Academics


Learning is Personal, Practical, and Purpose-driven at NCWU

Our dedicated faculty and staff and 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio ensure students a more personal education experience in a small campus setting. Our professors know their students by name and are driven to ensure student success with one-on-one academic advising. Join the Bishop Nation and get the opportunity to collaborate with faculty inside and outside of the classroom.

A Path to Success

North Carolina Wesleyan University is a small, private, Methodist-affiliated university with a liberal arts-based core curriculum.  We offer liberal arts, professional, and graduate degree programs for traditional, transfer, and working-adult students.

North Carolina Wesleyan University offers undergraduate programs leading to Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. With all students having a strong foundation in the liberal arts tradition, the college offers both traditional liberal arts majors, such as English, Mathematics and Religious Studies and professional programs that include Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Teacher Education, and Marketing.

A solid liberal arts foundation supports any major you choose and will prepare you for enlightened civic engagement, lifelong learning, and critical thinking skills needed for today’s workplace. Choosing a minor or a second major further enhances your education and can be accomplished within a four-year plan. Small classes with faculty who care about your progress and work with you one-on-one are an important part of your Wesleyan education.

Learning by Doing

Learning extends outside the classroom, too, with opportunities for service learning, co-curricular activities in discipline-specific clubs advised by full-time faculty members, and learning communities.

NC Wesleyan also offers our Practical Skills Academy. By gaining direct access to industry professionals, students experience a first-person account of an expert’s career, education or training, and the ability to work directly with experts to enhance their skills. This experiential learning program emphasizes the understanding of real-world applications of students’ chosen major(s) as well as more enhanced discovery and exploration of industry.

We also offer the opportunity to study abroad in London, England, Scotland and in the Tuscany region of Italy. The North Carolina Wesleyan University academic experience provides you with opportunities to learn, serve, and grow.

Applied Learning at NCWU

At NC Wesleyan, we take a practical Applied Learning approach that is supported by research to increase student motivation, encourage student-centered instruction, and offer real-world application. It is also an opportunity for high-impact learning, where students study content and directly apply the knowledge.

Also known as experiential learning, project-based learning, and inquiry-based learning; students will apply learned content through critical thinking and reflection to demonstrate content knowledge as applied learning. Critical thinking and reflection are both part of the Wesleyan experience. The combination of both critical thinking and reflection promotes higher-order thinking skills and problem-solving.

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Strong Academics & Support

Our students are proud Bishops and overwhelmingly recommend NCWU! Here are some quick facts* about the overall student experience at NC Wesleyan.

93% of students who say they are happy with their choice to attend NCWU

95% of students say they are prepared for graduate school

96% of students who say they are prepared for a job/career

92% of students who say they had a positive overall experience at NCWU

94% of students who say they are satisfied with academic advising

98% of students say they improved important skills

95% of students who say NCWU is a welcoming environment

Your classes are taught by professors who love to teach and work individually with students. Here are some quick facts* about our faculty.

6 out of 7 Professors hold a Ph.D. or Terminal Degree

Average class size is Less than <30

90% of Professors have practical experience in areas they teach

14:1 Student-to-Faculty Ratio

Graduates, Graduation, cap, gown, tassel

Schools & Departments

Our academic divisions are organized into four divisions by subject type:

  • School of Business
  • School of Social Sciences & Education
  • School of Mathematics & Sciences
  • School of Humanities

“Wisdom and courage through Christian education.” Our motto since 1956.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs about admission requirements, financial aid, FASFA Code, campus life and the Rocky Mount region…it’s all here.

*2023-24 Graduate Student Survey Data