How to Apply to Engineering at Duke: Choose Pratt or Trinity on the Application, Calculus Required, Shared First-Year Design and Computing Courses with the Major Declared After Year One, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

Undergraduate engineering at Duke University is offered by the Pratt School of Engineering. This guide follows Duke’s websites and is organised for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. It covers the engineering majors only; computer science has its own guide on this site and is not covered here.

1. Engineering majors at Pratt

• Majors (Pratt majors and minors page): “6 engineering majors, including a customizable interdisciplinary option”. The page lists Biomedical Engineering (BME), Civil Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE), Environmental Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, plus IDEAS (Interdisciplinary Engineering & Applied Science), where students pick a pre-approved template or propose their own. ECE study areas include computer engineering and digital systems, and solid-state devices and integrated circuits.
• Degree and double majors: the degree requirements page refers to the Bachelor of Science in Engineering. The BME page lists double-major options with civil, environmental, electrical and computer, mechanical and computer science; the civil, environmental and mechanical entries also list a double-major option with BME.
• Minors: four engineering minors—Electrical & Computer Engineering, Energy Engineering, Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence, and Software Engineering.
• ABET accreditation: the page says “each of Duke’s department-based engineering majors is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET”. Whether IDEAS is covered is not stated; ask the Pratt undergraduate office.
• Practice programs: Pratt describes an industry relations team, TechConnect recruiting events and help with a personal internship search plan; it does not describe a required co-op program.

2. Admission and choosing a major

• Choose Trinity or Pratt: the admissions FAQ says you apply to either Trinity College of Arts & Sciences or the Pratt School of Engineering and also indicate preliminary academic interests; “it is not easier or harder to be admitted to one program or another”. You do not apply to a specific engineering major.
• Undeclared first year: Pratt students declare a major in the summer after the first year. The first-year schedule (labeled for the Class of 2030, entering fall 2026, and assuming no AP or international placement credit): fall—First-Year Design (EGR 101L), First-Year Computing (EGR 105L), Chemistry (CHEM 101DL), Mathematics (MATH 111L); spring—“Your First Engineering Course”, Writing 120, MATH 112L and PHYSICS 151L. Pratt’s undergraduate admissions page says First-Year Computing requires no prior programming knowledge.
• First engineering course by prospective major: BIOLOGY 201L for biomedical engineering, CEE 132L for civil and environmental engineering, ECE 110L for electrical and computer engineering, EGR 121L for mechanical engineering; undecided students talk to their faculty advisor.
• Requirements to enter a major: the Pratt pages we read state no GPA threshold, required course grade or capacity limit for declaring a major; ask the Pratt academic deans. The policies page says students may change their major after declaring but should talk with their academic dean about the effect on their schedule and graduation date.
• Moving between Trinity and Pratt: current students may apply; deadlines are December 15 (spring) and May 15 (fall), reviewed after grades post. Moving from Trinity to Pratt requires good academic standing; students enter undeclared, and those moving in the spring of the first year must complete EGR 101L, EGR 105L (or CS 201) and Writing 120. No specific GPA number is given.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• High school courses (admissions “Apply” page): four years of English and at least three years each of mathematics, natural sciences, world language and social studies are recommended, with about five academic courses per year. For Pratt, “we require coursework in calculus and strongly recommend physics.”
• Degree requirements (matriculation fall 2025 and after): at least 34 courses, including 5 mathematics (MATH 111L, 112L or 122L, 218D-2, 219, 353, with an alternative set for students minoring or double majoring in math), 3 natural science (CHEM 101DL, PHYSICS 151L and 152L), Writing 120, one mathematics or natural science elective (each department lists allowed courses), one digital computation course (EGR 105L or CS 201), Engineering Design & Communication (EGR 101L), 5 liberal arts courses (covering at least four of the five codes: Creating & Engaging with Art, Humanistic Inquiry, Interpreting Institutions, Justice & Power, Social & Behavioral Analysis, and Language), and 17 departmental courses set by the major (including 13 engineering courses).
• AP, IB and international placement credit: admissions says Duke awards a “limited” amount of credit and placement, only after admission and after the Registrar evaluates official reports, so credit cannot be assessed before arrival. The Registrar page (for students entering in 2026–27) gives examples: AP Calculus AB 5 earns MATH 21 (eligible for MATH 122L in fall or 112L in spring); AP Calculus BC 4 likewise, BC 5 earns MATH 21 and 22; AP Chemistry 4 earns CHEM 20 and 5 earns CHEM 21; AP Physics C Mechanics 4–5 earns PHYSICS 25 and Electricity & Magnetism 4–5 earns PHYSICS 26 (“consult department”); AP Computer Science A 4–5 earns COMPSCI 101L; AP Physics 1 & 2 are not accepted; IB is accepted at the Higher Level only (for example Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL 6–7 earns MATH 21); British A-Level Mathematics grade A earns MATH 21. AP scores must come directly from the College Board; self-reported scores entered by admissions are not eligible for credit. For international placement credit, students may provide a copy of their official score transcript, judged case by case.
• Pratt physics rule: the degree requirements page says students must have credit for PHYSICS 151L and 152L and at least one physics course must be taken after matriculation; students with AP or placement credit get several course options.

4. Deadlines, materials and fees

• Rounds (2026–27 cycle): Early Decision (binding) November 2; Regular Decision January 4. Early Decision results come in mid-December; Regular Decision in late March or early April. Duke’s pages disagree: the Pratt admissions page says Early Decision November 1 and Regular Decision January 2. The admissions office’s “Apply” page is the source we followed; please verify. The admissions page says first-year applicants may use the Common Application or QuestBridge; Pratt’s page also lists the Coalition Application.
• Application fee: $85, non-refundable, with fee waivers.
• Materials: high school transcript; School Report with counselor recommendation; three recommendations in total (one counselor and two teachers in major academic subjects; for Pratt, at least one from a math or science teacher); an optional personal recommendation; the Early Decision agreement; first-quarter grades for Early Decision (by November 20 or when the term ends) and midyear grades for all applicants (February 15).
• Testing: the SAT / ACT is optional in 2026–27. Scores may be self-reported and official scores are required only from students who enroll. After electing to have scores considered, you cannot switch to not considered. The ACT science section is not required but encouraged for students interested in STEM. AP and IB scores are considered if reported. Duke’s CEEB code is 5156.
• Essays: the Common App essay plus Duke short essays—two required (250 words each): “Why Duke” (which may mention Trinity or Pratt programs) and “Communities”—and three optional prompts of which you may answer one. The activities section holds up to 10 entries; resumes are not accepted.
• Interview: optional alumni interviews, limited in number and not requestable; not being offered one does not affect admission.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Testing and grades: see above; the SAT / ACT is optional for 2026–27.
• Cost: the admissions office’s “estimated costs (before aid)”: tuition $70,265, estimated fees $2,907, housing $10,910, food $10,075, books and supplies $536, personal expenses $3,274, domestic transportation $582, total $98,549. The table shows no academic year, and the same page (in the Early Decision tab) says aid estimates are based on 2025–26 costs, with official 2026–27 costs announced in the spring. The pages we read show no in-state/out-of-state difference and no separate engineering tuition differential or school fee; check Duke’s tuition and financial aid pages.
• Need-based aid: for U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens, applying for aid will not disadvantage the application; Duke meets full demonstrated need, with no aid advantage or disadvantage for Early versus Regular Decision. Applicants submit the CSS Profile and FAFSA by November 3 for Early Decision (the “Apply” page lists these under November 2) and February 1 for Regular Decision. The page says about 50% of undergraduates receive aid.
• North Carolina and South Carolina residents: Pratt’s financial support page says students admitted from NC and SC with family incomes of $150,000 or less receive full tuition grants, and those at $65,000 or less also get help with housing, meals and some course materials or other expenses without student loans. The pages describe no in-state admission preference or guaranteed admission.
• Merit scholarships: admissions says Duke offers a small number of merit scholarships for which all applicants are automatically considered, and applying for need-based aid does not hurt; the aid office says all students who apply are considered, with scholars chosen by the Office of University Scholars and Fellows.

6. International applicants

• How to apply: there is no separate application for international students, and testing policy is the same, with no extra requirements. Pratt’s international page says Duke does not require financial support documents with the application; they are submitted after admission and enrollment. The I-20 is issued only after you accept an offer and return a Certificate of Financial Responsibility.
• English tests: recommended but not required if you are a non-native speaker or not studying in an English-medium curriculum. Accepted: Cambridge C1/C2 (minimum expected 180), Duolingo (130), IELTS Academic (7), PTE Academic (70), TOEFL iBT (100; 75 on the paper-delivered test). The highest score is used, and Duke has no preference among tests. The pages list no country-based exemptions.
• Transcripts: if a transcript needs translating, use an official service, an EducationUSA adviser or a school official, and submit the original documents with the translations. School Report forms and transcripts must come directly from the school.
• Financial aid (important): foreign citizens must apply for need-based aid in the original first-year application to be eligible for Duke need-based funding at any point. International applicants who request aid are considered in a separate, more competitive pool; the page says the admit rate for that pool is usually less than half of the overall admit rate. They submit the CSS Profile (November 3 for Early Decision, February 1 for Regular Decision) and, as non-citizens, may skip the FAFSA. The College Board may ask for the family’s most recent foreign tax forms and English-language income statements from both parents’ employers, with official translations, originals and a conversion into U.S. dollars. Aid for international applicants is awarded for four years and renews automatically.
• Merit scholarships: all applicants, including foreign citizens, are automatically considered.
• Interviews: alumni volunteers interview in forty-two countries; Duke also considers InitialView interviews.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admissions and Pratt pages do not mention the Gaokao and there is no China-specific page. Whether and how Gaokao results are used is not published; contact Duke Undergraduate Admissions (undergrad-admissions@duke.edu, the address listed on the admissions page).
• Interviews: the page says “students attending schools in China are particularly encouraged to arrange an interview with InitialView”, and to reserve early. Alumni interviews may also be offered.
• Transcripts: Chinese-language transcripts follow the translation rules above, with originals submitted alongside, sent directly by the school. The pages do not say whether notarisation is needed.
• English and testing: English tests are recommended but not required; the SAT / ACT is optional in 2026–27.
• Funds: no proof of funds with the application; students who need aid must apply for it with the first application (see Section 6).

8. Transfer students

• Deadline and method: March 15; there is no spring transfer program. Apply with the Duke Transfer Application or the Coalition application (Scoir); the Common App is not accepted for transfers this cycle. About 70 students transfer in each fall, most as sophomores and a few as juniors.
• Eligibility: attended college within the past four years and will have completed at least one full year of transferable college work by August of entry; students with a bachelor’s degree cannot transfer; part-time students cannot apply; Duke Kunshan University students have no advantage.
• Grades: the page says the most successful applicants have a college GPA of at least 3.7 in a challenging program; the admit rate has ranged from 3% to 7% over five years; in 2025–26, 2,460 applied, 160 were admitted and 94 enrolled (6.5%).
• Materials: the transfer application; a College Report from a school administrator; college transcripts; the final high school transcript; two instructor evaluations (at least one from a college instructor); essays (650 words on reasons for transferring and 250 words on academic exploration); financial aid forms. Testing is optional; the page contradicts itself—it describes the 2026–27 cycle but also says “for enrollment in the fall of 2026”—so please verify.
• Pratt prerequisites: the transfer page gives no specific calculus, physics or chemistry course requirements for Pratt; ask admissions. It says credits are likely to transfer when courses are comparable to Duke courses in areas such as natural science, math, world language, literature, social sciences and the arts.
• Credit: no preliminary evaluation; Duke grants credit for no more than two years of outside coursework, and transfer students must spend at least two years at Duke; at least half of the courses for each major, minor or certificate must be taken at Duke.
• Aid: transfer applicants who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, undocumented or DACA students are admitted without regard to financial circumstance and Duke meets full demonstrated need. Need-based aid is not available to international transfer students, Duke offers no merit scholarships to transfer students, and fee waivers are not available to international transfer applicants.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Submit by November 2 (Early Decision) or January 4 (Regular) with transcripts, the School Report and recommendations (one from a math or science teacher); take calculus and, ideally, physics in high school
• CSS Profile and FAFSA by November 3 (Early Decision) or February 1 (Regular); the “Apply” page lists a different Early Decision date, so confirm
• Declare your major in the summer after the first year

International applicants (including China):

• Same deadlines; SAT / ACT optional and English scores recommended but not required; translate transcripts and submit originals with them
• If you need aid, you must apply for it with your first application; students at Chinese schools are encouraged to book an InitialView interview
• Ask admissions how the Gaokao should be submitted

Transfer students:

• Apply by March 15; finish at least one full year of transferable work; a 3.7 GPA or higher is described as typical of successful applicants; international transfer students get no need-based aid

Sources: Duke University, Admissions: Apply; Admissions: Resources and FAQs; Admissions: Financial support; Pratt: undergraduate admissions; Pratt: undergraduate experience; Pratt: majors and minors; Pratt: your first year; Pratt: general degree requirements; Pratt: academic policies; Pratt: international students; Pratt: financial support; Registrar: AP/IB/IPC credit; Financial aid: types of aid. The admissions pages describe the 2026–27 cycle (fall 2027 entry). The Pratt first-year course table is labeled for the Class of 2030 (entering fall 2026); check Duke for fall 2027. The cost table shows no academic year.