Course Planning for your First Semester at UNC
Registration and Important Dates
Check out the resources below to assist with your course planning process.
General Education Requirements
You are strongly encouraged to begin Global Language during your first year at UNC. You must demonstrate proficiency through the third level of a Global Language to satisfy your general education requirements.
Transcripts
You will need to send your final transcripts to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Instructions are listed in your Student Center on ConnectCarolina.
Test scores
If you have taken any college-level coursework (AP, IB, A levels, etc.) and want to get credit at UNC, you must send in your scores to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for evaluation. If you want to see what credits you will receive at UNC, you can check out this table on the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website.
Transfer credit
If you have taken courses at an NC Community College or another four-year institution, learn more about transfer equivalencies.
Transfer credit re-evaluation
If you’ve already received an evaluation of transfer credit, but you wish to petition an academic department for additional credit or believe an error was made, you may ask for a credit re-evaluation.
If you have additional questions, contact the Office of Admissions.
Language Placement Exams allow departments at UNC to gauge your previous knowledge of a Global Language and help you select the course that best fits your current knowledge. Learn more about language placement. If you had testing accommodations from your high school or previous institution and need those accommodations for the Language Placement Test, please refer to the page for that language on the language placement site and reach out to the contact listed there.
Learn more about Math Placement tests here. The UNC Math Department offers placement tests for Algebra and Precalculus and Calculus.
Your Fall Course Schedule
We understand that this is an exciting time, and it is likely you are ready to get started planning your courses for this Fall. While New Student Orientation will provide you with most of this information, we wanted to provide you with some tools if you want to get a head start.
If you have questions about any of these tools, save them for your New Student Orientation session. Most of your questions will be answered there, but if they are not, you will have a chance to ask!
The Undergraduate Catalog provides information about UNC’s policies and procedures. The Catalog also has a comprehensive list of all the courses offered at UNC. While each course may not be offered each semester, you can get a feel for what courses interest you.
At New Student Orientation, we will tell you about the general education requirements for graduation. The Undergraduate Catalog will list what general education requirements each course fulfills.
The New Student Guide is a great resource for your first year at UNC. This resource has information about appropriate courses for first-year students and information about building your schedule.
Your welcome letter (email) from Admissions included information about reviewing the RISE 360 module. It is essential that you review this module in its entirety before you attend your first academic advising appointment. The module includes comprehensive information about how to register for classes, among other important information that will help you prepare for your first semester at Carolina.
The Tar Heel Tracker is the university’s degree audit system. Using Tar Heel Tracker, you can review which degree requirements have been satisfied and which requirements you still need to fulfill.
Your academic advisor will review your Tar Heel Tracker with you periodically. You can also review the Tar Heel Tracker on your own. See instructions on how to access your Tar Heel Tracker.
Additional Resources
Admissions
Make sure to send your transcripts and test score reports to UNC Admissions as soon as you accept your enrollment at UNC.
Financial Aid
The Office of Scholarships and Student Aid provides information and resources related to financial aid, grants, and scholarships.
Housing
The UNC Housing website includes information about housing options on campus. If you plan to live off-campus, there are resources available here: https://offcampus.unc.edu/
Questions?
Contact your advisor if you have questions about course planning. If you’re not sure where to start, learn more about the types of advisors in our office.