In 1887, in an effort to create higher education for all, including farmers, mechanics and other working class families, North Carolina State University was founded. Established under the Morrill Act of 1862, the school was known as North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts and provided instruction in agriculture, mechanical arts and engineering. By 1894, all students were required to participate in military drills each week as part of the military science curriculum.
In 1917, the school had expanded significantly and the name was changed to North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering. The Depression led to economic hardship due to the lack enrollment, endangering the future of the college advances during the 1920s. Education reforms were passed by the state that moved various programs at North Carolina colleges in order to balance growth helped keep the school open. The school was then renamed North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering of the University of North Carolina after it joined the North Carolina University system as part of the reform.
By 1937, North Carolina State had more than 2,000 students with extension and engineering the two of fastest growing programs at the college. The outbreak of World War II, however, dropped enrollment significantly as it did many colleges during that era. In an effort to remain open, the college hosted military detachments as well as training exercises and several departments were redesigned for military and defense purposes. After the war, the G.I. Bill caused enrollment to grow significantly as returning military members took advantage of the program.
In 1963, the school officially became North Carolina State College of the University of North Carolina at Raleigh after being known as State College for years. The name was not popular and was changed after two years to North Carolina State University at Raleigh. Today, there are 34,000 students enrolled at the university and it is highly ranked highly by Princeton Review and USA Today among public universities. It is also ranked highly by U.S. News & World Report and Kiplinger.
North Carolina State University Accreditation Details
North Carolina State University is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. This means that the school offers education that is considered excellent by the accrediting agency and that they strive to correct any potential problems identified by the accrediting agency. Programs at the college are also accredited by the following associations or organizations:
- Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care
- Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
- American Apparel and Footwear Association
- American Chemical Society
- American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education
- Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care
- College Reading and Learning Association International Tutor Program Certification
- Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies
- Commission on Office Laboratory Assessment
- Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation
- Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions
- Council on Social Work
- Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
- Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board
- National Architectural Accreditation Board
- Society of American Foresters
- Society of Wood Science and Technology
North Carolina State University Admission Requirements
Applicants without college credit earned after high school graduation are considered freshman at North Carolina State University. Students must apply through the Common Application or the Coalition Application. Official transcripts high school transcripts as well as official ACT or SAT scores are required. Some programs also require a portfolio or essay submissions as part of the admission process. Letters of recommendation are not required and are not recommended nor are the College Report, Secondary School Final Report and Mid-Term Report on the Common Application.
Transfer students are those who have earned college credit after high school graduation. They must complete the Common or Coalition Application. They must submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Only students who are under the age of 21 or who have less than 30 transfer credits must provide official high school transcripts. Letters of recommendation, the College Report, Secondary School Final Report and Mid-Term Report in the Common Application are not required or recommended.
In order to apply to graduate programs at the University of North Carolina, students should speak to an admissions counselor as each program has their own requirements.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergraduate tuition at North Carolina State University is $816.88 per credit hour for North Carolina residents and $3,110.38 for out-of-state residents. Graduate tuition is $1,061.50 per credit hour for North Carolina residents and $2,995.88 for non-residents. Online undergraduate tuition is $221 per credit hour for residents and $742 for non-residents. Graduate online tuition rates are $416 per credit hour for residents and $1,132 for non-residents. Some degree programs, both graduate and undergraduate, may have higher tuition fees.
Financial aid is available in the form of scholarships, grants, loans and work-study programs. North Carolina State University is consistently rated as one of the best values in higher education and students who graduate have 28 percent less student loan debt than the average college student, according to U.S. News & World Report. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid in order to qualify. Students interested in scholarships should complete the PackASSIST application as well.
Degree Programs Available
Agricultural Business Management
The Agricultural Business Management degree provides students with the opportunity to learn basic business principles that apply to agricultural and industries related to agriculture. Students must combine the program with another undergraduate major, including business or engineering. The program requires an additional 15 credit hours to the major requirements. Courses include:
- Agribusiness Finance
- Agribusiness Marketing
- Ethics in Agribusiness
- Global Agribusiness Management
- Introduction to Agriculture; Resource Economics
Agricultural and Extension Education
The online Agricultural and Extension Education master's program at North Carolina State is for students who are teaching agriculture at the middle, high or post-secondary level but who wish to work with the Cooperative Extension Service. Students gain in-depth knowledge of extension education but it does not result in certification to teach high school agriculture. Students must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0, provide three letters of recommendation, a writing sample and official GRE scores. The program requires 36 hours of study and students must also complete a culminating project. Courses required include:
- Adult Education in Agriculture
- Coordinating the High School Agricultural and Extension Education
- Curriculum Development in Agricultural and Extension Education
- Effective Teaching in Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Foundations of Agricultural and Extension Education
- Program Planning in Agricultural and Extension Education
- Scientific Inquiry in Agricultural and Extension Education
- Special Problems in Agricultural and Extension Education
- Teaching Agriculture in Secondary Schools
Students must also complete Master's Supervised Research in order to complete the program.
Related Resource: Top 30 Online Master's in Liberal Studies Degree Programs
North Carolina State University at Raleigh offers many programs in an online format that allow working adults to achieve their higher education goals even when work, family or social obligations make it difficult to attend traditional classes.