Recommendations for Competitive Applicants
Review our recommendations for competitive applicants for the college the major is in.
Transfer to NC State
Once you have determined which major you are applying for, we encourage you to review our recommendations for competitive applicants for the college the major is in. All transfer applicants are encouraged to complete the university’s graduation requirement in first-year writing prior to applying.
Meeting these recommendations does not guarantee admission but sets you up to be considered a competitive applicant in the review process. AP scores or transferrable coursework from an accredited institution can be used to meet transfer admission coursework requirements. Use our Transfer Planner to plan your coursework and see how your transfer credits fulfill degree requirements.
When selecting a major, keep in mind you must take courses to meet the degree requirements for that major for at least one year before considering or applying for a major change while at NC State.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Agriculture Programs
Majors – Agricultural Business Management, Agricultural Education, Agricultural Science, Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, Animal Science, Biological and Agricultural Engineering Technology, Crop and Soil Sciences, Horticultural Science, Natural Resources – Soil, Water and Land Use, Poultry Science
- 2.5 and above GPA for agriculture programs (Preference given to students with a 3.0 and above GPA. Animal Science requires a 3.0 GPA for consideration.)
- English Composition I & II equal to NC State’s ENG 101
- College-level pre-calculus or higher math course
- 1 semester of General Biology or General Chemistry with a lab (preference is given to students with both courses)
Life Sciences and Pre-Professional Programs
Majors – Biochemistry, Bioprocessing Science, Food Science, Nutrition Science, Plant Biology
- 2.7 and above GPA for Life Sciences and pre-professional programs (Biochemistry requires a 3.0 GPA for consideration.)
- English Composition I & II equal to NC State’s ENG 101
- College-level pre-calculus or higher math course (2 semesters of calculus preferred for Biochemistry)
- General Biology I & II equal to NC State’s BIO 181 & 183
- 1 to 2 semesters of General Chemistry with a lab
Biological Engineering
Biological Engineering
- 3.0 GPA (See College of Engineering recommendations for specific course requirements.)
College of Design
Studio-Based Majors (Fall Entry Only)
Majors – Architecture, Art + Design, Graphic & Experience Design, Industrial Design
- 2.7 and above GPA
- English Composition
- College-level pre-calculus or higher math course
- Online portfolio and design essay
Non-Studio Based Major (Fall or Spring Entry)
Major – Design Studies
- 3.0 and above GPA
- English Composition
- College-level pre-calculus or higher math course
College of Education
Majors – Applied Education Studies – Learning Design & Technology, Elementary Education, Mathematics Education, Middle Grades Education – Language Arts & Social Studies, Middle Grades Education – Mathematics & Sciences, Science Education, Technology, Engineering & Design Education
Students should complete the transfer student interest form to seek academic advising to determine the best courses and sequence to meet their educational goals. Competitive applicants should meet overall GPA and courses recommended as well as specific requirements by program.
Students admitted to the junior cohort are required to complete ELM 250 in Summer Session II prior to fall enrollment.
All Majors
- 2.7 or above overall GPA
- 1 semester or more of English composition
- College-level math
Mathematics Education
- 2.7 or above overall GPA
- Calculus 1 or higher with a C or better
- 1 semester of science (biology, chemistry or physics)
Science Education
- 2.7 or above overall GPA
- Pre-calculus or higher with a C or better
- 1 semester of science (biology, chemistry or physics)
Elementary Education*
- 3.0 or above overall GPA
- Pre-calculus or higher
- 1 semester of science (biology, chemistry or physics)
If you are granted admission, it cannot be guaranteed that your classification in the Elementary Education program will be the same as your university classification. This means that although the university may classify you as a sophomore in standing, you may be classified as a first-year student within the Elementary Education program, depending on your individual transcript review.
*Students have the option to add a Special Education dual licensure.
College of Engineering
Majors – Aerospace Engineering, Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Construction Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Paper Science & Engineering, Textile Engineering
All Majors
- 3.0 and above GPA*
- English Composition I & II equal to NC State’s ENG 101
- 8 semester hours of calculus equal to NC State’s MA 141 & 241
- 2.5 GPA in the last two calculus or higher math courses
- Calculus-based physics equal to NC State’s PY 205 & 206
- General Chemistry with a lab equal to NC State’s CH 101 & 102
Due to high demand, some programs are much more competitive and the following GPAs are recommended:
- Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering and Computer Science: 3.5 GPA (acceptance is extremely competitive and on a space-available basis only)
- Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering: 3.5 GPA
- Biomedical Engineering: 3.5 GPA
- Supplemental short answer (the prompt will be emailed after application submission)
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Majors – Anthropology, Arabic Studies, Arts Studies, Asian Languages, Communication, Criminology, English, French Language & Literature, German Studies, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, International Studies, Leadership in the Public Sector, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Science, Technology & Society, Social Work, Sociology, Spanish Language & Literature
All Majors
- 3.0 and above GPA
- 3 or more semester hours of English Composition
- College-level math
For information regarding transfer admission to Leadership in the Public Sector (LPS), a distance-education degree completion program, please click here.
College of Natural Resources
Majors – Environmental Sciences, Environmental Technology & Management, Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Biology, Forest Management, Natural Resources, Paper Science & Engineering, Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management, Sport Management, Sustainable Materials & Technology
All Majors
- 2.5 and above GPA*
- English Composition
- College-level math*
- 1 semester of science (biology, chemistry or physics)*
*Due to high demand, some programs are much more competitive and the following GPAs and courses are recommended:
- Paper Science & Engineering: 3.0 (See College of Engineering recommendations for specific course requirements)
- Sport Management: 3.0
- Environmental Sciences: 2.5
- College-level calculus
- General biology with a lab
- General chemistry with a lab
College of Sciences
Majors – Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Genetics, Marine Sciences, Meteorology, Microbiology, Natural Resources: Marine & Coastal Resources, Physics, Statistics, Zoology
Biological Sciences (all concentrations), Genetics, Microbiology & Zoology
- 3.0 and above GPA
- English Composition I & II equal to NC State’s ENG 101
- 3-4 semester hours of calculus equal to NC State’s MA 131 or 141 (some universities and the NC Community College System do not offer a calculus course equal to MA 131)
- General Biology I & II equal to NC State’s BIO 181 & 183
- General Chemistry with a lab equal to NC State’s CH 101 & 102 or physics equivalent to NC State’s PY 211
Chemistry
Bachelor of Science:
- 3.0 and above GPA
- English Composition
- 8 semester hours of calculus equal to NC State’s MA 141 and 241 with a 2.5 GPA
- 4 semester hours of chemistry equal to NC State’s CH 101 & 102 or a score of 5 on the AP Chemistry exam
- 3.0 and above GPA in all chemistry courses
Bachelor of Arts:
- 3.0 and above GPA
- English Composition
- 3-4 semester hours of calculus equal to NC State’s MA 131 or MA 141
- 4 semester hours of chemistry equal to NC State’ss CH 101 & 102 or a score of 5 on the AP Chemistry exam
- 3.0 and above GPA in all chemistry courses
Geology, Marine Sciences (all concentrations), Meteorology & Natural Sciences: Marine & Coastal Resources
- 2.8 and above GPA
- English Composition
- 4 semester hours of calculus
- 4 semester hours of a physical science with a lab
Mathematics and Applied Mathematics (Fall Entry Only)
- 3.0 and above GPA
- English Composition I & II equal to NC State’s ENG 101
- 8 semester hours of calculus equal to NC State’s MA 141 and 241 (minimum of a B in all mathematics courses attempted)
- Calculus-based physics equal to NC State’s PY 205 & 206 with a grade of B or higher
Physics
- 3.0 and above GPA
- English Composition I & II equal to NC State’s ENG 101
- 8 semester hours of calculus equal to NC State’s MA 141 and 241 (minimum of a B in the last two calculus or higher math courses)
- 8 semester hours of calculus-based physics equal to NC State’s PY 205, 206, 208 and 209 or PY 201 and 202 with a grade of B or higher in all physics courses
Statistics (Fall Entry Only)
- 3.0 and above GPA
- English Composition
- 8 semester hours of calculus equal to NC State’s MA 141 and 241
- 2.5 in the last two calculus or higher math courses
- 4 semester hours of a natural science with a lab
Poole College of Management
Majors – Accounting, Business Administration, Economics
All Majors
- 3.3 and above GPA
- English Composition
- 3-4 credit hours of college-level calculus
Wilson College of Textiles
Majors – Fashion and Textile Design, Fashion and Textile Management, Polymer & Color Chemistry, Textile Engineering, Textile Technology
Fashion and Textile Design (Fall Entry Only)
- 2.8 and above GPA
- English Composition
- College-level calculus
- General chemistry
- Online portfolio and essay
Fashion and Textile Management
- 2.8 and above GPA
- English Composition
- College-level calculus
- General chemistry
The most competitive applicants will have completed both chemistry and calculus; however, an applicant who has completed at least one of the two will still be considered.
Polymer & Color Chemistry
- 2.4 and above GPA
- English Composition
- College-level calculus
- General chemistry
Textile Engineering
- 3.0 GPA (See College of Engineering recommendations for specific course requirements.)
Textile Technology
- 2.6 and above GPA
- English Composition
- College-level calculus
- General chemistry
Get To Know Our Colleges
With 100+ majors across 10 undergraduate colleges, NC State offers a wide variety of academic programs to fit students’ interests. Learn more about our colleges below to explore the vast opportunities for transfer students.