FAQ
When is Wintersession?
This year's program will take place from Saturday, January 4, to Wednesday, January 8, 2025. All classes will take place in person at the Law School, barring unforeseen circumstances. Shopping carts open Friday, October 4, 2024, and registration will take place starting Monday, October 7, 2024. The drop-add period will open on Friday, October 11, and end on Friday, December 6, 2024. Regular classes for spring semester begin on Thursday, January 9, 2025.
Who can take Wintersession courses?
Certain courses, as identified on the schedule page and in DukeHub, are open only to first-year students. Upper-level students may take any of the other courses offered. Please note that you will be automatically dropped from a course if you are not eligible to take it.
All students may, but need not, take a full credit (either two courses, or Law 825, Practice and Strategic Development of International Transactions, which is a full credit).
Do I get credit for Wintersession courses?
Yes. With one exception (Law 825), each course will be worth a half-credit.
To receive credit, students must attend all six hours of class (three hours on each of two days), and complete all in-class or out-of-class assignments. Law 825 is worth a full credit and will require enrolled students to attend class for a total of 12 hours.
Are Wintersession courses graded?
No. All Wintersession courses are offered on a credit/no credit (CR/NC) basis. Students who prepare for and attend class, complete readings and assignments, and show a basic level of proficiency will receive credit. The classes will have no impact on GPAs.
Can I take more than one class?
Yes. All students may enroll in courses totaling up to one full credit; first-year JD students may only register from the list of approved courses. The program is completely optional; students should participate if they are interested in the courses but do not need to do so in order to stay on track for graduation.
How do I register for Wintersession?
Shopping carts will Friday, October 4, 2024, and registration will take place starting Monday, October 7, 2024. The drop-add period will open on Friday, October 11, and end on Friday, December 6, 2024. All decisions about taking Wintersession classes must be finalized by the end of the drop/add period. Please note that dropping a class after this date may result in a mark of “WF” for that class on your transcript, and make your travel plans accordingly. Unless a course is designated as being taught on Zoom, you must attend both sessions in person.
Students should refer to the Wintersession site for the most up-to-date and accurate information about the courses, including their titles and descriptions.
Do all Wintersession courses count towards the experiential learning degree requirement?
Nearly all Wintersession courses are sufficiently simulation-based to count for experiential learning credit – but you should double-check to be sure before counting them towards your degree requirement. The Wintersession schedule will indicate which courses count for experiential credit.
Is there any cost associated with taking a Wintersession course?
No. Wintersession courses will be considered part of the Spring Term for tuition purposes.
Who will be teaching Wintersession classes?
Some Wintersession classes will be taught by current faculty, but the majority of the classes feature alumni and practitioners coming back to Duke for the program. This makes Wintersession a great opportunity for you to network and to meet successful practitioners in your field of interest.
How will this impact spring semester course-loads?
Wintersession classes will count toward the Spring semester course load only if that is beneficial to you. Thus, if you need one credit from Wintersession to count so your Spring course load qualifies as full-time, it will count toward the Spring. If you are planning to take the maximum credits in the Spring, and the Wintersession credit would put you over the limit, then the Wintersession credit will not count toward the Spring.