The Certificate of Graduate Study is a program of 18-27 semester hours of graduate course work. The University of South Carolina currently has 21certificate programs.
Public Health, Certificate
The certificate in public health is administered by the Arnold School of Public Health|
Counselor Education, Certificate (Career Development Facilitator)
The certificate in counselor education with an concentration in career development facilitation is administered by the College of Education|
Higher Education Leadership, Certificate
The certificate in higher education leadership is administered by the College of Education| .
Nursing Administration, Certificate
The certificate in nursing administration is administered by the College of Nursing| and is restricted to students who hold a master’s degree in nursing or who are nearing completion of a master’s degree in the USC College of Nursing.
Advanced Practice Nursing, Certificate
The certificate in advanced nursing practice is administered by the College of Nursing| and is restricted to students who hold a master’s degree in nursing or who are nearing completion of a master’s degree in the USC College of Nursing.
Drug and Addiction Studies, Certificate
The certificate in drug and addiction studies is administered by the College of Social Work| .
Gerontology, Certificate
The certificate in gerontology is administered by the College of Social Work| .
Historical Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management, Certificate
The certificate in historical archeology and cultural resources management is administered by the Department of Anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Visual Anthropology, Certificate
The certificate in visual anthropology is administered by the Department of Anthropology| in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Information Assurance and Security, Certificate
The certificate in information assurance and security is administered by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering| in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
Criminal Justice Leadership, Certificate
The certificate in criminal justice leadership is administered by the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice| .
Health Communication, Certificate (Public Health)
Health Communication, Certificate (Library and Information Science)
Health Communication, Certificate (Journalism and Mass Communications)
The certificate in health communication is administered by the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior| in the Arnold School of Public Health ; and the School of Journalism and Mass Communications| and the School of Library and Information Science| in the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies.
Museum Management, Certificate
The certificate museum management in is administered by the Department of History| - (McKissick Museum) in the College of Arts and Sciences| .
Applied Statistics, Certificate
The certificate in applied statistics is administered by the Department of Statistics| in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Certificate
The certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages is administered by the Linguistics Program.
Women’s and Gender Studies, Certificate
The certificate in women’s and gender studies is administered by the program on Women’s and Gender Studies| in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Library and Information Science, Certificate
The certificate in library information science is administered by the School of Library and Information Science| and is restricted to students who hold a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science or who are nearing completion of a master’s degree in the School of Library and Information Science.
Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Certificate
The certificate in psychiatric rehabilitation is administered by the School of Medicine| .
Biomedical Studies, Certificate
The certificate in biomedical sciences is administered by the School of Medicine| .
Music Performance, Certificate|
The certificate in music performance in is administered by the School of Music| .
Certificate Degree Requirements
At least 9 hours of the program course work must consist of required courses although all hours may be prescribed; at least half the total hours in the program of study must be in courses at the 700 level or above; and at least half of the 18 or more hours required for a certificate must be University of South Carolina credits. Certificate students must maintain a 3.00 cumulative graduate grade point average (GPA) on all USC courses taken for graduate credit. No more than 6 hours of grades of C may be applied toward a certificate and 9 hours of grades of C+ or lower will make the student academically ineligible for a certificate degree. There is no residency requirement, but all courses must be completed within six years of enrollment. The student must be enrolled for at least 1 credit during the term of graduation.
Certificate Program of Study
A program of study is a list of courses that satisfy the requirements for the certificate. Every degree-seeking student, including students enrolled in a certificate program, must complete a program of study (POS) form approved and signed by student’s academic advisor, and approved by the graduate director of the program that administers the certificate and the dean of The Graduate School. The signed POS is sent to The Graduate School and placed in the student’s file. This formal agreement serves a number of purposes that benefit both the student and the University. It causes the student and advisor to engage in early planning with a specific goal in mind; it provides information on program requirements and for the planning of course offerings; it facilitates subsequent advisement; and it protects the student in the event of unexpected curriculum or faculty changes. The student must file a completed POS form within the first 12 hours of course work. If necessary, an approved program of study can be modified with a Request for Program Adjustment (G-RPA) form.
Transfer Credit
No more than 9 semester hours of graduate credit with grades of B or better may be transferred from another institution into a graduate certificate program. Course work transferred for credit toward a Certificate of Graduate Study must be from an accredited institution and must be no more than six years old at the time of graduation.
Course work transferred from another institution for credit toward a graduate certificate must be relevant to the program and have course content and a level of instruction equivalent to that offered by the University’s own graduate programs. Approval for acceptance of transfer credit to a student’s program of study must be approved and justified by the student’s academic department and submitted to the dean of The Graduate School for final approval on the request for transfer of academic credit (G-RTC) form. Transfer credit is not posted to a student’s official academic transcript until the term of graduation.
Transient Enrollment Privilege
A USC graduate student in a certificate program seeking transient enrollment privilege at another institution should complete and submit the Special Enrollment Request (AS-30) form available on the Office of the Registrar’s website to the dean of The Graduate School for approval. Before enrolling in graduate courses at another institution, student’s should contact the graduate director of the certificate program for permission to enroll and to ensure that the credits from the other institution will be approved for inclusion on the student’s certificate program of study.
Revalidation of Out-of-Date Courses
Students enrolled in a certificate program may, with permission of the academic department administering the certificate, request revalidation of USC graduate courses over six years old for inclusion in the certificate program of study. Each academic program will determine whether a course is appropriate for revalidation. The Permit for Revalidation Examination (PRE) form must be completed and submitted to the dean of the Graduate School for approval prior to revalidation. Proof of payment of required fees must be submitted with the Permit for Revalidation Examination form. Complete revalidation instructions available: http://gradschool.sc.edu/DocLibrary/documents/pre.pdf.
Note: Coursework taken at other institutions may not be revalidated.
Application for Graduation and Degree Audit
All students enrolled in a certificate program must file the application for degree/graduation available on the website of the Office of the University Registrar with The Graduate School within 5 class days of the start of the fall or spring semester in which the degree is to be awarded, or within the first 10 class days of Summer Session I if the degree is to be awarded at the end of the summer (even if the student does not plan to take courses until the second summer session). Although some departments do not require students to provide the academic program with copies of the application for graduation, The Graduate School recommends that students do provide a copy to the academic program to facilitate assessment of degree requirements. Applicants are encouraged to consult with the academic program to confirm that all requirements for graduation have been met.
Applications for graduation submitted after the announced filing deadline will be accepted if supported by a letter from the graduate director of the student’s program and accompanied by a late fee of $25, which increases by $25 every 30 days after the deadline. Deadlines are posted for each term on the official academic calendar of the University found on the website of the Office of the University Registrar. Any late application that lacks the supporting letter or late fee will be processed for the following term.
The Graduate School forwards the application for degree/graduation to the Office of the University Registrar to start the degree audit process. In VIP, students should view their Graduation Degree Application to confirm the accuracy of the information submitted and to correct any errors so the diploma is printed correctly. It is also important to inspect the VIP graduation degree application information to determine if there are any holds that will prevent issue of an official transcript or mailing of the diploma. At the end of the semester, the degree program and The Graduate School both assess for degree audit whether all requirements have been completed, and then forward a recommendation to the Registrar to approve or disapprove awarding of the degree.
At the time of graduation, the student’s cumulative gradepoint average (GPA) must be at least 3.00. Additionally, the student’s average on all grades recorded on the program of study for courses numbered 700 or above must be at least 3.00 and all courses listed on the program of study must be at least 3.00.
Degree Conferral
Upon confirmation of a clear degree audit, the degree will be posted by the Office of the University Registrar to the student’s official academic record. The degree award is posted to the student’s transcript within 6 weeks after the commencement ceremony. Degree candidates may wish to check periodically the Academics tab of VIP, Record of Academic Work for Advisement Only section, to see if the degree is posted. Diplomas will be mailed to the address recorded on the application for graduation via first class mail to U.S. addresses and via registered airmail to international addresses. Graduates may expect to receive the diploma within three months after the commencement exercises.
Note: Degrees cannot be awarded retroactively.
To pursue further graduate study after completion of a graduate degree, a student must submit a new application to The Graduate School.
Academic Regalia
Attendance at graduation ceremonies is optional. Academic regalia worn for graduation is sold by the University Bookstore in the Russell House located on Greene Street in Columbia. To place an order for academic regalia to wear for graduation, please telephone the University Bookstore at 803-777-4160 or visit the website at http://sc.bkstore.com. You may also order academic regalia from the Bookstore via a downloadable form. The completed form may be hand-delivered or faxed to the University Bookstore at 803-777-4018.
The Specialist Program is generally considered a post-master’s program of 30-36 hours leading to a degree as a specialist in a certain discipline, but specialist programs guided by professional licensure may be defined differently to meet licensure requirements. The University of South Carolina has four specialist programs:
Library and Information Science, S.L.I.S.
The specialist in library and information science (S.L.I.S.) administered by the School of Library and Information Science| in the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies is designed for advanced study in library and information science and admission is limited to students with a degree from a Master’s program accredited by the American Library Association (ALA) or an equivalent program accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Teaching, Ed.S.
The specialist in teaching (Ed.S.) administered by the Department of Instruction and Teacher Education| in the College of Education is designed for experienced teachers in advanced study of educational theory and practice to improve their professional mastery of teaching.
Education Administration, Ed.S.
The specialist in education administration (Ed.S.) administered by the Department of Educational Leadership and Policies| in the College of Education and is designed for teachers and administrators seeking superintendency certification; and
Counselor Education, Ed.S.
The specialist in counselor education (Ed.S.) administered by the Department of Educational Studies| in the College of Education is designed to prepare professional counselors to work in elementary, middle, and high schools.
Students enrolled in specialist programs must follow the admission, academic and graduation policies and requirements of The Graduate School. Contact the program administering a particular specialist program for admission and degree requirements. |