- Why am I expected to fulfill a foreign language requirement?
- How may I fulfill the foreign language requirement?
- If I qualify to begin my study of a foreign language at Duke at the advanced intermediate level (e.g., 76), will I still have to take three courses to fulfill the FL requirement?
- What if I take courses in a study abroad program?
- Can foreign language courses below the 100-level be used to satisfy other curricular requirements?
How many Modes of Inquiry does the Curriculum recognize and how many courses must I take in each of them?
The Curriculum requires completion of course work in the following six* Modes of Inquiry areas in the number indicated:
- Cross-Cultural Inquiry (CCI), 2 courses
- Ethical Inquiry (EI), 2 courses
- Science, Technology, and Society (STS), 2 courses
- Foreign Languages (FL), 1 to 3 courses, depending on proficiency
- Research (R), 2 courses
- Writing (W), 3 courses including Academic Writing 20 and two Writing in the Discipline courses
*Note: Students who matriculated before May 2004 must also complete the QID Mode of Inquiry rather than the QS Area of Knowledge. <Back>
Why does Trinity College code courses as Modes of Inquiry?
The Modes of Inquiry requirements were established to complement the Areas of Knowledge. The first three modes (CCI, EI, STS) ensure that undergraduates are exposed to important intellectual themes that transcend individual disciplines and that students need to know about if they are to be well prepared for life in the 21st century. These themes represent important focal points that can be approached from many disciplinary perspectives. The second set of three Modes (FL, R, and W) is intended to help students develop certain critical proficiencies that will serve them well at Duke and in the rapidly changing, complex world they will enter after college.<Back>
If a course carries three Modes of Inquiry codes, can all three fulfill Modes of Inquiry requirements?
Yes. You can apply a maximum of three codes carried by a course toward the Modes requirements.<Back>
Why am I expected to fulfill a foreign language requirement?
The study of a foreign language is the study of another culture, literally a new way of thinking. By developing proficiency in a foreign language, you enhance your ability to negotiate successfully and be enriched by the increasingly complex local, national, and international communities that share your world. Foreign language study also substantially broadens your experience, develops your intellectual perspective, encourages respect for others, and heightens awareness of how language frames and structures understanding and effective communication. By studying a foreign language you may understand and appreciate your own language and culture better.<Back>
How may I fulfill the foreign language requirement?
To fulfill the FL requirement, you must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language at the intermediate or advanced level. Specifically, you must complete one of the following, depending on your level of proficiency in the language you choose to study at Duke:
- If you enter language study at Duke at the intermediate level or above:
successful completion of a 100-level course that carries the FL designation.
Accordingly, if you place into the first semester of the intermediate level, you will need to take at least three full courses in the same language. If you place into the second semester of the intermediate level, you will need to take at least two full courses in the same language. And if you place into the 100-level, you will need to take at least one full course.
- If you begin language study at Duke in an elementary language course:
successful completion of three (3) full courses in the same language that carry the FL designation.<Back>
If I qualify to begin my study of a foreign language at Duke at the advanced intermediate level (e.g., 76), will I still have to take three courses to fulfill the FL requirement?
No. Once you have taken a 100-level course or completed three sub-100-level courses (whichever comes first) in the same language, you will have fulfilled the foreign language requirement. Therefore, if you complete an advanced intermediate course and then take a 100-level course, you are not required to take a third FL course.<Back>
What if I take courses in a study abroad program?
If you participate in a program of study abroad sponsored by Duke, your courses, because they are Duke courses, are coded with respect to Areas of Knowledge and to Modes of Inquiry, including FL if appropriate.
If you attend a Duke-approved study abroad program through another institution, the transfer courses you take will generally bear Areas of Knowledge. It is also possible to apply for Modes of Inquiry codes after you return to Duke.<Back>
Can foreign language courses below the 100-level be used to satisfy other curricular requirements?
Intermediate-level foreign language courses (e.g., 63, 76) may be used to satisfy other curricular requirements if they have been approved to carry the appropriate curriculum code.<Back>
Can I fulfill the foreign language requirement by taking courses at another American university?
Students may request FL coding for approved foreign language courses taken at another American university after matriculation at Duke and after May 10, 2004. For information on the process for doing so see the Transfer Credit and Inter-Institutional Courses pages of T-REQs.<Back>
For Students Who Matriculated Prior to May 2004: What is the relationship between Mathematics courses (designated M) and the Quantitative, Inductive, and Deductive Reasoning (QID) Mode of Inquiry (which must be completed by students who matriculated from May 2000 to May 2004)?
Most (but not all) courses in mathematics as well as courses in computer science and statistics are designated M. All courses designated M are also coded QID. However, not all QID courses are designated M. The two-course QID requirement specifies that at least one QID course must be drawn from those also designated M.<Back>
Trinity College › T-Reqs › The Curriculum › FAQs › Modes of Inquiry
See Also:
Curriculum Codes
General Education Matrix
Modes of Inquiry
