Course Registration

Research and identify courses that will be taught during the term that you plan to study at NC State using the course search tool.

• Undergraduate students are generally eligible for classes numbered 100-499. Undergraduate students must enroll in a minimum of 12 credit hours.
• Graduate students are generally eligible for classes numbered 500-799. Graduate students must enroll in a minimum of 9 credit hours. 
• Some course sections are reserved for specific student populations, so be sure to carefully review all course requirements as you go about your search.
• If you need a course syllabus, please email saoincoming@ncsu.edu to request this syllabus.

Please be sure to select Spring 2025 Term before you begin your search. Don’t list any courses from other terms on your form.  Although a majority of courses must be in your designated field of study, we recommend that students take an elective that is unique to an American university. A few that we would like to highlight are the Foreign Language English courses, and International Studies 200.  Note that some of these courses are not offered this term, so you should look for them in the course catalog before adding them to your form. 

Before submitting the form, undergraduate students enrolling in Poole College of Management (PCOM) courses (Business Management, Economics, Accounting) should carefully review guidance from Poole Global.

You should consult your home institution’s Academic/Faculty advisor on your courses before requesting them. We will ask that you have made these consultations before submitting your request. It may be helpful for you to schedule an appointment with them now so you can be sure that you have a clear understanding of your course requirements and flexibility. Delays in the submission of this form could cause delays in course registration, making it harder for our office to enroll you in your top courses. 

The Spring 2025 course request form will be sent out on October 9 and will be due on November 1.

• You MUST list 5 courses in the Top 5 section and at least 3 courses in the Alternates section. You will be registered for courses based on availability and the order in which you list the courses. If you do not fill out this form completely and correctly, you will be asked to re-do the form.
• You may not take a course if you have not met the prerequisites. You will have an opportunity to explain how coursework taken at your home university may satisfy the prerequisite(s) at NC State in the Google form. 
• Your course requests must align with the Enrollment Requirements listed further down this page. 
• Whenever possible, select a section of the course that does not pose a time conflict with your other Top 5 Course Requests. 

Please complete the form fully. We cannot guarantee that you will be placed in every course that you request, but by listing alternates, it makes it easier for us to get you into courses that will work for you in case we cannot enroll you in courses listed under your Top 5. If you do not provide real alternates, we may not be able to fill your course schedule. 

Delays in the submission of this form could cause delays in course registration, making it harder for our office to enroll you in your top courses. 

Our office will work with academic departments to enroll you in your courses. Please do not attempt to enroll yourself or make changes to your schedule before arrival at NC State. After you have been enrolled in a full course schedule, further changes can be made by working directly with our office and/or your department. Courses become more difficult to change as the start of the semester approaches, so try to request changes earlier and be patient with our office as we facilitate the process. 

• In order to be properly registered as an NC State student, all exchange students must choose a major/field of study.
• A major field of study is also required for the DS-2019 letter.
• Students must take courses outside of their major field of study, but a major of courses should be within the major.

• You can use the Class Search to get an idea of what courses will be offered during your exchange. We recommend you look for classes offered in the same term you will study at NC State. Some courses are only taught in the spring or fall semesters.
• The finalized list of courses will be available online in March for Fall courses and October for Spring courses.

Credit hours are the measurement units used to classify courses. For each credit hour, students are expected to spend 1 hour in class per week plus 2 hours studying per week. A standard course is 3 credit hours, so students should expect to be in class 3 hours a week plus 6 hours of studying.

• Courses are numbered to indicate the academic level – courses 100 through 499 are for undergraduate students, and classes 500 and above are for graduate students. As course numbers increase, the level of difficulty and rigor increase as well.
• Most courses have more than one offering each semester, referred to as a section. Each section meets at a different time and may be taught by different professors.
• See below for an example of course numbers and sections:

• If a course is full or has restrictions, our office is unable to add you to the course. Full courses have no remaining seats and should not be listed in your Course Request Form.
• Restricted courses usually require fulfillment of prerequisites, and the Study Abroad Office must consult with the academic department to determine your eligibility. We cannot guarantee you a seat in courses that are restricted.
• *Occasionally, full courses will have seats open up during the first week of classes. If you are interested in a full course, continue to check for availability during Orientation and during the first week of class. If you are unable to obtain a seat in a class through the waitlist, you may speak with the professor/instructor to see if there is other space available.

• For visa regulations, all exchange students must maintain a full course load.
  • For undergraduate students, a full load is 12 credit hours.
  • For graduate students, a full load is 9 credit hours.
• You can only take one Distance Education course to count towards this minimum enrollment requirement.

• You are responsible for working with your department and advisors at your home university to identify NC State courses. Based on the courses listed on your Course Request Form, you will be registered in the courses most appropriate for you. Not all NC State courses are appropriate for exchange students and your academic advisor will make this distinction.
• Some courses may be restricted by major or by class (such as SR-for senior/4th year students). In some cases, we can get department approval to enroll you in a restricted course. However, degree-seeking NC State students have priority and we cannot guarantee enrollment in restricted courses.
• Currently, the Biomedical Engineering Department cannot accept exchange students due to the limited availability of their courses. 

• During Orientation, you will have a chance to meet with your academic advisor to discuss your courses and make any changes necessary. We do not recommend making course schedule changes prior to arrival because it is likely that you will not be able to bypass certain restrictions on MyPack Portal. This is usually done manually and after consultation with the academic department.
• You may wish to attend the first meeting of your course in order to receive the syllabus and decide whether the course is appropriate for you. After arrival on campus, you may change your course schedule until approximately 2 weeks into the semester.
• As a reminder, for visa regulations, you must maintain minimum enrollment requirements (12 credit hours for undergraduates, 9 credit hours for graduate students).

Distance education courses are taught completely online. Exchange students are eligible to enroll in one distance education course that will count towards the minimum visa credit hour requirement. However, if it is a hybrid course, you can take a couple of those to count towards the minimum enrollment requirement since a portion of the class is in-person.