for Undergraduate Admission to UNC Institutions
Individual constituent institutions may require other courses in addition to the minimum requirements. For some transfer students and students who graduated from high school prior to 1990, special considerations have been made. Click on an institution for additional information specific to that institution
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Effective in Fall 2006 |
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Six course units in language, including
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four units in English emphasizing grammar, composition, and literature, and
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two units of a language other than English.
Four course units of mathematics**, in any of the following combinations:
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algebra I and II, geometry, and one unit beyond algebra II,
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algebra I and II, and two units beyond algebra II, or
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integrated math I, II, and III, and one unit beyond integrated math III.
(The fourth unit of math affects applicants to all institutions except the North Carolina School of the Arts.) It is recommended that prospective students take a mathematics course unit in the twelfth grade.
Three course units in science, including
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at least one unit in a life or biological science (for example, biology),
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at least one unit in physical science (for example, physical science, chemistry, physics), and
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at least one laboratory course.
Two course units in social studies, including one unit in U.S. history, but an applicant who does not have the unit in U.S. history may be admitted on the condition that at least three semester hours in that subject will be passed by the end of the sophomore year. |
* "Course units" as defined in these requirements may include those high school-level courses taken and passed by an applicant after graduating from high school, as well as those taken while enrolled as a high school student. For some transfer students and students who graduated from high school prior to 1990, special considerations have been made.
** Math Courses with Algebra II as a Prerequisite that meet the new UNC Minimum Course Requirement:
AP Calculus
AP Statistics
Pre Calculus (formerly Advanced Math)
Discrete Mathematics
IB Mathematics Level II
Integrated Mathematics IV
Advanced Functions and Modeling (new course)
Note: College Board, Advanced Placement Program, and AP are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board.
What Students Need to Know about UNC Minimum Course Requirements
At its April 2000 meeting, the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina acted to phase in two increases in its minimum course requirements for undergraduate admission. The
current requirements continue until fall 2004, when the first increase is phased in: 2 course units of a
second language. Then, in fall 2006, the second increase goes into effect: a 4th unit of
mathematics. (These requirements are detailed above) Individual UNC institutions may require
additional courses, as indicated in each institution's profile in this publication and at the
PATHWAYS web site:
NCMentor.org.
The implementation schedule for the new requirements means that students in grades 6-12 in the 2000-01 school year will face different course requirements when they are ready to seek university admission. The requirements that each class will have to meet are shown below:
| Student's Grade in 2000-01 |
Anticipated Year of High School Graduation |
Requirements for Undergraduate Admission to a UNC Institution |
| 12 |
2000-01 |
As currently exist (see p. ii) |
| 11 |
2001-02 |
As currently exist (see p. ii) |
| 10 |
2002-03 |
As currently exist (see p. ii) |
| 9 |
2003-04 |
Current plus 2 units of a second language |
| 8 |
2004-05 |
Current plus 2 units of a second language |
| 7 |
2005-06 |
Current plus 2 units of a second language and a 4th unit of mathematics |
| 6
| 2006-07
| Current plus 2 units of a second language and a 4th unit of mathematics |
Thus, students currently in grades 10-12 in the 2000-01 school year (and entering a UNC institution before fall 2004) will not be affected by the increases. Students currently in grades 8 and 9 (and entering a UNC institution before fall 2006) will need to have completed two or more units of a second language. And students currently in grades 6 and 7 (and entering a UNC institution during fall 2006 or later) will need to have completed two or more units of a second language and a fourth unit of mathematics.
The Board took this action to ensure that freshmen have a strong chance of completing a baccalaureate degree. A study of 1997-98 North Carolina public high school seniors who enrolled at a UNC institution in the fall of 1998 found significant differences in performance among those students who met only the current minimum course requirements, those who met only the additional second language requirement, and those who met both the additional second language requirement and the additional fourth unit of mathematics requirement. Here is a summary of the study's findings:
| Courses Taken |
Freshman-to-Sophomore Retention Rate |
First-Year Grade Point Average |
Placement in Remedial English or Mathematics |
| Only those currently required |
66.7% |
1.71 |
42.7% |
| Those currently required plus 2 units of a second language |
75.5% |
1.96 |
31.6% |
| Those currently required plus 2 units of a second language and a 4th unit of mathematics |
81.8% |
2.28 |
17.0% |
Students who took more than two units of a second language or more than four units of mathematics performed even better. The study also revealed that 95 percent of the freshmen at UNC institutions had already completed two or more units of a second language, and 81 percent had already completed four or more units of mathematics. Thus, students who decide to meet the Board's fall 2004 or fall 2006 requirements before they are required to do so will take an important step in becoming more competitive when they enroll in college. They need not wait until requirements are in effect.
