.

4) Fill-in options for a course plan while studying away.

• Leave planned courses for your study away term to complete last; if you have flexibility to take all electives, then you can  consider virtually any study away program.
• If you have specific course needs that you must fulfill while studying away, you will need to narrow your program search to programs that offer related classes with potential for equivalency approval, or that already have courses approved for equivalencies.

a) If the course schedule/offerings are published for your intended term of study away, consider your needs and interests to plan possible course schedules while studying away.  Additional factors to consider:

• Major Requirements: unless or until a course is approved for an equivalency, make sure there is no content overlap with DKU course(s). You should not take courses abroad that might constitute an ‘anti-requisite’ (a course that is not similar enough to merit approval for equivalency, but that still contains enough course content overlap that it might constitute a course repeat).
• Electives are NOT wasted time! Every student will need elective courses to fulfill your 136 credit graduation requirement (even after fulfilling your major and common core courses). Look for electives that complement your major or field of study, or that have interest for you and that are not offered at DKU. Electives can often form new interdisciplinary connections, or spark new interests that you would otherwise not experience.
• Look for classes that leverage the experience of studying in that particular region/culture, and that you cannot replicate elsewhere.
• Study your host language! Most students will not need language requirements for graduation, but having even a beginner-level understanding of your host country’s language will dramatically enhance your experience studying away.

b) If course offerings are not yet published for your intended study away program/term:

• Check previous course offerings (if possible) and check regularly on the program website for updates or the date this information will be released.

5. After filling in a draft of your 4-year plan:

Re-check following points:

• Is this the final course enrollment for the study away term?

If not, sketch a ‘best scenario’ plan, and revise this plan once a schedule is released or your schedule is confirmed and you have a ‘final’ plan.

• For courses enrolled in the study away term, are there already approved equivalencies on record with DKU?

If not, please follow the procedure to submit a credit check and equivalency review request. Depending on the program, you will either follow the  Duke-DKU Credit Transfer Procedure or Host-DKU Credit Transfer Procedure.

• With the courses I plan to enroll in (or submit for equivalency review), do  any courses potentially overlap in content with other DKU courses needed for your major as anti-requisites?

If so, make sure you have planned enough time to complete your equivalency review result, or change the course plan for your program.  Taking an anti-requisite may prevent you from enrolling in a future class required for your major or degree and impact your graduation.