Degree-Seeking Admission

Admission Process for Degree-Seeking Students

Admission Process for Degree-Seeking Students

Submission of Application

Submission of Application

Degree-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 and select on “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.

All supporting documents must be sent to The Graduate School unless applying to the Moore School of Business or the Arnold School of Public Health. An application will not be given final consideration until all required documents have been received and the application fee is paid. Therefore, applicants are advised to arrange for the transmittal of all documents well ahead of the application deadline.

International Students and Credentials

International Students and Credentials

Graduates of international universities or colleges who have completed academic programs equivalent to an American baccalaureate degree may apply to any of the graduate degree programs and be fully admitted if they meet admission standards. International applicants must submit with their application an official certified transcript indicating the nature and scope of their academic training. Only international students who are interested in seeking a degree and pursuing a full course of study are considered for admission.

An applicant whose native language is not English is required to submit a satisfactory score on the TOEFL or the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam. The minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL is 80 Internet-based, or 570 paper-based, but many programs have set higher standards. The minimum acceptable overall band score on the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam is 6.5.

For testing information contact:

Test of English as a Foreign Language
Educational Testing Service
Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
www.toefl.org

IELTS International
100 East Corson Street, Suite 200
Pasadena, CA 91103, USA
www.ielts.org

In addition, admitted applicants whose native language is not English are required to take a diagnostic test in English when they arrive at the University. Students with deficiencies are provided an opportunity for further study in reading, writing, and speaking English.

U.S. government regulations require that international applicants provide evidence of financial resources sufficient to cover the expense of one year of study, including tuition and room and board. Applicants may contact the Office of International Programs for Students (www.sc.edu/ips) to determine how much financial support must be indicated. Evidence of financial support may include graduate assistantships, scholarships, or fellowships as well as support from sponsoring agencies and personal funds. Evidence of financial support must be received in the Office of International Programs for Students before an I-20 or a DS-2019 document can be issued.

Application Requirements

Application Requirements

1. Application

A completed application with all requested information and supporting documents supplied.

2. Transcripts

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 29208

3. Letters of Recommendation

At least two letters of recommendation. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit letters of recommendation through the electronic application process. Please consider carefully the waiver of right to view letters of recommendation because this decision cannot be altered after submission.

4. Test Scores

Most programs require an admissions test such as the GRE, GMAT or MAT. Please consult the of the Graduate Studies Bulletin appropriate program for the test requirements for admission. Applications for the GRE and the GMAT can be obtained from the Educational Testing Service, Box 955, Princeton, NJ 08540 or by visiting the website www.ets.org. Applicants from western states should contact the Educational Testing Service, 1947 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 or visit the website.

Note: GRE, GMAT, and MAT test scores are valid for five years.

5. International Applicants

International applicants whose native language is not English are also required to submit a satisfactory score on the TOEFL or the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam. The minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL is 80 Internet-based or 570 paper-based. The minimum acceptable overall band score on the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam is 6.5. Programs may set higher score requirements. See International Students and Credentials for more information.

Note: TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for two years.

Change of Status Request

Change of Status Request

The Change of Status (COS) form should only be used to request an update or to make a change in an existing application or admission. It must be accompanied by a non-refundable $15 fee (unless otherwise indicated on the application), payable online. Applicants may access The Change of Status form by visiting The Graduate School’s application webpage http://www.gradschool.sc.edu/apply.htm and selecting on Change of Status or selecting on the following link http://www.gradschool.sc.edu/appcos.htm.

Program transfers and reconsideration of previously declined applications require departmental action recommendations before a change of status can be approved by The Graduate School.
If your request for a change of status requires supporting documents (ie, revised test scores, resume, or transcripts) please send those documents to:

The Graduate School
901 Sumter St. #304
Columbia, SC 29208
Fax: 803-777-2972

If it has been more than three years since your last Graduate School enrollment at USC, you must submit a new application and be readmitted before continuing in your academic program. You cannot use the Change of Status (COS) form to re-apply to a degree program.

Application Fees

Application Fees

A nonrefundable application fee of $50 is required of all first-time applicants to The Graduate School and for applicants reapplying after a three-year period of non-enrollment. A Change of Status fee of $15 is charged when requesting a change in program or degree intent with submission of a Change of Status (COS) form.

Application Deadlines

Application Deadlines

General application deadlines are listed below. Some programs have established earlier deadlines or admit students only in specified terms. Consult the Graduate Studies Bulletin for the appropriate program for these exceptions. Applications received after the announced program or Graduate School deadline may not be reviewed in time for admission for the desired term.

Fall semester: July 1
Spring semester: November 15
May session: April 1
First summer session: May 1
Second summer session: June 1

Note: Applicants seeking financial aid for the fall term should apply no later than March 1.

Admissions Decisions

Conditional Admissions Recommendation

Conditional Admissions Recommendation

Academic units have the option of recommending the applicant for admission with conditions. This indicates that an admissions committee has met and determined that it is not yet ready to recommend full admission for the applicant. This conditional recommendation is appropriate for applicants who:

need to take undergraduate courses or other prerequisites;
need to prove themselves capable of graduate course work in the program by making grades of B or higher in two or three required courses;
need to satisfy any other valid conditions that a committee sets before full admission can be recommended; and
reside in a foreign country that does not offer the GRE. Students in this last category may be granted, on the basis of a hardship, a one-semester postponement of the GRE but not of the TOEFL or IELT. Permission to register for subsequent semesters will require the submission of acceptable GRE scores, as defined by the academic unit.

Applicants wishing to discuss the conditions of the admission should contact the academic unit.

Up to 12 graduate hours that are successfully completed by students admitted with conditions may be used in their programs of study, subject to approval by the academic unit. The academic unit must monitor the progress of such students and send a new action sheet to The Graduate School recommending full admission once conditions have been met. Failure to meet said conditions may result in the cancellation of the student’s admission or enrollment privileges.

Graduate students admitted with conditions may receive financial aid, including assistantships and fellowships, but only if they meet all other requirements for such aid.

Cancellation

Cancellation

Applicants may cancel their application for admission at any time by submitting a written request to:

The Graduate School
901 Sumter St. #304
Columbia, SC 29208
Fax: 803-777-2972

Departments have the option to cancel an application if the application or required supporting documents are received after the announced deadlines and will not be reviewed in time for admission for the desired term. In this instance the applicant has 30 days to submit a written request for a term change, to avoid incurring additional fees.

Declination

Declination

The academic unit may recommend that an applicant be declined for admission. Applicants wishing to discuss the declination of admission decision should contact the academic unit. Upon receipt of the admission decision, the applicant has the option to seek reconsideration, reapply, or transfer the application to another program. The applicant should complete the respective application or Change of Status form that corresponds with such action. Information on the reapplication or change of status process can be found by visiting The Graduate School’s application webpage http://www.gradschool.sc.edu/apply.htm.

Valid Period of Admission

Valid Period of Admission

Students 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. In order to defer enrollment, a Change of Status (COS) form must be submitted and approved by the program. In addition, the student becomes subject to the regulations of the Graduate Studies Bulletin in effect when the student begins course work.

After enrollment, students are expected to make satisfactory and timely progress toward degree. Following three years of nonenrollment (less in some programs), the graduate admission of students admitted to degree programs becomes invalid. Degree-seeking students must reapply and meet current admission requirements. Upon readmission, students are subject to regulations of the Graduate Studies Bulletin in effect at the time of reenrollment.

The University reserves the right to decline admission to applicants, to suspend students, or to require the withdrawal of students when, for any reason, such action is deemed to be in the interest of the University.

Additional Coursework

Additional Coursework

Students are admitted to the Graduate School for the specific degree granting program indicated on the application. If a student wishes to pursue additional coursework or degrees once the degree has been completed a new application and required fees must be submitted. For example, a student completing a master’s degree program must submit a new application, associated fee, and be admitted in order to take additional courses whether without a degree objective, to pursue a second master’s degree, or to work toward a more advanced degree (specialist or doctorate).

Students may not use admission and enrollment privileges in one degree program to enroll in courses in another program without the explicit permission of the other program.

University Registration Requirements

Immunization Requirements

Immunization Requirements

The 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 Insurance

The Graduate School adheres to a mandatory hard-waiver health insurance program implemented for all graduate assistants (teaching, research, instructional, and staff), all international students, and other full-time enrolled graduate students (9 credit hours or more, 6 hours for Graduate Assistants). Graduate students in these categories will be required to have health insurance coverage as a condition of enrollment.

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 Verification

USC 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

Course Enrollment

Course Enrollment

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 courses numbered 500-699 without the permission of their academic advisor and the dean of The Graduate School.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites

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.

Course Loads

Course Loads

A graduate student may enroll for a semester load not to exceed 15 graduate hours. Some programs limit students to a 12-hour maximum semester load. A student with a load of 9 or more hours during a fall or spring term is classified as full-time for academic purposes. The maximum course load in each of the two summer sessions is 6 hours. May Session enrollment is part of the 6-hour limit for Summer I.

Graduate assistants carrying 6 or more hours for graduate credit are classified as full-time students. Graduate assistants are required to carry a minimum of 6 hours of graduate credit during the fall and spring terms.

A student must be enrolled for at least 1 credit during any semester in which thesis or dissertation progress is made and such University resources as the library, computer facilities, or faculty time are used.

Students requesting an overload exception must submit the required Course Overload Authorization Form to the dean of the Graduate School for approval prior to the beginning of the term for which the exception is requested. Students seeking Z-status should contact their academic program for processing.

Information for specific audiences: