Academic Programs

North Carolina Central University offers undergraduate programs leading to the following degrees:

The College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
• Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
• Bachelor of Music (B.M.)
• Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.)

The College of Health and Sciences

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing ( B.S.)
• Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

The School of Business

• Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)
• Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

The School of Education

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
• Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Majors

Majors offered for the Bachelor of Arts Degree:

• Art, Art Studies Concentration, B.A. ,  
• ​Elementary Education, B.A.          
• English, English Education Concentration, B.A.          
• History, B.A.    
• Interdisciplinary Studies, Communication Arts Concentration, B.A.       
• Mass Communication, Broadcast Media Concentration, B.A.  
• Middle Grades Education, B.A.     
• Political Science, B.A.   
• Spanish, (Without Licensure), B.A.  
• ​Theatre, General Theatre Concentration, B.A.  

Majors offered for the Bachelor of Science Degree:

• Behavioral and Social Sciences, B.S.  
• Biology, Comprehensive Science Licensure, B.S.   
• Biomedical Sciences, B.S    
• Chemistry, B.S.  
• Clinical Research, B.S.  
• Computer Science and Business, B.S. Information and Communication Technology Concentration    
• Criminal Justice, B.S.        
• Early Childhood Education, B.S.  
• Environmental and Geographic Science, Geoscience Concentration, B.S.  
• Family and Consumer Sciences, Apparel Design Specialization, B.S.  
• Hospitality and Tourism Administration, B.S.  
• B.S. of Information Technology with a Concentration in Information, Communication and Technology , B.S. of Information Technology with a Concentration in Cybersecurity , B.S. of Information Technology with a Concentration in Data Analytics  
• B.S. Kinesiology  
• Mathematics, B.S.  
• Pharmaceutical Sciences, B.S.  
• Kinesiology & Recreation, Concentration in Fitness and Wellness, B.S.  
• Physics, B.S.  
• Psychology, B.S.  
• Public Health Education, B.S.  
• Recreation Administration- Accelerated Baccalaureate/ Master’s  
• ​Recreation Administration, Parks and Recreation Management Concentration[PRM], B.S.  

Majors offered for the Bachelor of Business Administration Degree:

• Accounting, B.B.A.  
• Business Administration, General Business Concentration, B.B.A.  

Major offered for the Bachelor of Music Degree:

• Music, Music Education, B.M.  

Majors offered for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree:

• Nursing - Traditional, B.S.N.  

Major offered for the Bachelor of Social Work Degree:

• Social Work, B.S.W.  

Some of these majors may offer several areas of concentration. Students should consult the “Academic Program” section of the Catalog for the college or school offering the major of interest for more details.

Minors

Any undergraduate student has the option to declare a minor in an academic area offered through the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, and College of Health and Science, School of Business and School of Education. The minor will consist of not less than 20 semester hours designated by the college’s/school’s departments and programs. The minor field will be indicated on students’ transcripts, and students will be held accountable for satisfying the designated requirements for the minor field, just as for the major field.

Minors have been approved for the following program areas:

• Apparel Design 
• Aerospace Studies
• Art   
• Biology          
• Business        
• Chemistry                     
• Child Development and Family Relations
• Computer Information Systems            
• Computer Science
• Dance
• Data Analytics
• Earth Science
• English 
• Environmental Science
• Food and Nutrition
• German
• Geography
• Geographic Information Science
• Hispanophone Africana Studies        
• History
• Hospitality and Tourism Administration
• Literature
• Mass Communication
• Mathematics
• Music
• Nutrition and Dietetics   
• Philosophy
• Physical Education
• Physical Education - Coaching          
• Political Science
• Public Health Education
• Recreation Administration
• Spanish                                              
• Textiles and Apparel  
• Theatre
• Women and Gender Studies
• Writing

   Dual Degree Program of Study in Engineering

A dual-degree program of studies is available whereby an undergraduate student will attend North Carolina Central University for approximately three academic years and the Georgia Institute of Technology, Duke University, or North Carolina State University (N.C. State) for approximately two academic years. After completing the academic requirements of the two cooperating institutions, the student shall be awarded a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina Central University and one of the several designated bachelor’s degrees awarded by the Georgia Institute of Technology, Duke University or N.C. State.

The total study program at NCCU shall have a minimum number of hours equal to 3/4 (93 semester hours) of the total hours required by the university for the award of the bachelor’s degree. The student shall not be admitted to Georgia Tech,Duke University or N.C. State with full fourth-year standing until this requirement is met. The student pursuing the Dual Degree Program may be jointly enrolled at both institutions. He/she will remain on special standing at Georgia Tech, Duke or N.C. State until he/she meets the 3/4 requirement at NCCU. Special student standing will not prevent the student from enrolling in any course at Georgia Tech for which he/she has met the prerequisites. To obtain the full fourth year standing the Dual Degree Program student must have, in addition to the 3/4 requirement at NCCU, the recommendation of the dean of his/her college or school and must have a grade point average and specified test results which would indicate that he/she could satisfactorily complete the degree requirements at Georgia Tech, Duke University or N.C. State.

The Dual Degree Program student will be required to complete a Georgia Tech, Duke or N.C. State study program which equals the number of credit hours required of normal juniors and seniors enrolled in the standard curriculum for the particular degree being sought. If the official study program at Georgia Tech, Duke or N.C. State for the Dual Degree candidate includes free electives and the candidate has excessive hours of credit at NCCU, he/she may petition that these excess hours be used as transfer credit to Georgia Tech, Duke or N.C. State. Such transfer credit shall not exceed more than one-half of the official study program at Georgia Tech, Duke or N.C. State.

Centers and Institutes

Center for Science, Math, and Technology Education

The Center for Science, Math, and Technology Education (CSMTE), was established by the Board of Trustees in February 2005 with Dr. Sandra L. White, professor of biology, serving as its first director.  The center strengthens learning through: 1) the establishment of a umbrella organization for existing science and math enhancement/enrichment programs to ; 2) the development of innovative comprehensive science and mathematics programs (K-16) to help prepare undergraduate students to pursue advanced studies and careers in math and science; 3) the gathering of quantifiable data from programs, and develop paradigms to increase the number of competitive minority students pursuing and attaining careers in science and mathematics;  and 4)  offering faculty development initiatives for science and math teachers in the Durham Public Schools.

As the center’s role is to service and bring together all externally funded programs relating to science and math education, it is positioned within the university in the office of University Programs, Academic Affairs.

The center currently has 17 members who are principal investigators with extramurally funded programs that support science and mathematics initiatives at NCCU.   These members have been responsible for programmatic funding in excess of $18 M for innovated programs such as: i) a three-year hands on, interactive science and math enhancement program, including Saturday Academies for 8-10^th graders; ii) a Summer Bridge Program with academic support through freshman and sophomore years;  iii) a program providing NCCU undergraduate students with an intensive introduction to either basic cancer laboratory research or public health research through summer educational experiences placement with NCCU faculty.  Students are also assisted in developing professional skills necessary to gain admission to competitive graduate and professional schools in the biomedical sciences or in public health.

Center for the Advancement of Justice Studies & Policy

The Center for the Advancement of Justice Studies & Policy’s mission is to address crime prevention and control from an interdisciplinary perspective in North Carolina, the United States, and internationally (with an emphasis on African countries).

The center offers opportunities for active learning, scholarship, service, and public policy in order to help advance the general public welfare.  Goals include: 1) to conduct and support research to advance understanding of the nature of crime and delinquency in order to promote public safety among the general citizenry, 2) to promote an interdisciplinary approach to crime and related quality-of-life issues in both urban and rural communities, 3) to promote positive efforts addressing social justice concerns through public policies, 4) to provide a forum where faculty and students can apply academic and research skills to real-time problem solving and community development, and 5) to provide a forum for the exchange of best-practice strategies for crime prevention and control throughout the United States and internationally.

NSF CREST Computational Center for Fundamental and Applied Science and Education

The National Science Foundation-designated Center of Research Excellence in Science and Technology - Computational Center for Fundamental and Applied Science and Education is based on five interdisciplinary research projects: nanotechnology, nuclear physics, hypernuclear physics, robotics, geophysics, and seed projects that have as the common component advanced computational methods. It provides an interdisciplinary environment and research infrastructure that allows investigators to address some of the most important questions in science and technology.

NASA University Research Center - Center for Aerospace Device Research and Education

The NASA University Research Center for Aerospace Devices Research and Education (NASA-CADRE) provides a framework for competitive, multi-disciplinary science, and engineering research that will advance NASA science programs. The center combines state-of-the-art research and development to meet technological challenges, leverages newly developed experimental techniques, and theoretical methods to meet confluence of needs in the scientific community and industry for advanced sensing systems, fabrication of new materials, design of new devices, understanding of fundamental astrophysical processes, and address some of the most important questions in modern astronomy, physics, and materials science. Through national and international collaboration, the Center’s advance research projects on the detector developments to the level that allow their implementation in NASA missions and industrial production.

NASA University Research Center’s overall mission is to leverage our strong theoretical and experimental programs to advance the frontiers of fundamental and applied research while educating a new cadre of STEM students.  The Center provides opportunities for students to participate in research at NASA centers, National Laboratories, and to have internships at domestic and international collaborative research and industrial institutions and universities.  The center provides research infrastructure and opportunities, stipends, tuitions, and travel funds for undergraduate and graduate students. For more information please contact center director Professor Branislav Vlahovic at 530-7253.

North Carolina Health Careers Access Program and Center

The North Carolina Health Careers Access Program (NC-HCAP) at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) works cooperatively with academic departments to prepare NCCU pre-health students seeking admissions to professional health and medical programs of study upon graduation.  NC-HCAP at NCCU offers a variety of services and activities to assist interested students in qualifying for admissions to professional health and medical schools in the United States and abroad.  Included among the variety of services are recruitment activities, advising pre-health students on health career opportunities, options, and financial aid resources in cooperation with university student services; providing enrichment programs which include workshops, seminars, and the development and dissemination of resource material to improve reading, studying and test-taking skills; and advocacy to facilitate admission to professional health and medical programs nationwide.

In addition, the program provides or sponsors standardized test prep workshops, trips to health care agencies, medical centers, medical, dental, pharmacy, and allied health schools and colleges as well as scheduling networking opportunities, recruitment seminars, and clinical shadowing throughout the academic year. By taking advantage of these opportunities and others, students are able to increase their competitiveness for admission to health and medical professional schools and colleges.

Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute

North Carolina Central University’s Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute (JLC-BBRI) is comprised of researchers from multiple disciplines that investigate mechanisms of disease and health issues that disproportionately affect minority and underserved populations.  The JLC-BBRI is in a 40,000 square foot, state-of-the-art building supporting faculty, research scientists, staff, and students who are focused on (1) cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, (2) neuroscience, (3) cancer, and (4) nutrition. In addition to research laboratories, the building includes an auditorium, a library, a genomics/bioinformatics/computational chemistry core, and a visualization and imaging laboratory.

The JLC-BBRI strengthens and enhances NCCU’s undergraduate and graduate curricula in biology, business, chemistry, environmental science, health education, human science, law, and nursing by providing research projects that question consensus; stimulates the imagination and creativity to generate new paradigms for disease prevention, treatment, and management; and fosters interactions for problem-solving.

Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise

The Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) Center of Excellence is part of NCBioImpact, a state initiative for workforce development. NCBioImpact is a consortium consisting of three institutions, BioNetWork (58 community colleges), BTEC (Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center at NC State University), and BRITE (NCCU).  The goal of this consortium is to develop skilled workers for the biomanufacturing and pharmaceutical industry in North Carolina.

BRITE’s mission is to provide the biomanufacturing industry with skilled scientists who are prepared for careers in biopharmaceutical science and management. The 52,000 square foot, state-of-the-art BRITE facility was funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation Inc., which provided a grant of $20.1 million for its construction.  This facility was opened in 2008. BRITE includes $6.5 million in advanced laboratory equipment to support its academic and research programs.

The pharmaceutical sciences degree is now available through the College of Arts and Sciences.  This program  was approved by UNC-GA in 2007 and offers B.S., M.S and Ph.D. degrees.

BRITE has 10 tenure-track faculty members and 39 staff members. Research programs at BRITE include drug discovery and drug biomanufacturing initiatives. BRITE faculty members’ research interests include diabetes, cancer, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases.  BRITE is home to a library of more than 300,000 small molecular compounds that are used in research and drug discovery. BRITE provides research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at NCCU. The BRITE program offers competitive fellowship and internship opportunities based on on academic performance and other merits.

Institute for Civic Engagement and Social Change

The Institute for Civic Engagement and Social Change (ICESC) was created in 2006 to increase the level and effectiveness of civic engagement on the campus and in the surrounding community. Five critical focus areas are voter empowerment, research, curriculum development and policy.

Voter empowerment includes all levels of voter participation, including registration to vote, voter education, voter turnout, and election-protection initiatives. The institute supports the work of the student-led Civic Engagement Task Force and other student organizations on NCCU’s campus. Throughout the state of North Carolina, the Institute collaborates with other civic engagement groups on voter empowerment projects, such as trainings and workshops.   Workshops have been conducted as far east as Williamston and as far west as Asheville.

In 2011, ICESC hosted and convened the North Carolina HBCU Student Engagement and Empowerment Network that builds the civic capacity of students at North Carolina’s HBCUs.

Research has been conducted to analyze local and state elections and to undertake surveys of political attitudes, especially in communities of color.  Important research activities have included the North Carolina Black Church Civic Engagement Project, the NCCU Student Engagement Project and a project about participants in the Historic Thousands on Jones Street Movement.  

Curriculum development is focused on programs and courses that promote civic engagement social change.

Policy issues are promoted and publicized through the institute, which sponsors forums, panel discussions, and analyses. The institute aims to highlight the impact that specific policies have quality of life. This is accomplished though traditional policy analysis as well as anecdotal and testimonial evidence from people who are affected by policy.

Institute for Homeland Security and Workforce Development

The Department of Criminal Justice at North Carolina Central University created the Institute for Homeland Security and Workforce Development to help communities educate emergency personnel and citizens about homeland security and disaster preparedness. Evidence-based research is a major cornerstone of institute programming. Through community engagement, colloquiums, and training with professional and civilian public safety practitioners, the institute addresses a range of topics that include terrorism threats, emergency preparedness for natural disasters and industrial incidents, while addressing the needs of underserved communities.

Dispute Resolution Institute

The mission of the Dispute Resolution Institute at NCCU School of Law is to advance the theory and practice of dispute resolution in the pursuit of justice and reconciliation between individuals and groups in conflict. The legal system’s increasing resort to non-adversarial methods of resolving legal disputes is not simply dissatisfaction with litigation but reflects a broader and growing interest in finding new ways to respond to conflict. This search for alternatives presents both opportunities and challenges to our profession and to the way we prepare lawyers for practice.

The field of dispute resolution also gives the School of Law and the institute unprecedented opportunities for collaboration within the academy, the legal profession, and the broader community.

The Dispute Resolution Institute offers a comprehensive curriculum open to all NCCU Law students. Students who complete at least 12 DRI courses credits may receive a certificate or an advanced certificate, in dispute resolution.  Students must complete at least one course in each of the four “core” areas: Mediation, Mediation Advocacy, Negotiation, and Arbitration.

Juvenile Justice Institute

Mission

The Juvenile Justice Institute (JJI) was established in 1999 by Senate Bill 399. JJI works in collaboration with other juvenile justice agencies and programs to influence juvenile justice policies and practices through research and technical assistance. The institute is within the Department of Criminal Justice at North Carolina Central University.

Goals

• Compile and disseminate information about state and national best practices in the field.
• Serve as a resource to the academic community and provide practical experience about current programs and practices.
• Upon request, provide technical experience and training in generic program types to small non-profit groups.
• Survey the public and special interest groups about juvenile justice program effectiveness.
• Distribute a quarterly newsletter that continually informs those interested in juvenile justice issues
• Provide training opportunities in the community for criminal justice majors.

Special Projects and Grants

JJI also collaborates with other public and private agencies on grants, contracts, and special projects in addressing juvenile justice issues on juvenile gangs, minority overrepresentation in the juvenile justice system, raising the juvenile age of jurisdiction, and reducing school dropout, suspensions, and expulsions.

Training opportunities for Criminal Justice Majors

JJI affords criminal justice majors experiential activities in the community that give them an opportunity to use their academic knowledge to address real community problems. Students get experience performing community surveys research and planning of professional conferences and training in juvenile justice.

Boards and Committees

In addition to the above activities, the JJI Director sits on several statewide juvenile justice and community boards and committees that allow the Institute to influence juvenile justice policy across the state of North Carolina.