Frequently Asked Questions

The best way to contact our team is to submit an email question.

Please note that the Online and Distance Education office is able to answer general education, program, enrollment, and course information inquiries. For detailed information regarding a program and/or course, please contact the program contact listed on the program page or the course instructor. 

As an NC State student taking online or distance education courses, you can expect to encounter a variety of delivery formats across courses and programs.

For example, you may access course materials, activities, and assessments asynchronously with a web browser through Moodle, NC State’s official Learning Management System (LMS). You might have synchronous classes or meetings with your instructor through Zoom or Google Meet. You might view course videos in Panopto, or collaborate with your peers in Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, or other parts of the Google Education Workspace. 

Moodle: NC State’s learning management system for course content delivery.
Zoom or Google Meet: Video-conferencing application that allows synchronous online class sessions and other meetings between students, faculty, and staff.
Panopto: Video platform that houses and streams instructional videos.

Students interested in applying to:

A graduate degree, certificate, or licensure program:

Visit The Graduate School to learn more about the admissions process for graduate students.

An undergraduate certificate or licensure program:

Complete the NDS application and select the undergraduate certificate or licensure program you wish to complete.

Take online or distance education courses without being admitted to a program:

Visit NC State’s NDS website to complete the application process.

Take online computer science or engineering courses:

Visit the enroll in courses page on the Engineering Online (EOL) website.

Additionally, it is recommended that you visit the Online and Distance Education program page or the University catalog to find out detailed information on how to apply to each program. 

See article KB0012889 for information on how to enroll in a course.

Now that you’ve been admitted to NC State, here are some recommended steps to get you started:

• Follow the steps included in your welcome email to set up your NCSU password. You will use this password to log in to MyPack Portal and your @ncsu.edu email account.
• Complete the ODE virtual orientation.
• Search and enroll in courses through MyPack Portal.
• Check on your billing, and subscribe to the Student Services Center Billing and Due Date Google Calendar.
• Explore NC State’s online learning tools (Wolfware, Moodle, and Zoom)
• Check the syllabus (if available) for the courses you are enrolled in.
• Visit DELTA Testing Services website. 

These recommendations will help prepare you for your upcoming academic semester.

If you are a non-degree studies (NDS) student or pursuing an online and distance education undergraduate certificate program, you may upload a copy of your transcript to your NDS application. Not all online and distance education programs require you to submit transcripts, please check the program page to confirm required materials. Please note: The Online and Distance Education office does not accept mailed transcripts.

If the program you’re applying to requires an official transcript, it must be sent directly from the institution to NC State University. Most institutions have mechanisms in place to directly send an official transcript to NC State electronically. View more information about the undergraduate admissions transcript process on the Undergraduate Admissions website. Find more information regarding the graduate admissions transcript process on The Graduate School website.

Former and current NC State students can find directions for ordering transcripts on the Student Services website. If you have additional questions regarding your transcript, please contact the Student Services Center at (919) 515-NCSU (6278) or email them at studentservices@ncsu.edu.

As a NDS student, there are two ways to search for courses:

Class search, also referred to as the class schedule, allows you to search for courses by term, course subject and course number.

The course catalog allows you to search for courses based on the academic career (ie. undergraduate or graduate, etc.) and the subject.

After you’ve searched and selected your courses, you can begin to enroll via the Enrollment Wizard. To access the Enrollment Wizard:

1. Log into MyPack Portal with your Unity ID and password
2. Select your Student Homepage
3. Select the ‘Planning & Enrollment’ tile
4. From the left-hand navigation menu, select ‘Enrollment Wizard’

Should you have difficulties, please contact Student Services for assistance.

For F-1 and J-1 international students at NC State, please contact the Office of International Services (OIS) at NC State. Please be sure to first visit the OIS website as it contains a lot of great information that may answer your questions.

If you are an F-1 or J-1 student at an institution other than NC State, you should talk with your home insitution’s International Services office about taking courses at NC State.

You may also contact the office of Online and Distance Education by submitting an email question.

Online and Distance Education Degree Students

If you are a degree student who is enrolled in an academic program (and intends to obtain a degree), an academic advisor is assigned to you by your department or college. You can view your assigned advisor by logging into MyPack Portal and following this path: Student Homepage > Planning & Enrollment tile > Advisors tab (left-hand navigation menu).  

Online and Distance Education Certificate Students

If you are enrolled in a certificate program, your college or department may or may not assign you an academic advisor (it will depend on the program). You can determine if you have an assigned advisor by completing the steps listed in the above paragraph.

Note: If you are an undergraduate student and you are unable to find and/or get in contact with your advisor, contact your respective college’s coordinator of undergraduate advising. If you are a graduate student and you are unable to find and/or get in contact with your advisor, contact your respective college’s coordinator of graduate advising. In the absence of the advising coordinator, consult the coordinator or director of the academic program or the appropriate department head.

Non-Degree Studies (NDS) Students

NDS students are not assigned academic advisors. If you have questions about a specific academic program, please contact the coordinator or director of the program. You can find the contact information for the program coordinator or director by visiting the program’s web page on the Online and Distance Education website.

Students may also email University Advising and Exploratory Services, university-advising@ncsu.edu, for advising assistance. Note: University Advising and Exploratory Services may only be able to provide limited assistance and/or answer general advising questions for NDS students.

Non-degree students can take classes at NC State University through the Non-Degree Studies (NDS) program. As an NDS student, you can take undergraduate or graduate level courses to:

• Meet NC State University admission requirements,
• Transfer credits to another university,
• Update professional skills, or
• Enrich personal experiences.

There are flexible enrollment options which include:

• On-campus courses,
• Day and evening classes, and
• Online and Distance Education courses, which utilize a variety of delivery technologies.

The NDS enrollment date is the date and time assigned to NDS students during which they can begin enrolling for the upcoming term. Enrollment for all NDS students, regardless of admission date or classification, begins on the Open Enrollment date for the upcoming semester. 

The NDS Open Enrollment date can be found on the Enrollment Calendar on the Student Services Center website.

All students registered in NC State courses can utilize both the Math Multimedia Center and the Unity Computer Labs. You will need your Unity ID and password.

Your assigned email address will be your Unity ID@ncsu.edu. For example, Jane Doe’s Unity ID is jedoe14, so her email address is jedoe14@ncsu.edu.

Visit the OIT website for information about your NC State email and/or your Unity ID.

Not sure which Learning Management System (LMS) your course uses? Visit the WolfWare website to find out course information, like technology used in the course. Instructions on how to look up a course in WolfWare are included below:

1. On the far left-side index, select the name of the college of the course you’re seeking information on (ex: Design).

2. Select the semester you’re enrolled [ex: Spring (all sessions), 2023 Courses].

3. Select the subject (ex: D-Design) and number (ex: 101).

4. The search results will return all of the available courses. Click on the blue “i” icon for course information and you will be directed to the course information page of your interested course.

5. Look in the box located on the right side of the page, under “Tools” to see information on Learning Management Systems used in the course and other technology requirements.

Degree Seeking and Certificate Program Students

Online and Distance Education (DE) tuition charges vary depending on the student’s academic program and registration. Please see the note below for more information on tuition and fees. 

Non-Degree Studies (NDS) students

NDS Undergraduate Studies (UGS) students are charged at the undergraduate rate for all courses. NDS Post-Baccalaureate Studies (PBS) students who enroll in undergraduate level courses ONLY are charged at the undergraduate rate. NDS PBS students who enroll in any graduate level course are charged at the graduate rate for ALL courses for which they are registered.

Note: Visit the Student Services Website to view the current tuition and fees. In addition to visiting the Student Services website, you may be able to view your bill online via MyPack portal.

A detailed explanation of tuition and required fees for distance education can be found on the Student Services website.

Financial Aid eligibility is determined by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. We encourage you to contact a financial aid advisor directly to learn more about financial aid opportunities and your eligibility.

Please note that students in non-degree programs are typically not eligible for financial aid, with the exception of certain licensure programs, PBS coursework, and some graduate certificates. Review Program Eligibility Requirements to learn more.

For additional information, visit the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid website or call (919) 515-6278.

Please visit the DELTA Testing Services website to find out more information on testing services.

NC State University implements various measures to verify and protect the identity of students enrolled in distance learning. According to RUL 02.66.04 Student Identification in Distance Learning, students are responsible for providing their complete and true identity which can be verified through the provision of:

• Personally identifying information during the admissions, financial aid, enrollment, and registration processes.
• Government-issued photo identification card (photo ID) to obtain a university-issued student identification card (Student ID).
• Student ID or a government-issued photo ID at on-campus testing centers and for off-campus testing.

Other methods of identity verification include: 

• Using a secure login with NC State-assigned username and student generated password with two-factor authentication.
• Administering proctored examinations.

Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of all the methods used by the University to verify student identity. To learn more about the verification process, student responsibility, and student privacy refer to RUL 02.66.04 on NC State’s Policies, Regulations & Rules website.