How to Apply to Art and Design at NC State University: Fall-Only Studio Majors in Art + Design, Graphic & Experience Design and Industrial Design With a 1 November Portfolio in wolfPAW, and Portfolio Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At NC State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, undergraduate art and design is mainly in the College of Design. Its majors are either studio-based (portfolio required) or non-studio (no portfolio). Here is what you need to know, based on NC State’s official websites, for students at high schools in China (including A-level, IB and AP students), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

1. Majors and degrees

• Media Arts, Design and Technology: leads to the Bachelor of Art + Design (4 years). Listed interests include drawing, illustration, fibers and soft materials, digital image making, photography, moving image, visual storytelling, storyboarding, animation, VR/AR/MR, interactive media art, creative coding, game design, interaction design and installation design.
• Graphic & Experience Design: Bachelor of Graphic & Experience Design (4 years), covering branding, data visualization, exhibition, information, interface and interaction, publication design, typography, UX and VR/AR.
• Industrial Design: Bachelor of Industrial Design (4 years), covering product, furniture, toy, transportation, soft goods (apparel, shoes, bags), exhibit, medical product and service design.
• Architecture: Bachelor of Environmental Design (4 years), followed by a fifth-year professional Bachelor of Architecture.
• BA in Design Studies (4 years): design research, writing and exhibition; a non-studio major with no portfolio, admitting in fall and spring.
• The admissions office also lists Fashion and Textile Design as a studio-based major on the same 1 November portfolio schedule; this guide does not cover its curriculum.
• Global Engagement Requirement: studio majors include a global engagement requirement; see the college pages for details.
• Changing majors: moving from one studio major to another is not automatic; the target department reviews you again the following fall, and seats are limited. Studio students may add a minor or double major.

2. Applying to a studio major (first-year)

• Fall entry only; studio majors do not admit first-year students in spring.
• Applications: Common App or Coalition on Scoir, with no preference. You can list two majors: the studio major must be your first choice; the college strongly recommends a second choice, but it cannot be another studio major. If you are not admitted to your first choice, admissions may review you for your second, but this is not automatic.
• Timeline (an annual schedule on the college pages with no year given; check exact 2027 dates on the website and in wolfPAW):
  • 1 August: applications open.
  • By mid-October: submit your Common App or Coalition application so you get wolfPAW access to upload the portfolio.
  • 1 November: portfolio deadline. Incomplete or late portfolios may not be reviewed. The admissions deadlines table also gives a 10 November materials deadline.
  • Late December: the college recommends one of three outcomes to admissions: admit, invite to a departmental interview, or decline for the studio major.
  • Mid-January: departmental interviews by invitation only; not every department interviews.
  • Decisions: the college pages say final decisions come from admissions in mid-February; the admissions deadlines table says studio-major decisions are released on a rolling basis from 31 January. Both appear on the official websites.
  • 1 May: enrollment confirmation.
• Review: holistic, by departmental representatives and admissions; departments emphasize your academic record and portfolio.

3. Portfolio

• Number of pieces: the College of Design pages say to upload 7–10 separate design pieces in wolfPAW; the admissions international first-year page says studio majors submit a 10-piece portfolio and an additional essay. Both appear on the official websites; follow the requirement shown in wolfPAW.
• Content: pieces do not need to be major-specific and any medium is accepted. They need not come from a classroom—summer camps, commissions, community college, workshops or self-taught work all count—but must be your own. Examples given: 2D (drawing, sketching, painting, pastels, charcoal, screen printing), 3D (sculpture, ceramics, furniture, woodwork, metals, fibers) and digital media (photography, animation, game clips, video, graphic design).
• Major-specific recommendations are in the college’s Admissions Booklet for Freshmen and Transfer Students, hosted on a third-party document platform that this guide did not read; open it from the college pages.
• Files: up to 5GB each; common video, audio, image (jpg, png, tif and more) and document (pdf, ppt, doc and more) formats.
• The college does not help with portfolio development, provide examples or review portfolios before the admissions cycle.

4. International first-year materials

• Application fee: USD 100, non-refundable; no fee waivers.
• Applicants at schools outside the U.S. submit official secondary transcripts with English translations (by the school, the Ministry of Education or a certified translator, sent directly by the school), proof of English proficiency and proof of financial ability (for F-1 or J-1). Test scores are not in the list for schools outside the U.S.
• Testing: applicants at U.S. high schools with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above may apply without SAT, ACT or CLT scores; those between 2.5 and 2.8 must submit ACT 17 or SAT 930 or higher. Not sending scores does not affect scholarship review.
• Essays: the Common App or Coalition essay (650 words or fewer) plus short answers on why you chose your programs and why NC State.
• Funding: for 2027-28 you must show USD 58,423, by completing the Certificate of Financial Responsibility in wolfPAW and uploading a bank statement issued within six months; NC State says the amount rises about 3%–5% a year.
• International applicants follow the same deadlines; decisions are released on a rolling basis.

5. English requirements

• Full admission: TOEFL iBT 80 (18 per section, tests before 21 January 2026) or 4.5 (4 per section, from 21 January 2026), IELTS Academic 6.5 (6.0 per band), Duolingo 110 or PTE 58, sent electronically by the testing agency.
• Conditional admission: academically qualified applicants below the minimum may be considered through the NC State Intensive English Program (from TOEFL 42 or 3, IELTS 5.0, Duolingo 80 or PTE 36).
• Exemption: nationals of listed countries do not need a test; the list includes Canada (except Quebec).

6. Students at high schools in China

• Submit official transcripts with English translations, an English score and proof of funding.
• Gaokao and art exams: NC State does not say how these are used; not published, so ask admissions.
• No specific courses are required; challenging courses are recommended, and strong AP, IB or A-level results may earn credit (see the admissions credit pages).

7. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• English: Canadian nationals outside Quebec are exempt.
• Grades: NC State does not publish BC course or diploma requirements; ask admissions.
• The portfolio and timeline are the same as for other first-year applicants.

8. Transfer students

• Off-campus transfers to studio majors: fall only, with 7–10 pieces in wolfPAW by 1 November on the same schedule as first-year applicants.
• Length: studio majors require eight semesters of studio after transfer (eight 6-credit studios taken in order in fall and spring), which NC State says typically still takes four years regardless of transfer credit or an associate degree.
• Design Studies (non-studio): no portfolio; the college page gives a 15 February fall transfer deadline with rolling decisions from 15 April, and admissions gives a 1 March materials deadline.
• College work outside the U.S.: a WES or ECE course-by-course evaluation is required; your department decides transferable credit after admission.
• Current NC State students: apply through CODA by 1 November with a link to a 7–10 slide portfolio website; the college also reviews cumulative GPA and transfer hours.

9. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-27, out-of-state: tuition and fees USD 34,961; estimated total for living on campus USD 54,779 (including housing, food, books, transport and personal costs). 2027-28 costs are not yet published; see section 4 for the funding amount.
• International students are not eligible for financial aid, but a limited number of competitive merit scholarships are available; submit the scholarship application in PACK ASSIST soon after admission. First-year early action applicants (1 November) get priority consideration for scholarships and aid.
• The Park Scholarship is limited to U.S. citizens, permanent residents or graduates of U.S. high schools.

10. Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Submit Common App or Coalition by mid-October with a studio major first and a non-studio second choice
• Upload your portfolio in wolfPAW by 1 November (number of pieces as shown in wolfPAW)
• Transcripts with translations, IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 80, and proof of funding

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• No English test for Canadian nationals outside Quebec; confirm BC grade requirements with admissions

Transfer students:

• Studio majors: portfolio by 1 November, fall only, and plan about four years after transfer

Sources: NC State University, College of Design undergraduate majors; College of Design first-year admissions; College of Design off-campus transfer; College of Design on-campus transfer; International first-year applicants; Dates and deadlines; Test score consideration; International students; International transfer applicants; Afford; Undergraduate estimated cost of attendance. Check NC State’s official websites for the latest information.