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NC State Incoming Students

Incoming Students Resources

Launch your NC State journey and set yourself up for success with this free two-credit course exploring important issues from a multidisciplinary perspective.

Accessing Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions

All incoming first-year and transfer students are automatically added to the Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions course. No additional steps to “enroll” are required. You are already in!

You’ll see the course listed in your future courses tab when you log into https://wolfware.ncsu.edu starting December, 9 2024.

This course can fulfill GEP–Interdisciplinary Perspectives or a Free Elective for your major, please consult with your academic advisor to understand how it works for you.

The course is not required and there are no penalties for not completing the course; however, we encourage students to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity.

Save the Date

Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions: Y(Our) Health open for all incoming students
starting on December, 9 2024.

How to Access the Course

(Y)Our Health is hosted in WolfWare. You may start the class on December 9, 2024. The course will be visible in WolfWare’s future tab until the course starts, and then it will be in the current tab.

Frequently Asked Questions

We have created a list of frequently asked questions for this course.

Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions

Great question. A “wicked” problem is one that impacts the world in a way that transcends the expertise of any one person or field — a global challenge. To fully understand and address any wicked problem, we have to use more than just one point of view. This course will look at a wicked problem through the perspectives of multiple disciplines, such as history, biology, sociology, ecology, chemistry, epidemiology, psychology, design, engineering, public health, communication, manufacturing, media, film studies, and more.

  • One of the great things about NC State is that we rely on many kinds of expertise — and the diverse perspectives and insights of our students, faculty and staff — to develop solutions to grand challenges. Part of college life will be to discover whether other areas of study lead you in new directions. This course is designed to be the ideal place to begin that journey.
  • We tend to learn in school, particularly in high school, in the context of “subjects”. Biology. Chemistry. History. The real world isn’t partitioned this way. Real problems and exciting challenges require getting beyond “subjects.” They require you to find the best answers available — no matter the field they’re in.

Please contact the instructors via wolfpack-solutions@ncsu.edu with questions related to the course.

Course Benefits

Participation in and completion of the course activities will earn you two NC State credit hours at no cost. The two credits will appear on your transcript the semester after you complete the course (similar to the way we award Advanced Placement credit). You will not earn a letter grade for the course. The course has been approved to count toward the Interdisciplinary Perspectives GEP requirement.

No, but it can count toward your graduation requirements; discuss with your academic advisor if you have questions. We hope you see this course as an opportunity to learn about a highly relevant topic while also earning two general education credit hours at no cost.

  • The big picture: This course gives you real-world insights into a problem that confronts all of us. This course will help prepare you for your future classes at NC State, begin to grow your critical and creative thinking skills, and perhaps even impact the trajectory of your academic path.
  • The practical: To graduate, you will need to take many courses that are electives but that still count toward your graduation requirements.
  • And this one is free!

Absolutely. When you begin your academic career at NC State, you become part of the Wolfpack — and your family does too. You are welcome to share your experience! Note: the course is geared toward you and your fellow peers new to NC State.

Note: the course is geared toward you and your fellow peers new to NC State.

The course is entirely self-paced and there are no required meetings. There will be opportunities to engage in real-time with instructors and experts, but it is not required that you do so.

Course Access and Logistics

Yes. You must be logged in to your official NC State Google account (UnityID@ncsu.edu) to access course information.

You will be able to access the course on December 9, 2024.

All incoming first-year and transfer students are automatically given access to the course when it opens. After you log in, you will be eligible to earn two general education credit hours by participating in and completing the course activities. You may join after the first day if you must, but we encourage you to get started as soon as you can. We also encourage you to explore the course and its activities. That way you can give yourself a roadmap for finishing.

You must be logged into your NC State Google account (UnityID@ncsu.edu) in order to access many of the course materials. If the page that opens does not display, open another tab, log in to your NC State Google account and out of all other Google accounts, return to the page, and refresh. Logging into your NC State Google account whenever you plan to use Moodle will be a good habit to start!

No. If you don’t finish the course, it will never show on your transcript and will not impact your GPA.

You don’t need to do anything. If you don’t complete the course, you will have opted out.

If you do not find answers to questions you have, please email wolfpack-solutions@ncsu.edu.