Admissions
Our world needs leaders who can solve natural resources challenges — and enjoy successful careers doing so. Join us.
Your Bright Future
There’s never been a greater demand for natural resources professionals. When you come to the College of Natural Resources, you’ll learn how to make sustainable use of our shared environment — exactly what you need to solve many of the grand challenges our planet faces and to build a successful career.
From paper science and engineering to sport management to cutting-edge forestry, our college is the first choice of a diverse group of students with a wide range of interests. Whether you want to work outdoors as a wildlife biologist, develop community recreation and sport programs, or work with third-world countries making paper products using native renewable resources, our college will give you the skills and opportunities you need to make an impact.
If you’re interested in the big, wide world we share, we want you with us.
Start Your Journey
Explore undergraduate and graduate admissions to find the right path for your goals and interests.
Our nationally recognized programs combine hands-on experience, cutting-edge research and real-world application to prepare you for a meaningful career. Whether you’re just getting started or ready to take the next step in your education, our admissions team is here to support you every step of the way — from application to enrollment.
Explore Your Options
The Right Environment
With a student body of just over 1,700, our college is one of the smallest at NC State, home to a close-knit community and students who get the attention they deserve — including personalized advising and instruction. At the same time, our students benefit from all the resources and support of NC State, the largest university in North Carolina.
Our college also offers the best of both worlds in terms of location: We’re based in Raleigh — the state’s capital and one of America’s most-awarded cities — but enjoy easy access to exceptional outdoor learning labs, including Schenck Forest just 10 minutes from our door and Hill Forest only 45 minutes away.
Whether you want to study the native animals of Namibia or the forests of Sweden, our college will give you the opportunity to study the environment, diverse societies and engineering of sustainable resources around the world. And you’ll do it all at a university consistently ranked as one of the nation’s best values in education.
Admissions Toolkit
Congratulations to Abby Kidder ‘26 who has been recognized with the John and Joan Markham Tourism Marketing Award! 🎉
The Markham Award, given by the Travel and Tourism Research Association, honors emerging scholars whose work demonstrates strong analytical thinking and a clear connection between research and real-world application in travel and tourism. This is the fifth time a student in #NCStateCNR’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (@ncstateprtm) has received the award.
“Receiving the John and Joan Marketing Award is an incredible honor and a direct reflection of the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management program. I cannot be more grateful for the support and opportunities that have come from my time at NC State.” —Abby Kidder
Last summer, Abby interned at the globally-recognized tourism research firm Tourism Economics. She is also a James Buzzard Leadership Fellow and president of the Tourism Management Association at NC State (@tmancsu).
After Abby graduates this spring, she hopes to find a job that allows her to contribute to research that drives decisions in the tourism industry. Her goal is to use her education and experience to improve data literacy and an understanding of research among tourism destinations.
Congratulations to our own Dr. Megan Lupek and Dr. Nathalie Lavoine for their recent honors! 👏
Lupek received the Advancing Global Learning at Home Award for her work, “Global Urban Sustainability through Citizen Science and Collaboration." She is an associate teaching professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources (@ncstatefer).
Lavoine received the International Research Accelerator Award for her work, “Fostering International Bio-materials Engineering Research: an Upcycling Partnership (FIBER-UP).” She is an associate professor in the Department of Forest Biomaterials (@ncstatefb).
📸: Megan Lupek (left), Nathalie Lavoine (right)
Campus has been looking absolutely gorgeous lately. ❤️❄️ #NCStateOnCampus
Join us in congratulating our own Dr. Nils Peterson, who has received the 2026 Outstanding Mentor Award! 👏
This award, given by the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools (CSGS), honors Dr. Peterson’s success mentoring graduate students in the NC State College of Natural Resources.
"Being a recipient of this award makes me incredibly grateful for how much our college supports graduate student mentoring. Our students are a joy to work with and take over critical leadership roles in the conservation world when they graduate, so it is a privilege to work with them here at NC State." -Dr. Nils Peterson, professor in the Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources (@ncstatefer)
Campus has been looking like a winter wonderland. ❄️ We hope everyone has been staying safe and warm! #ncstateoncampus
Tag us in your public snow photos for the opportunity to be featured on our Instagram Stories. 📸
NC State students have launched the Women in Sport Club (@womeninsportncsu), a new organization focused on leadership development, mentorship and career exploration related to women in sports.
Founded by Emma Busenbark `28 and Laurie Clarstrom `26, the club is open to all students and offers networking events, professional development and industry exposure. The group aims to create a supportive space for students interested in advancing women’s roles across the sports industry.
“Ultimately, the mission and goal is just to make women feel like they are empowered and supported through their time at NC State, whether that is them being student athletes or being sport management majors." -@emmambusenbark
Visit the link in our bio to learn more.
Meet Ryan Byrd ’27—a dual major in paper science & engineering and chemical engineering. He has been building real-world experience with internships at International Paper and Marcal Paper, while working toward becoming a process engineer. 💡
Beyond the classroom, Ryan hosts the Byrd & Bear 5K, raising over $50,000 for autism awareness and showing leadership in his community. His #NCStateCNR journey highlights perseverance, community involvement and the power of pursuing your goals with purpose.
Click the link in our bio to learn more about Ryan`s journey.
Happy first day of classes, #NCStateCNR Pack! A new semester is here—fresh starts, big goals and endless possibilities. You’ve got this! 🐺📚
Lauren Henderson ’25 is turning her passion for sports into advocacy for women and girls everywhere. 🏅
Basketball and softball were Lauren’s first loves, but after 10 years, she suffered a back injury. This ultimately led the #NCStateCNR alumna to her true calling: advocating for women in sports and sport management. Today, she is pursuing her master’s degree in sport leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University.
“I’m going to get my master’s degree, and I want to use that in conjunction with the College of Natural Resources and my sport management degree to hopefully one day become a WNBA general manager, where I can not only focus on my love for basketball and help organize logistics, but then help use that platform of a WNBA team to create or continue working on certain initiatives to help promote girls and women in sports and other underrepresented groups.” —@laurenghenderson
Check out the link in our bio to read more about Lauren.
Gregory Godwin `24 turned his passion for the outdoors into a purpose-driven career in wildlife conservation. 🌿
After graduating from NC State with a degree in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology, Gregory began working with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission—first as a conservation technician and now as a wildlife conservation biologist for District 4.
"Some of the most rewarding days are when I get a text saying, “Gregory, listen to the quail I have on the farm,” or “Look how many wild turkey poults I have on my trail camera.” Interactions like these remind me that I am not only making a difference on a personal level, but also positively contributing to the success of a variety of species in our state." —@gregorypg48
Check out the link in our bio to read more about Gregory`s journey.
Way to #ThinkAndDo this year, #NCStateCNR Pack! 🐺🐾
We can’t wait to see what 2026 holds.
New research from NC State’s Department of Forest Biomaterials (@ncstatefb) shows that electrification, biomass power and efficiency could drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. pulp and paper mills. ⚡🌿📄
“We’ve found that there is a path toward zero emissions for these mills, but only if that progress is made in the electrical grid,” - Dr. Lokendra Pal, the EJ “Woody” Rice Professor in Paper Science and Engineering
Click the link in bio to read more about how NC State researchers are leading the change toward clean energy.
📸: Dr. Lokendra Pal (left) and Maria González, lead author and Ph.D. student in the Department of Forest Biomaterials, showcase the “Wolfpack Baby” pilot paper machine in the Paper and Pulp Testing Laboratory.
