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High-Quality, Flexible Online Education


We offer a wide range of classes that can help you pursue the education you want at your own pace. Classes count for credit that typically can be transferred to other universities or colleges, and many also meet specific requirements for admission to graduate or professional programs.

All of our online classes can be taken individually or in combination with other classes, depending on student needs. We also offer two stand-alone, entirely online programs: the Microbiology Undergraduate Certificate and the Graduate Certificate for Biology Educators.

Anyone enrolled as a student at NC State can take online classes. If you’re studying elsewhere, or have already completed a degree, enroll as a non-degree studies student.

20+ Online Courses

The Department of Biological Sciences offers a variety of courses in five subject areas.

The Student Experience

We are invested in your success at NC State. As a student in our online courses, you will have access to academic advisers who can provide guidance in choosing a course, offer academic support for a course in progress or help design a plan of study to meet your individual needs.
 
We have classes to fit your schedule. Many of our most popular online courses are offered year-round, in one of the summer sessions as well as during the spring or fall semesters. You can also take summer courses that are offered at an accelerated pace. Our online courses are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have to be online at any specific times. Although they offer flexibility in when you access course material, note that our classes typically have assignments and exams due on specific dates. And all of our online courses have fixed beginning and ending dates that coincide with the academic sessions at NC State.

Just as traditional classroom-based courses come in a variety of different styles, so do our online courses. They are commonly based on interactive websites and leverage tools such as Moodle, Blackboard Collaborate, Mediasite and WebAssign. Courses also feature a variety of learning materials that include innovative digital learning objects, podcasts, videos and slideshows. Many courses use proctored exams that are offered through remote proctoring centers or ProctorU, a virtual proctoring service.