It’s November. Is it too late to apply for graduate school?

The answer is most definitely – NO! Being a lifelong learner, you have taken it for granted that there will always be short seminars and workshops throughout the year that can enhance or add to your skill set. But when you only start thinking of going to graduate school in November for a spring semester start, you might think it’s too late to go through the application process, get accepted in a program and start earning graduate school credit.

This is not always the case.

“Potential graduate students can decide to register as a non-degree studies (NDS) student first,” says Sarah Slover, Graduate Program Coordinator at NC State University’s Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources. “This can be helpful to someone who hasn’t fully committed to being in a specific graduate degree or certificate program. In some cases, being an NDS student can help someone who missed the application deadline, if there’s one, but really wants to start taking graduate courses right away to build the skills and knowledge base they need for their careers. You just need to be fully enrolled by the 5th day of class. For NDS, this means the latest they can apply is January 2, 2020.”

The caveat is that if you plan on earning a graduate degree eventually, you can only transfer a limited number of credits as an NDS student into a degree program. The same goes with earning a graduate certificate. However, there are programs out there, especially newly launched ones like NCSU’s online Graduate Certificate in Renewable Energy Assessment and Development (RED), that have rolling admissions. That means, the deadline for application does not (yet) exist and the only thing stopping you from taking a course now is how fast you can catch up.

For the online Graduate Certificate in Renewable Energy Assessment and Development, each course is asynchronous and designed specifically for working professionals. There are weekly lectures, reading assignments and quizzes, and a project about every three or weeks that should take no more than 5 hours a week. The full 12 credit program can be completed within 2 to 3 semesters.

In the end, if you have thought about graduate school and would like to start taking courses ASAP, take a look at the different graduate programs now. Your best bet might be to start as an NDS student. You can also look into graduate certificate programs, especially online ones, and check to see if they have rolling admissions. If they do, you’re in luck!  Just make sure you have submitted a complete application by December 18 or so to make that work. You can later transfer those credits into a graduate degree if the credits qualify and if you wish to continue earning a Master’s degree.

For more information about the College of Natural Resources Graduate Programs, contact Sarah Slover at sarah_slover@ncsu.edu.