UNC Chapel Hill Undergraduate Programs: A Comprehensive Guide

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) stands as a leading global public research university, dedicated to preparing a diverse student body to become creators, explorers, innovators, and leaders. Chartered in 1789 and opened to students four years later, Carolina continues a legacy of nationally recognized teaching, groundbreaking research, and dedication to public service. With a wide array of undergraduate programs, UNC-Chapel Hill provides students with the resources, support, and hands-on experiences needed to thrive.

Academic Opportunities

UNC-Chapel Hill offers a multitude of academic avenues for undergraduates. The university has 74 bachelor’s, 104 master’s, 65 doctorate, and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools, including the College of Arts & Sciences. These programs equip students to thrive in a rapidly changing workforce, fostering critical thought and the courage to guide change.

Bachelor's Degrees

Undergraduate students at UNC-Chapel Hill can pursue several types of bachelor's degrees:

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.): Offered through the College of Arts and Sciences, the B.A. degree requires students to complete the Supplemental General Education requirement. The College of Arts and Sciences offers more than 50 major fields of study.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.): These four-year programs provide specialization in a particular field with necessary instruction in related fields. Some B.S. programs offered by professional schools may have reduced General Education requirements.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.): Housed in the Department of Art and Art History, this four-year program offers preprofessional training in the creative aspects of art for qualified students.
Bachelor of Music: Located in the Department of Music, this four-year program emphasizes training and achievement in the performance or composition of music.

Dual Bachelor-Graduate Degree Programs

The University offers accelerated dual bachelor’s-graduate degree programs, allowing students to complete both degrees in a condensed timeframe. These programs include:

Biostatistics (B.S.P.H.-M.S.)
Contemporary European studies and political science (B.A.-M.A.)
Education (M.A.T.)
Environmental science and engineering (multiple B.S. degree majors possible or B.S.P.H-M.S.)
Environmental studies or environmental science and public administration (B.A.-M.P.A.)
Environmental studies or environmental science and geography (B.A.)
Environmental studies or environmental science and mass communication (B.A.)

The requirements for the bachelor’s degree must be completed within eight semesters of study (or 10 semesters of study for transfer students). The requirements for the graduate degree can be completed in as few as two additional semesters, for a possible total of 10 (or fewer) semesters of study.

Popular Majors

The most popular majors at UNC-Chapel Hill are:

Social Sciences
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology
Mathematics and Statistics
Health Professions and Related Programs
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies

Academic Regulations and Requirements

General Education Requirements

Students must satisfy all IDEAs in Action requirements. Focus Capacity requirements may be reduced in some B.S. programs offered by professional schools.

Credit Hour Requirements

A minimum of 45 academic credit hours must be earned from UNC-Chapel Hill courses. Study abroad transfer credit does not count toward the minimum of 45 academic credit hours that must be earned from UNC-Chapel Hill courses.
No more than 45 semester hours in any subject, as defined by subject code, may be used toward fulfilling the B.A.

Time to Degree

Students who enter the University as first-year students are expected to complete their undergraduate degree in eight semesters. Students who wish to attend a ninth semester must submit a written petition to, and receive permission from, their dean's office. Permission to enroll in a ninth semester or beyond must be secured in advance and will not be granted for the sole purpose of completing multiple areas of study (i.e., a secondary major and a minor or two minors). However, students who receive permission to enroll in a ninth semester or beyond for other reasons may retain a secondary major or minor. In the College of Arts and Sciences, dean’s office approval is granted by the Associate Dean for Academic Advising or their designee.

Transfer Credits

Transfer credit hours for courses completed during summer terms prior to enrolling at UNC-Chapel Hill are included in the transferred semester count.

GPA Requirements

A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in coursework taken at UNC-Chapel Hill in the major core is required. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in coursework taken at UNC-Chapel Hill in the minor core is required.

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Multiple Areas of Study

Students in the College of Arts and Sciences are permitted to study up to three subjects in depth. Students enrolled in professional schools who wish to have a second major or minor in the College of Arts and Sciences must receive permission from their professional school and the College of Arts and Sciences; students who receive permission to have a second major in the College of Arts and Sciences are required to complete all General Education requirements. Students may pursue in-depth study in multiple areas by fulfilling all major/minor requirements in each of the selected disciplines, in addition to General Education requirements. Students may not pursue two concentrations (emphases, options, or tracks) within the same major. A student may have no more than two minors, regardless of the student’s major degree program. At least nine hours of core requirements in the minor must be completed at UNC-Chapel Hill and not at other academic institutions.

Double Counting Courses

Courses that fulfill core requirements for a major or minor may be double-counted (applied to a second major or minor) with the following general limitation: more than half (not merely half) of the courses and course credit hours taken to satisfy core requirements in each major/minor must be exclusive to that major/minor. In a 10-course major, for example, at least six courses, and at least 51 percent of the credit hours, should be counted exclusively in that major and should not double-count even if cross-listed with courses in a student’s second major or a minor. Some majors may further restrict double-counting courses.

Application for Graduation

Beginning with the first day of registration for the term for which students expect to graduate, they should file an application for graduation online in ConnectCarolina or in person in the office of the dean. For students in the College of Arts and Sciences, this is the office of the Academic Advising Program. A student who has not filed an application for graduation on or before the announced deadlines for fall or spring graduation will not be included in the graduation program. Total graduation requirements are determined by ConnectCarolina’s Tar Heel Tracker degree-audit system.

Graduation with Distinction

To graduate with distinction or with highest distinction, students must have completed at least 45 academic hours at UNC-Chapel Hill and have an overall grade point average of at least 3.500 or 3.800 respectively. The grade point average is based on the grades received and recorded by the Office of the University Registrar as of the degree award date.

Honors Program

Students who wish to graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill with honors or highest honors must complete a senior honors thesis project in their major field(s) of study. Such students need not have been members of Honors Carolina. Students with double majors may graduate with honors or highest honors in both fields of study. To do so, they must complete a distinct project in each field. Students who successfully complete a senior honors thesis project will have the designation “Honors” or “Highest Honors” recorded on their diplomas and transcripts and will be denoted in the Commencement bulletin at graduation.

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Application for Honors Work

Students should apply to the honors advisor in the department or curriculum of the major. Ordinarily, application is made during the junior year, although it is done earlier in some departments.

Requirements for Eligibility

Students who wish to undertake a senior honors thesis project must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.300 or higher.

Nature and Purpose of Honors Study

Programs are provided for students who have demonstrated a high level of scholastic ability and achievement and who desire to pursue an intensive, individualized program of study in their major discipline. Senior honors thesis projects are scheduled as a two-semester sequence of honors courses led by unit-designated faculty, independent study overseen by the faculty thesis advisor, or a combination of the two. A special written or oral examination on the student’s program is required during the final semester of honors study. The department or curriculum may impose other requirements that it deems appropriate. In every instance, study for honors will require academic excellence.

Procedures for Granting Degrees with Honors

The grade for coursework in connection with an honors project is determined by the faculty advisor and is (like all grades) subject to appeal. Successful completion of honors study does not automatically confer departmental honors. Before awarding a degree with honors or highest honors, the College of Arts and Sciences requires the recommendation of a student’s examining committee and the endorsement of that committee’s recommendation by the chair of the department or curriculum. A negative recommendation by the department is final and cannot be appealed.

Phi Beta Kappa

The Phi Beta Kappa national collegiate honor society is open to all currently-enrolled undergraduate students. The quality point average shall include all academic coursework in the liberal arts and sciences taken and counted toward the candidate’s degree (physical activity grades and hours are not included). The grade point average is based on the grades received and recorded by the Office of the University Registrar at the time the Dean’s List is published.

Campus Life and Resources

The student-faculty ratio at UNC-Chapel Hill is 14:1, and the school has 41.8% of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 97%.

Carolina is a university built for the people, and public service is at the core of its mission. Students, faculty, and staff dedicate thousands of hours each year to helping communities across NC by performing public service projects and participating in outreach programs.

Academic Policies

The Undergraduate Catalog provides information about undergraduate courses, programs of study, degree requirements, and academic policies. Students may expect to receive a degree by fulfilling the requirements of a curriculum as specified in the Undergraduate Catalog for the year in which the student matriculated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The University is not strictly obligated to fulfill this expectation since changes to the structure of degree requirements may entail widespread curricular adjustments, but it will make every effort to modulate changes so that appropriate substitutes for particular requirements, or particular courses, are available to students operating under a previous set of expectations. The faculty reserves the right to make any changes deemed necessary in the curricula and in regulations.

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