The Office of New Student Programs welcomes you to NC State University, a community of achievers rich in tradition and academic excellence. To assist you in becoming a part of this community, we invite you to attend a First-Year Student Orientation session.

Visit the First-Year Summer Orientation website for a complete overview of your next steps (after paying your Advanced Enrollment Deposit confirming your attendance at NC State).

As a new student, you probably have lots of questions about where to go to find the resources and information you need about living and learning at NC State. The New Student Checklist will help you on your path to becoming the newest member of the Wolfpack family.

Incoming first-year students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS) can usually begin registering for classes in late May or early June if they have completed all Modules in the online Humanities and Social Sciences First-Year Student Self-Registration Basics course. (You will be emailed a link to this site by CHASS. Access the site with your NCSU Unity ID# and password, information you received in your acceptance and enrollment information.) Once you complete all modules by the CHASS deadline, your Term Advisement Hold will be released by the date indicated in your Pack Portal, and you will be able to enroll in courses. If you complete the modules after that deadline, the Hold will be released within 3 business days of completion.

A suggested schedule will be loaded into your Pack Planner. This is just a suggestion to help you get started on enrollment. In some cases, CHASS may have already enrolled you in a course.

If you have credit for AP, IB, or college-level courses, they may not immediately show in your Degree Audit. Please let your advisor know if you are expecting credit to transfer in later in the summer. Do not take courses that fulfill requirements that you believe you have already met.

Select courses that will satisfy your general education (GEP) and CHASS requirements. You can find these requirements on your degree audit via MyPack. We generally encourage students to put together a balanced schedule including courses from at least four different disciplines.

If a course you would like to take shows in the non-degree category at the end of your degree audit when you enroll, that means it won’t count toward your degree and it will not qualify for financial aid.

We recommend that you register for 15 credit hours.12 credit hours is considered full-time for financial aid, parking, dorm rooms, health insurance and tax deductions (if your parents are claiming you as a dependent).

We strongly encourage students not to take more than 15-16 credits. Remember: it’s not just attending the courses you enroll in, but also keeping track of all the various projects and responsibilities that those courses will entail. We recognize that there is pressure to finish your degree in a timely manner, but as much as possible it’s wise to make room to enjoy your time as a university student.  

All freshmen are required to take ENG 101. For information about placing out of Freshmen English visit the First-Year Writing Program website.

Suggested math courses for Language and Humanities majors include MA 103, 103A, 105, and 107. MA 103A is geared especially towards students in the Humanities. (If you plan to double-major in a science or STEM-field, you may need to take a math course that aligns with that major.)

It is a good idea to try to take at least one lab science or one elective science lecture in your freshmen year. If you do not have a strong science background, courses such as BIO 105 and 106 are specifically designed for non-science majors. These are often better choices than CH 101 or 102, or BIO 181. Earth Science courses (MEA) are also popular choices. 

Q sections are small classes restricted for freshmen only. We recommend that you try to get into one of these classes. 

You may need to take the Language Placement Test. If you are coming in with AP, IB, or college-credit for a language, please consult your advisor before taking the placement test, as you likely do not need to take it. If you have previously studied your language in high school, you should take the placement test. If you are studying your language for the first time at NC State, you do not need to take the placement test, and you should instead enroll in the 101 level of your language.

Students who take AP or IB courses during high school are encouraged to take the subject matter tests for the courses. NC State requires various scores on different subject matter for AP and IB. Please check their respective websites for specific scores on each subject:
AP Score website
IB Score website

As a new student, you probably have many questions about where to go to find the resources and information you need about living and learning at NC State. The New Student Checklist will help you start on the path to becoming the newest member of the Wolfpack family.

You must submit an official final transcript from all institutions you attended prior to enrolling at NC State. Final transcripts should display letter grades in all courses and the conferred degree (if applicable). Final acceptance is contingent on your maintaining a level of academic performance that is equal to or better than your previous academic record. Failure to submit an official final transcript will cancel your enrollment. 

Mail transcripts to:

NC State Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Campus Box 7103
Raleigh, NC 27695-7103

Under the provisions of the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement, students who transfer to a UNC system university after completing an AA/AS degree or the general education core with a grade of ‘C’ or better in each course at an NC Community College, should be considered to have completed their general education requirements at the university. Students eligible for the CAA will have the “GEP Met Through NC CAA” note at the top of their degree audit.

The Office of New Student Programs welcomes you to NC State University, a community of achievers rich in tradition and academic excellence. To assist you in becoming a part of this community, we invite you to attend a Transfer Orientation session. This orientation is mandatory for all transfer and newly matriculated degree-seeking students. 

After paying your Advanced Enrollment Deposit to confirm your attendance, visit the Transfer Orientation website for a complete overview of your next steps. 

Transfer students can usually begin registering for classes in late May or early June.

Please let your advisor know if you are expecting additional college credit to transfer in later in the summer. Do not register for courses that fulfill requirements that you believe you have already met.

If you have not completed an AA or AS at a NC Community College, select courses that will satisfy your general education (GEP) and CHASS requirements. You can find these requirements on your degree audit via MyPack. We generally encourage students to put together a balanced schedule including courses from at least four different disciplines.

If a course you would like to take shows in the non-degree category at the end of your degree audit when you enroll, that means it won’t count toward your degree and it will not qualify for financial aid.

We recommend that you register for 15 credit hours.12 credit hours is considered full-time for financial aid, parking, health insurance and tax deductions (if your parents are claiming you as a dependent).

We strongly encourage students not to take more than 15-16 credits in their first semester at NC State. Remember: it’s not just attending the courses you enroll in, but also keeping track of all the various projects and responsibilities that those courses will entail. We recognize that there is pressure to finish your degree in a timely manner, but as much as possible it’s wise to make room to enjoy your time as a university student.  

If you are coming in with transfer credit for your world language, you likely do not need to take the Language Placement Test. Your transfer credit will determine the next language course you take at NC State.

If you are studying your language for the first time at NC State, you should enroll in the 101 level.