Admissions
FER Home : Graduate Students : Admissions
All departments that offer a graduate program, including FER, are affiliated with NC State’s Graduate School. The Grad School maintains admission standards and exercises control over all graduate degree programs.
Graduate students in FER are actually admitted to the University through NC State’s Graduate School to work on a degree program in a specific department. Faculty in the specific departments review applications and make recommendations to the Graduate School regarding the admission of applicants to their departments.
Students entering the FER graduate program come from diverse backgrounds, both educationally and geographically. Many do not have undergraduate degrees in forestry or natural resources. FER offer a series of mini-courses for students without a forestry/natural resource background. Please click here for information on prerequisites for students interested in a traditional career in forest management.
In general, outstanding students with backgrounds in the biological, physical and social sciences are admitted directly into FER’s graduate program. Any necessary background courses in undergraduate science, mathematics and specialty areas can usually be completed as part of the graduate student program. Some of the Natural Resource Technical Options require specific undergraduate coursework – see each option’s description for requirements.
For more information on applying to an FER graduate program, visit the North Carolina State University Graduate School Online Application System. Many questions regarding admissions details (where to send GRE scores, official transcripts, and more) can be answered through the Graduate School's Frequently Asked Questions website.
Admission Requirements
Generally, minimum requirements for admission are: an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 and a graduate record examination score of at least 1000, calculated as the sum of verbal and quantitative scores. Admission is contingent upon acceptance by an advisor.
International Students
FER welcomes graduate students from universities all around the world. For international students, the Graduate School requires:
- Acceptable TOEFL scores of at least 80 (see the link below for minimum scores for each section) on the internet-based version. Click here for other details concerning TOEFL requirements (see Section O: English Proficiency Requirements).
- A Visa Clearance Form and a Certificate of Financial Responsibility before a final admission decision can be made.
Admissions Deadlines
The departmental application deadlines to be considered for aid are as follows (deadline given is for a completed application, including all supporting documents):
| Fall | Spring | Summer 1 | Summer 2 | |
| All Students | January 31 | September 30 | - | - |
Graduate School application deadlines are as follows (refers to the last date to submit a completed application with all supporting documents):
| Fall | Spring | Summer 1 | Summer 2 | |
| International Students | March 1 | July 15 | Dec. 15 | Dec. 15 |
| US Students | June 25 | Nov. 25 | March 25 | May 10 |
Application Recommendations
Your personal statement should generally be one-two pages long and should focus on your professional interests and how this proposed degree will meet these interests and goals. We suggest that you put your goals and objectives at the beginning of the personal statement to make it easier for faculty to review your application.
Please also attach a one-two page resume.
Diversity Commitment
FER is committed to providing an outstanding education for all people, regardless of gender or race. We welcome applications from graduates students who hail from nontraditional backgrounds, and are particularly interested in enrolling female and minority candidates in our forestry degree programs. For more information, please contact CNR's Community for Diversity
in Natural Resources.
Visit Us
We welcome visits from prospective students who want to get a firsthand look at our facilities and meet some our faculty. Please contact individual faculty to schedule visits. While you are here, you are encouraged to also schedule meetings with the Graduate Program Coordinator and the Director of Graduate Programs. For a map of where we are located and information on campus tours, please visit CNR’s Visit Us section.
In general, you will need to visit during normal business hours. We have occasional Saturday open house sessions for grad students - these are typically announced on the main grad student webpage.
