Interinstitutional programs allow students to study at other universities

The Interinstitutional Program allows all full-time students at UNC-CH, Duke University, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, North Carolina Central University and North Carolina State University to register for courses at included universities.

Full-time students in good academic standing at featured institutions can take courses at the others, provided the course is not available at their home university. However, students cannot take courses that are offered at their home institutions or are pass/fail. Online courses are only offered at the discretion of the host institution.

UNC-CH undergraduates can only enroll in one course at a time, while graduate students can enroll in up to two courses per semester. 

In order to enroll in the program, students must find a class that is available at another university in their course catalog, fill out their home university’s interinstitutional form and have an academic advisor approve it. Undergraduates also need the Academic Dean’s Office’s approval, while graduate students do not.

Rahul Bhat, a student records specialist at NC State, said the program offers two main benefits: a broader selection of courses and a consistent tuition rate, which includes financial aid and scholarships. 

“[The program] makes graduating in four years an accomplishment because if they weren’t able to take these courses at other institutions, they might have to come back for an extra year," Rokeia Stephens, an administrative support specialist at NC Central, said.

Some students take courses at other colleges in order to fulfill their major requirements. Stephens said NC Central had an influx of Duke students last year when a class needed to fulfill a major was not offered at their school. 

Students may also register for classes on topics they are interested in but are not available at their university. For example, Bhat said a substantial number of UNC-CH students come to NC State to take classes under the Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences department. 

“This program is certainly popular among undergraduates, but it is especially useful for graduate students who want to take specialized coursework not available at their home institution,” Bhat said. 

Brian De La Cruz, a records and enrollment services specialist at UNC-CH, said that students taking a course through this program will be graded in accordance with the grading system of the institution where the course is taken. Grades will be converted to the UNC grading system prior to being recorded on an academic record.

Bhat said that Duke, UNC-CH and NC State —three universities within the Research Triangle—see the highest participation in the program. Although NC Central is a part of the Triangle, he said the university had a cyber attack last year which affected their participation in the program. 

UNC, Duke and NC State are all accessible for students in the interinstitutional program due to their close proximity. UNC-CH and Duke students can use the Robertson Express Bus, which provides direct service between the two campuses, while UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State students can take the Biomedical Engineering Shuttle, a free service available to all students.

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