Undergraduate degrees and areas of study
Graduate degrees

Academic credit and credit load requirement
When students enroll in courses at North Dakota State University, they are able to earn academic credits. The unit of credit at NDSU is the semester hour. Most courses at the university are offered for three or four credits each and meet for one hour, three or four times a week, respectively. International students are required by U.S. immigration regulations to carry a full course of study. Full-time is a minimum of 12 credit hours per term for undergraduate students and 9 credits for graduate students.

The majority of full-time international undergraduate students are able to complete the requirements for the baccalaureate degree in four or five calendar years; whereas, graduate students generally finish the master's degree in three years and the doctoral degree in four or five years.

Lecture system
In most courses, professors will deliver instruction by lecturing. Students are expected to attend classes, take careful notes, and enter into discussion with professors. Many courses will also require laboratory work. All courses at North Dakota State University, except courses offered by the Department of Modern Languages, are conducted in English.

Examinations
Examinations are given in each course. The format of examinations is determined by the individual instructor. Tests may be of the multiple-choice, essay, or problem-solving types. Final examinations are given during a testing period at the end of each term.

Grades
Students receive marks or grades for each course in which they are enrolled during a term. Grade reports are issued to the student at the end of each term and provide evidence of progress toward an academic degree. To be considered in good academic standing, a student needs to maintain a 1.75 grade point average as a freshman, a 1.90 as a sophomore, and a 2.0 as a junior or senior, and 3.0 as a graduate student. A student must have earned a 2.0 grade point average to receive a baccalaureate degree and a 3.0 average to obtain a graduate degree. Students who do not maintain these minimum averages may be suspended from their academic program.

English language support
A special section of freshman composition for non-native speakers of English is available and recommended for first-year undergraduate international students.