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Nondegree enrollment is available to those who posses at least a baccalaureate degree, have no specific degree objective, or wish to take courses for personal interest, professional development, certification, or license renewal. Enrollment privileges will not be granted unless all application requirements have been received. Nondegree students may take up to 12 credit hours. This privilege, when exhausted, may be renewed at the Graduate School’s discretion. A graduate student who is academically suspended from a University degree program cannot enroll as a nondegree student without the approval of the dean of The Graduate School.
A non-degree student who later applies to a degree program may apply a maximum of six hours of non-degree credits to a degree program, and only with departmental approval.
Normally, international students may not enroll as nondegree students. On a case-by-case basis, international students may be permitted to enroll as nondegree students if: 1) they are in the United States on a valid visa that will not require the issuance of a new I-20 or DS 2019 by the University of South Carolina; or 2) they are participants in a special academic program recognized by The Graduate School.
Please contact:
Dale Moore, Director of Graduate Admissions
The Graduate School
901 Sumter St. #304
Columbia, SC 29208
(Tel.) 803 777-4243
dm@mailbox.sc.edu
Note: Nondegree students are not eligible for financial aid or fellowships or assistantships.
Admission Process for Nondegree-Seeking Students
University Registration Requirements
Course Registration
Admission Process for Nondegree-Seeking Students
Submission of Application
Submission of ApplicationNondegree-seeking students applying to the University of South Carolina for the first time must complete the online application process. Applicants should visit to the homepage of The Graduate School at www.gradschool.sc.edu and select “Apply Now,” or may directly access the application at http://www.gradschool.sc.edu/appprocess.htm. An account must be created in order to begin the degree application process.
Application Requirements
Application Requirements1. Application
A completed application with all requested information and supporting documents supplied.
2. Trancsripts
Official transcripts showing all college-level course work attempted and the award of the baccalaureate or higher degree by an accredited college or university. Official transcripts verifying all previous college-level course work are required for the University’s records. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly from the institution to The Graduate School or delivered in a sealed envelope bearing a registrar’s stamp. Please send transcripts to:
The Graduate School
901 Sumter St. #304
Columbia, SC 292083.
3. Proof of Degree for Educators
As proof of a degree, an educator may submit a copy of a valid teaching certificate if the certificate clearly indicates that the educator holds at least a bachelor’s degree.
Application Fees
Application FeesA nonrefundable application fee of $50 is required of all first-time applicants to The Graduate School. If previously enrolled as a nondegree student at USC, do not submit a new nondegree application. Instead submit a Change of Status (COS) form and select “Renew Nondegree Enrollment Privilege.” If you have previously enrolled as a degree-seeking graduate student and would like to establish a first-time non-degree enrollment privilege, do not submit a new nondegree application. Instead submit a Change of Status (COS) form and select “First Time Nondegree Graduate Enrollment Privilege.”
Valid Period of Admission
Valid Period of AdmissionStudents are admitted to the Graduate School for the study specific degree granting program indicated on the application and defined in the letter of acceptance from The Graduate School. An offer of admission to The Graduate School is effective for the term applied. Admission may be deferred for up to four successive terms without reapplication but, a student who fails to enroll within four successive terms must submit a new application and pay a $50 application fee.
University Registration Requirements
Immunization Requirements
Immunization RequirementsThe University of South Carolina requires all students, regardless of birthdate, to contact the Immunization Office at 803-777-9511. Students born after December 31, 1956 need to be immunized against, or provide proof of immunity to, measles (rubeola) and German measles (rubella). Proof of immunity and/or immunization requires documentation of one of the following:
- two measles and one German measles (MR or MMR) shot after 1967 (not before first birthday)
- positive serum titers (blood antibodies) to measles and German measles
- physician-diagnosed measles illness and either shots or positive serum titer for German measles. (A history of German measles illness does not meet requirements.)
Mandatory Health Insurance
Mandatory Health InsuranceMandatory health insurance is not required of nondegree students unless the student is enrolled in full time credit hours. Nondegree graduate students affected by this mandatory health insurance requirement will be automatically enrolled in the University Plan (with the cost included in students’ bills for tuition and fees) unless documentation of comparable alternative health insurance coverage is on file in the Health Insurance Assistance Office at the Thomson Student Health Center.
Citizenship Verification
Citizenship VerificationUSC students must present proof of citizenship or lawful presence in the U.S. before enrolling. This policy has been adopted by the University in order to comply with section 59-101-430 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, as amended, which requires that lawful presence in the United States is verified before enrollment at any public institution of higher education. Verification of immigration status for non-citizens will be conducted by International student officials. For other students, a proof of citizenship verification process has been adopted to deter and prevent false claims of citizenship by unlawful aliens attempting to evade the eligibility requirements of section 59-101-430. Students who are not verified as citizens during the Federal Financial Aid Application (FAFSA) process must present the USC’s Citizenship Status Verification form and one of the following acceptable documents:
- Copy of the South Carolina driver’s license if the student first became a licensed driver in the state after January 1, 2002;
- A Certified Birth Certificate indicating that you were born in the United States or a territory of the United States;
- Current U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport that has not been expired more than 10 years;
- Certificate of Naturalization — USCIS Form (N-550 or N-570);
- U.S. government issued Consular Report of Birth Abroad;
- Certificate of Citizenship (N-560 or N-561);
- Unexpired U.S. Active Duty/Retiree/Reservist Military ID Card (DOD DD-2)
The University can accept photocopies of birth certificates and other citizenship documents so long as we reserve the right to demand production of the certified original in the event there are any questions about whether the copy is true and accurate, or in the event any of the information on the copy is unreadable.
For more information: http://registrar.sc.edu/html/citizenshipverification.stm
Course Registration
Access to Courses and Prerequisites
Access to Courses and PrerequisitesAccess to graduate courses is always subject to departmental consent. Courses numbered 700-899 are restricted to graduate students; courses numbered 500-699 are open to upper-level undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate students registered for courses numbered 500-699 must complete graduate level course work and will receive graduate credit. Graduate students may not enroll for undergraduate credit in course numbered 500-699 without permission of the dean of the Graduate School.
Course prerequisites are listed to inform students about the academic background required for satisfactory course completion. The instructor may approve the enrollment of students who have acquired the equivalent knowledge or skills through other courses or experiences. Special permission to enroll should be requested from the instructor prior to registration.
Right to an Advisor
Right to an AdvisorStudents permitted to enroll as nondegree students are not entitled to an advisor, but may consult an academic program’s graduate director for information or approvals as needed.
Transient Nondegree-Seeking Students
Transient Nondegree-Seeking StudentsStudents enrolled in or admitted to graduate degree programs at other accredited institutions may seek permission to attend The Graduate School of the University of South Carolina as transient students for a limited number of hours. Students wishing to be admitted as transient students must follow the application process and requirements for nondegree-seeking students. |