How to apply to Biology at North Carolina A&T State University: the B.S. in Biology in the Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, with general, interdisciplinary, pre-medical and pre-law tracks, and admission and prerequisite requirements for domestic, international (including China) and transfer applicants

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (commonly N.C. A&T) is in Greensboro, North Carolina. Undergraduate biology is taught by the Department of Biology in the College of Science and Technology. This guide summarizes the official requirements for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants (including from China) and transfer students. One caveat up front: the course requirements of each biology track are in the university’s third-party catalog system, which is not covered here, so they are marked “not published on the cited pages”; check the official site. Chemistry (including the biochemistry track) is in the Department of Chemistry and covered separately; mathematics, physics, engineering and computer science are not covered here. Medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and other professional degrees are outside this guide; see the official site.

1. Degrees and options in the department

• Degree: the department and program pages list the Biology – Bachelor of Science. The department page says “there are three tracks through the undergraduate biology curriculum” but lists four: the General Track, Interdisciplinary Track, Pre-medical Track and Pre-law Track; the “three” and the four listed do not match, so check the catalog. How the tracks differ in coursework is not published on the cited pages.
• Teacher preparation: the department page says students seeking K-12 teaching careers, such as secondary education biology, pursue them through the College of Education; the college and departmental transfer page also lists “Biology – Secondary Education”.
• Graduate programs and the accelerated pathway: the page lists the Applied Science and Technology PhD (Bioscience concentration), the MS in Biology, the MS in Biology – Applied Biomedical and Genomic Science, and an Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s pathway; details are not covered here, so see the department page.
• Goals: the program page says the department’s goal is to help students move from being interested consumers of biological knowledge to full participants in the biological profession, able to design and conduct research, gain experience in scientific methods and experimental design in the laboratory and in the field, and share results by lectures, conference presentations, writing and peer-reviewed publications.
• Outcomes (program page; no year or counting method is given): “Approximately 25 percent of biology students proceed directly to graduate school in biology or biology-related fields. About 45 percent go on to schools of medicine, veterinary medicine, or dentistry.” Others go directly to work in fields including research or applied science positions in biotechnology, pharmaceutical and chemical industries; some become high school teachers, go into sales, or work for governmental regulatory agencies, zoos or parks.
• Contact: Department of Biology, 336-285-2160, BiologyDepartment@ncat.edu, 104 Barnes Hall, 1601 E Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27411.

2. How admission works: applying to the university or to a major

• The first-year admissions page gives university-wide criteria (see section 4). Whether the biology department has its own admission line or cap, how you choose biology or a track on the application, and when and on what conditions you declare or enter the major are not published; contact Undergraduate Admissions (admissions@ncat.edu) or the department (BiologyDepartment@ncat.edu).
• Testing: the university-wide policy is in section 4; no separate biology test requirement is stated.
• Moving into biology from another N.C. A&T major: not published on the cited pages (the GPA required of outside transfers is in section 9).

3. Prerequisites and preparation

• High school courses: see the University of North Carolina minimum course requirements in section 4 (4 English, 4 math, 3 science including a biological science, a physical science and a lab science, and so on). The biology department’s own expectations for high school biology, chemistry and math, math placement, and first-year common and lab courses are not published on the cited pages.
• AP / IB credit toward required biology courses: not published on the cited pages; ask Admissions or the Registrar.
• Research and lab requirements: lab, research or thesis requirements of each track are not published on the cited pages. The department page says it promotes undergraduate research programs, pre-professional and pre-medical programs, and other opportunities posted on the departmental mailing list.

4. Dates and materials

• How to apply: through either the Common App or the university’s own undergraduate online application; one application per term is allowed (the first one submitted is processed).
• Deadlines (fall 2027): first-year Early Action application due November 1, documents November 15, decision by January 30; Regular Decision application due February 1, documents February 15, decision by April 1; applications after February 1 are rolling, with decisions 6–8 weeks after a complete application. The page also lists spring 2027: first-year application November 1, documents November 15, decision by December 30. Confirm all dates on the official site.
• Application fee: USD 60, non-refundable; College Board, ACT or NACAC fee waivers are accepted, and the fee is waived for active and veteran service members.
• Transcripts: official transcripts, signed and sealed by postal mail or through an electronic transcript service (for example Parchment or Scoir), sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions; the high school transcript should include the senior-year schedule; first-year applicants complete the activities section (extracurricular activities, community service, jobs).
• Essays and recommendations: the site says recommendation letters and personal essays are not required and will not be reviewed.
• Testing: first-year applicants with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above may apply test-optional; the page says that those “applying for Fall 2025” with a weighted GPA below 2.8 must submit ACT/SAT scores (ACT minimum 17, SAT minimum 930). The wording still refers to fall 2025, so check the requirement for fall 2027.
• Admitted profile: the site prints the 2025 middle 50% ranges: weighted GPA 3.52–4.2, ACT 17–24, SAT 1030–1240, and says admission is competitive.
• Minimum course requirements (applicants under 21, University of North Carolina system): 4 units of English; 4 units of math (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and an advanced math); 3 units of science (a biological science, a physical science and a lab science); 2 units of social studies including 1 of U.S. history; and 2 additional academic courses from English, math, science, social studies, world languages or computer science. Applicants 21 or older provide proof of high school completion or a GED.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Costs (2026-2027 estimate, full-time undergraduates, 12–18 credits per semester): tuition is USD 3,646 for North Carolina residents and USD 18,128 for non-residents; fees are USD 3,273 for both; student insurance USD 2,624; housing USD 9,149 (on campus or off campus) or USD 4,575 (living at home); food USD 4,330; books USD 1,600; transportation USD 1,780; personal USD 2,500. The page’s totals are USD 28,902 for North Carolina residents living on campus and USD 43,384 for non-residents living on campus. The page calls these budget estimates that depend on credits, housing and residency; transfer students from other North Carolina institutions must renew their residency status.
• Scholarships: admitted first-year students are automatically considered, and some scholarships need a separate application; a complete admission application on file by November 1 gets priority consideration, and everyone is encouraged to file the FAFSA. The page lists the National Alumni Scholarship (U.S. citizens, minimum 3.75 GPA, test scores optional for 2026–2027, two recommendation letters, application window November 1 to January 10, covering tuition, fees, room and board for up to four years), the Dowdy, Cheatham-White and February One scholarships, and merit awards that need no separate application (criteria vary with funding).
• Departmental support: the biology department pages do not mention department scholarships; the first-year scholarship page says many colleges and departments offer scholarships, mostly to continuing students, and some also to prospective students, with details on department websites.
• Any priority or guaranteed admission for North Carolina residents is not published on the pages cited.

6. International applicants

• Deadlines: the international admissions page says fall April 1 and spring October 1, and that deadlines are final. The dates page lists spring international as October 1 for first-year and transfer students, but its fall international entry says only “April 1 for transfer students”; it does not list fall first-year international applicants separately. Ask Admissions to confirm.
• Materials: the online application; official high school and college transcripts; for schooling outside the United States, an evaluation by one of the listed credential evaluation services (WES, Educational Perspectives, IEE, Josef Silny, SPANTRAN, NACES members), with a course-by-course evaluation of all post-secondary coursework.
• English (any one): SAT reading 400 or higher; TOEFL iBT 79–80 (paper 550; code 5003); IELTS 6.5; Duolingo 105; PTE 53; Cambridge English C1; ELS level 112; the INTERLINK program at UNCG; or 6 hours of transferable U.S. college English. Students from countries where English is the official language and the language of instruction are exempt (the site has a country list page).
• Proof of funds: bank-certified documents or confirmation of sponsorship or university funding totaling at least USD 40,288; the Financial Guarantee Form signed by sponsor and student (pages 3 and 4), the International Student Data Form, and a passport identification page copy.
• Visa and arrival: F-1/J-1 students already in the U.S. must complete the SEVIS transfer; if an I-20/DS-2019 cannot be issued on time, the Office of International Affairs may recommend deferring to the next semester; students must enter the U.S. before the last day of registration. Office of International Affairs: 336-334-7551, oia@ncat.edu.
• Scholarships: the international student scholarships page says the university has no scholarships designated for international students, that grants, loans and need-based aid are not available to them (federal and state aid go to U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens), and that they may be considered for departmental awards not restricted to U.S. citizenship; it also suggests private and home-country scholarships. Whether the first-year scholarships above are open to international students is not stated.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: how Gaokao results are used is not published; ask the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (admissions@ncat.edu, 336-334-7946).
• Transcripts and Huikao records: the site requires credential evaluation for schooling outside the United States (above) and does not mention Chinese Huikao records separately; not published.
• China-specific information: the pages cited have no China country page or interview requirement; not published.
• English: whether China is on the exemption list of countries where English is the official language and language of instruction is not stated on the pages cited (the list page is not covered here; check it); applicants not on the list need one of the English proofs above.

8. Costs and departmental support

• Tuition and scholarships are above; costs come from the university’s 2026-2027 estimate page.
• Undergraduate research and internships: the department’s undergraduate research page says summer research experiences and internships help develop scholarly and professional interests; typical application materials are a one- or two-page resume, transcript, letters of recommendation, application forms and a short statement of background and research interests; it advises consulting a faculty advisor and the Office of Career Services (101 Murphy Hall, 336-334-7755, ocs@ncat.edu); and it links a list of opportunities that is not covered here. Names and places of on-campus programs are not published on the pages cited.
• Assistantships and department scholarships: not published on the biology pages.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer: someone who has enrolled at a two-year or four-year college after high school graduation and attempted or earned college credit; dual-enrollment high school students (including early college and middle college) are not transfers and apply as first-year students.
• Admission criteria: in good standing with, and eligible to return to, the last or current institution; cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 (4.0 scale) from the transferring institution. To be exempt from all first-year requirements, applicants must have earned 24 transferable semester hours at a regionally accredited institution. The college and departmental page lists areas with additional requirements on top of the general ones (not a guarantee of admission), including Biology 2.8 GPA and Biology – Secondary Education 2.8 GPA (the page does not say which college column these sit under).
• Transfer credit: courses with a grade of C or higher transfer; accepted courses are recorded without grade points; credit from challenge examinations or pass/fail courses is not accepted; the maximum is 80 semester hours from a four-year institution and 64 from a two-year institution. North Carolina community college AA and AS graduates transfer with junior status under the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA); AAS graduates are evaluated course by course under bilateral agreements. A transfer credit articulation tool is available.
• Deadlines: fall 2027 transfer application June 1, documents June 15, decisions 6–8 weeks after a complete application; spring 2027 transfer application December 1, decision by December 30; international fall transfer April 1.
• Entry to biology: Biology 2.8 GPA and Biology – Secondary Education 2.8 GPA (above); the biology, chemistry and math sequence required after transfer is not published on the cited pages, so contact the department, or use the university’s transfer credit articulation tool.
• International transfers: schooling outside the United States needs credential evaluation; English requirements are as above.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Early Action by November 1 (or Regular Decision by February 1); Common App or the university application; USD 60 fee
• Test-optional with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above (the wording still says fall 2025, so verify); complete the application by November 1 for priority scholarship consideration and file the FAFSA
• ask the biology department about department scholarships and undergraduate research; keep the November 1 priority date in mind

International applicants (including China):

• Fall April 1 and spring October 1; confirm the fall first-year international deadline with Admissions
• Course-by-course credential evaluation of non-U.S. transcripts; TOEFL 79–80, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 105 are among the accepted proofs
• Bank-certified funds and the Financial Guarantee Form, at least USD 40,288
• Ask Admissions how Gaokao results are used; ask the biology department how the tracks differ, what the course requirements are, and whether international students can receive departmental awards

Transfer students:

• Cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 and 24 transferable semester hours to be exempt from first-year requirements; biology asks for a GPA of 2.8; ask the department about the course sequence after transfer

Sources: North Carolina A&T State University, Department of Biology; B.S. Biology; Undergraduate research programs; First-year admissions; How to apply; International admissions; Dates and deadlines; Transfer criteria; College and departmental transfer requirements; Cost of attendance; First-year scholarships; International student scholarships. The course requirements of the biology tracks are in the university catalog, which is not covered here. The dates page lists both spring and fall 2027; the first-year testing wording still refers to fall 2025; the cost page is a 2026-2027 estimate. Check N.C. A&T’s website for the latest.