Last updated January 9, 2023

This page provides information for Duke Graduate School students and will be updated as Duke's operations evolve with the coronavirus pandemic situation. Graduate School students who have questions about Duke’s COVID-related plans should first check this page and coronavirus.duke.edu. If the answer is not on either site, please send your question to gradschool@duke.edu. We will try to answer questions as quickly and fully as we can, but please understand that plans could change on short notice depending on how the pandemic develops. 

[Updated 3/25/22]

  • [1/9/23] On December 29, 2022, the Duke International Student Center (DISC) contacted students who had registered holiday travel plans to China to make sure they knew about the United States' new COVID testing requirements for travelers coming from China, Hong Kong, or Macau. On January 3, 2023, DISC sent those students a set of FAQs about the requirements. (See the December 29 and January 3 DISC communications)
  • [3/25/22] The Duke Global Travel Policy has been revised. The most notable changes is the removal of travel suspensions to nations in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak. The new rules means that faculty, staff and students can travel internationally on university scholarship and business without their unit’s leadership declaring the travel as “essential.” Duke-supported travel by graduate students to these countries no longer requires pre-approval from The Graduate School. (See the announcement)

[Updated 7/12/2022]

Milestone examinations (prelims, dissertations/thesis defenses)

Remote examination procedures for all milestone examinations will continue through fall 2022. If you have any questions about defenses and exams, please contact The Graduate School's Office of Academic Affairs (gradacademics@duke.edu).

When holding a remote defense, please follow these security and privacy tips for Zoom.

See a compilation of guidelines and tips on holding a remote defense.

See the university's FAQs about teaching for guidance on topics such as safety and health guideline compliance in the classroom, questions about online teaching, and accommodations for instructors with children who might be quarantined.