Yes. If you are admitted to the IEP as a full-time student, NC State will issue an I-20 for language study and email it to you.

To complete the IEP, you must complete our low-advanced proficiency level, Level 6, with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, have approximately 90% overall attendance rate.

To pass each level, students must receive an internal overall GPA of 3.0 or higher* and have approximately 90% overall attendance. If you do not pass your initial level, the university currently has the ability to extend your I20 and allow you to repeat the same level in the next semester.

Generally speaking, IEP students complete one level in one semester. If you need to repeat a level, however, the university currently has the ability to extend your I20.

The IEP gives all new students an online placement exam prior to their arrival. You will receive information on the exact test dates via email. The length of time you spend in the IEP depends on your English language background, your work ethic, and your ability to learn languages.

There is no textbook available to help you study for the online placement test, however, students have found that the more they surround themselves with the English language, the more comfortable they are when taking the placement test.

Some suggestions include:

1. Read in English on any topic of interest to YOU; read as much as you can – magazine articles, newspapers, novels, etc.
2. Watch English language TV – the international news, American TV shows, movies, etc.
3. Listen to English language podcasts
4. Speak and write in English as much as possible.  Practice sharing your opinions on a variety of topics.  Be sure to support them with relevant details and examples 

English Language Study is separate from NC State’s degree programs. For English Language Study students interested in applying to NC State in the future, it is important to know that once a student is enrolled in the IEP as an English language student, they will not be eligible for conditional admission to the university. Students should apply directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions or to the Graduate School to be considered for conditional admission. 

New Mind Education has been a strategic partner of North Carolina State University since 2010. One of New Mind’s student programs is their University Performance Program, or UPP. This is a supplementary enrichment and advisory program designed to support first-year international undergraduate and graduate students at NC State, including IEP students. UPP provides weekly 1-on-1 advising, first-year seminars, volunteer opportunities, extracurricular activities, and field trips to achieve students’ holistic success.

IEP admission and admission to NC State remains completely independent of enrollment in UPP, but the optional program is available for direct- and conditionally-admitted first-year international students. 

For more information about New Mind (UPP), please visit their website.

Yes! You may apply to the IEP if you are under 18 years old. If accepted, you will need signed permission from a parent or legal guardian to attend our program.

Yes! The IEP offers part-time enrollment. Depending on their final goal, part-time students can take one or more of our classes in a given semester. Please note that a student visa is not provided for part-time students. Click below for more information about part-time enrollment.

No. For full-time students, the cost of the IEP is made up of the  IEP program fee and mandatory university fees. These fees, as well as the requirements for completing the IEP, are the same for every student in the IEP, no matter where they are currently living.

No. The Intensive English Program is a non-credit program so financial aid cannot be used to cover IEP or university fees while enrolled.

Yes, you must complete the IEP. Once a student accepts the offer of conditional admission to NC State, he/she has made an agreement with the University and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions or the Graduate School to fulfill the conditions of admission. To fulfill the condition of admission, a student must successfully complete the IEP.

A submission of a new English proficiency test score will not necessarily exempt conditionally admitted students from completing the IEP. It is true that a higher score on a standardized test does indicate improved English proficiency. However, student performance in an IEP is a better predictor over time of a student’s ability to successfully use English in an academic environment.

No, you may not. An offer of conditional admission is only valid beginning the semester indicated on the offer letter. Students start the IEP in the semester to which they have been accepted.

No, you may not. The university does not permit students to take credit courses while in the IEP unless that student is enrolled in the IEP Pathway program.

No, you may not. The Intensive English Program is designed as a full-time study program. Students on a language student visa are required to study full-time in the IEP.