Academic Programs

Associate’s Degree Programs

The University of South Carolina offers the Associate in Arts degree and the Associate in Science degree at the Sumter campus to those students who have earned 60 hours of credit and completed the following requirements:

• Learning Outcomes
• Carolina Core - All Associates
• Associate of Arts Degree Curriculum
• Associate of Science Degree Curriculum
• Other Requirements
• Second Associate’s Degree

Learning Outcomes for Associate’s Degree Programs

Graduates will be able to:

• Identify and analyze issues, develop logical and persuasive arguments, and communicate ideas clearly for a variety of audiences and purposes through writing.
• Apply the methods of mathematical, statistical, or analytical reasoning to critically evaluate data, solve problems, and effectively communicate findings verbally and graphically.
• Apply the principles and language of the natural sciences and associated technologies to historical and contemporary issues.
• Communicate in more than one language.
• Use the principles of historical thinking to understand past human societies.
• Use the principles of the social sciences to explore diverse cultural identities and to analyze political and environmental issues. 
• Create or interpret literary, visual or performing arts.

AND be able to demonstrate at least ONE of the following:

• Identify and analyze issues, develop logical and persuasive arguments, and communicate ideas clearly for a variety of audiences and purposes through speaking.  
• Collect, manage and evaluate information using technology, and communicate findings.
• Examine different kinds of social and personal values, analyzing the ways in which these are manifested in communities as well as individual lives.

Carolina Core - 15 Hours

These serve as general education requirements common to all associate degrees.

• CMW: Effective, Engaged and Persuasive Communication: Writing (6 Hours) Must be passed with a grade of C or higher
• SCI: Scientific Literacy (3 Hours)
• GHS: Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 Hours)
• GSS: Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (3 Hours)

Associate of Arts Degree Curriculum - 60 Hours

1. Basic Requirements (including 15 hours of Carolina Core stated above) (37-38 Hours)
   
   All course selections are from the approved Carolina Core Learning Outcomes list unless otherwise specified.
   • CMW: Effective, Engaged and Persuasive Communication: Writing (6 Hours)
     Must be passed with a grade of C or higher
   • ARP: Analytical Reasoning and Problem-Solving (3 Hours)
     Choose from MATH, CSCE, PHIL, STAT including MATH 111  or MATH 115  
   • SCI: Scientific Literacy (7-8 Hours)
     Must include at least 1 laboratory science course
   • GFL: Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language (0-3 Hours)
     One 3-hour language course at any level or score of “2” on placement exam
   • GHS: Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 Hours)
   • GSS: Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (6 Hours)
   • AIU: Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (6 Hours)
     
     Choose ONE of the following three options (3 Hours minimum):
     • CMS: Effective, Engaged and Persuasive Communication: Speech (3 Hours)
     • INF: Information Literacy (3 Hours)
     • VSR: Values, Ethics and Social Responsibility (3 Hours)
2. Electives for A.A. Degrees (22-23 Hours)
   
   Electives may be any additional courses not used to fulfill the previously stated requirements.  Students who intend to apply these credits toward a baccalaureate degree awarded by another campus or institution are advised to work closely with an academic advisor to choose electives that will meet preliminary requirements of the four-year major they wish to pursue. Of particular importance is completion of general education requirements. USC Columbia requires a minimum of 31 general education credit hours and a student planning to pursue a USC Columbia baccalaureate degree must complete these hours. These hours can be incorporated within the 60 hours required for an AA or AS degree when electives are carefully selected. Applying for an associate’s degree does not in any manner affect eligibility to apply for a baccalaureate degree, and vice versa.

Associate of Science Degree Curriculum - 60 Hours

1. Basic Requirements (including 15 hours of Carolina Core stated above) (38-42 Hours)
   
   All course selections are from the approved Carolina Core Learning Outcomes list unless otherwise specified.
   • CMW: Effective, Engaged and Persuasive Communication: Writing (6 Hours)
     Must be passed with a grade of C or higher
   • ARP: Analytical Reasoning and Problem-Solving (6 Hours)
     Choose from MATH, CSCE, PHIL, STAT including MATH 111  or MATH 115  
   • SCI: Scientific Literacy (8-12 Hours)
     Must include at least 2 laboratory science courses
   • GFL: Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language (0-3 Hours)
     One 3-hour language course at any level or score of “2” on placement exam
   • GHS: Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 Hours)
   • GSS: Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (6 Hours)
   • AIU: Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (6 Hours)
     
     Choose ONE of the following three options (3 Hours minimum):
     • CMS: Effective, Engaged and Persuasive Communication: Speech (3 Hours)
     • INF: Information Literacy (3 Hours)
     • VSR: Values, Ethics and Social Responsibility (3 Hours)
2. Electives for A.A. Degrees (18-22 Hours)
   
   Electives may be any additional courses not used to fulfill the previously stated requirements.  Students who intend to apply these credits toward a baccalaureate degree awarded by another campus or institution are advised to work closely with an academic advisor to choose electives that will meet preliminary requirements of the four-year major they wish to pursue. Of particular importance is completion of general education requirements. USC Columbia requires a minimum of 31 general education credit hours and a student planning to pursue a USC Columbia baccalaureate degree must complete these hours. These hours can be incorporated within the 60 hours required for an AA or AS degree when electives are carefully selected. Applying for an associate’s degree does not in any manner affect eligibility to apply for a baccalaureate degree, and vice versa.

Other Requirements

In addition to the requirements for the A.A. and A.S. degrees stated above, the following stipulations also apply:

• Students must have an institutional GPA of 2.00 or better (does not include course grades earned by challenge examinations).  
• The final 15 semester hours must be earned at USC Sumter.
• No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees.
• Pass-Fail option on elective courses is allowed.
• No more than 15 hours of nontraditional credits, which include DANTES, CLEP, and military experience.
• No more than 3 1-hour PEDU activity courses may count toward meeting Associate’s degree requirements (any track).

Second Associate’s Degree

At times the University of South Carolina Sumter confers a second associate’s degree upon candidates who have completed all requirements for the second degree, provided that the additional requirements for the second degree include a minimum of 12 semester hours beyond those required for the first degree earned at USC Sumter and a minimum of 72 semester hours total. Under this policy a student may apply for two degrees at one time or separately. In either case the student would receive two diplomas.

Baccalaureate Degree Programs

Palmetto College

Palmetto College combines the resources of the University of South Carolina system with the flexibility of course delivery formats including on-campus, traditional classes, two-way video classes, and online classes.

Faculties from Lancaster, Salkehatchie, Sumter, and Union, as well as Extended University in Columbia, use two-way interactive video to teach students at multiple sites simultaneously as well as fully online, asynchronous instruction.  These delivery mechanisms give students access to many more course options than are available face-to-face on their campuses.

• Liberal Studies, B.A.   
• Organizational Leadership, B.A.  

USC Aiken Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration

Students must comply with the requirements of the USC Aiken bulletin for the B.S. in Business Administration. USC Aiken program requirements are reflected in the USC Sumter bulletin so far as publishing deadlines allow.

The mission of the School of Business at USC Aiken focuses on creating a caring learning environment in its accredited undergraduate program at multiple locations. The program prepares students to successfully meet the dynamic global, technological, and ethical challenges of business and society. The USC Aiken School of Business Administration is accredited by AACSB International, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Curriculum

The School of Business Administration offers the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree. The area of concentration is management. To qualify for graduation, a student must meet general education requirements, business core requirements, and area of concentration requirements, as stated below. Students are encouraged to choose courses that will contribute to their educational development in the liberal arts as well as their development and preparation for particular careers. Students should become very familiar with the degree requirements under which they are to be graduated and seek proper advisement.

Admission Standards for the Professional Business Administration Program

The baccalaureate curriculum of the School of Business Administration is divided into two years of general education and two years of upper-level business course work, which constitute the School of Business Administration Professional Program. Students who fulfill the admission requirements of USC Sumter may enroll in any general education courses and any business courses at the 100 and 200 level provided they meet individual course prerequisites. They may also enroll in upper-level business courses provided they meet individual course prerequisites and have not been declined admission into the School of Business Administration Professional Program. At the end of each semester, the academic records of business students are audited to identify those students who meet the following criteria:

1. the student has declared a business administration major;
2. the student has earned at least 60 hours of credit toward the business administration degree.

Students who meet these criteria are admitted into the professional program if they have a cumulative collegiate GPA of 2.50 or higher and have passed MGSC 290 or the Computer Applications Proficiency Exam with a grade of C or better. The assessment of academic records of students who enter USC Sumter with 60 or more credit hours toward a USC Aiken business administration degree is made at the end of the semester of entry.

Students denied admission into the professional program will not be permitted to register for upper-level business courses (300 and above). This enrollment restriction will remain in force until the student has a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher and has been admitted into the professional program. Students denied admission into the professional program may appeal the decision to the Professional Program Committee.

Students assessed and found to have an insufficient GPA for acceptance into the professional program will be notified of their status.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration

1. General Education Requirements (60 hours*)

2. Business Core Requirement (36 hours)
   • ACCT 225 , ACCT 226 ; MGSC 291 ; ABUS 345, 350, 363, 371, 379, 383, 390, 478; AMGT 475.   
3. Management Concentration Requirements (24 hours)
   • AMGT 374, 376, 473, 477 (12 hours)
   • Two courses from AMGT 378 and 442 and ABUS 380 and 429 (6 hours)
   • Business electives: business or economics courses (300 or above) (6 hours)

Total hours required: 120 hours*

*At least three credit hours must be in non-Western world studies. A non-Western world studies course is any course which focuses substantially on the culture of regions of the world other than Europe or those areas in which the dominant culture is European, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Study of the cultures of the indigenous peoples of these countries may be acceptable, but this would not include the study of contemporary African Americans, Japanese Americans, and other assimilated ethnic categories.

All business administration majors are required to earn a C or higher in each course (business electives excepted) satisfying the area of concentration requirements. Each student in the School of Business must also earn at least a 2.00 average overall on business core and concentration area courses for graduation. At least 50 percent of the business administration credit hours required for the business administration degree must be earned through USC Aiken. Students must also complete assessment procedures as required by the school. The Inter-Curricular Enrichment requirement as detailed in the USC Aiken bulletin must also be met.

Computer Application Proficiency Exam

Students must demonstrate proficiency in computer applications either by passing MGSC 290  or by earning a passing score on the Computer Application Proficiency Exam.

To take the proficiency exam, students must follow these steps:

1. Obtain a Proficiency Exam Form from the proficiency exam coordinator.
2. Complete the form and return it to the coordinator.
3. Pay the finance office (at either USC Aiken or USC Sumter) an examination fee of $30 and obtain a receipt for this amount.
4. Arrange with the coordinator a time for the exam.

Students who fail the exam must take MGSC 290 .

Proficiency Portfolio in Writing

The Rising Junior Proficiency Portfolio in Writing serves two purposes:

1. to certify each student’s writing proficiency within the context of general education assessment;
2. to make all students aware of the necessity for developing and transferring their writing skills beyond the composition sequence.

To these ends, each student must submit a writing proficiency portfolio as soon as possible after the completion of 60 credit hours. Transfer students who have reached the 60-hour level through the accumulation of course credit at other institutions are given up to 30 hours in residency at USC Sumter to build their portfolios. The portfolio requirement must be satisfied before graduation. Failure to submit a portfolio will result in the placement of a hold on the student’s records.

Questions concerning this process should be addressed to the student’s advisor. The director of writing assessment or the director of the writing room (both at USC Aiken) may also be contacted for this purpose.

For this year’s schedule of submission deadlines, please consult the USC Aiken Undergraduate Calendar, obtainable from the student’s advisor.

Students are encouraged to complete the Rising Junior Proficiency Portfolio in Writing requirement prior to the semesters in which they expect to be graduated. Those students who do not pass the requirement prior to the semester in which they expect to be graduated may find themselves unable to complete the requirement in time and their graduation dates delayed for that reason. Students are encouraged to work with their advisors to complete this requirement on time. Advisors are encouraged to provide warning notices regarding the proper timing of the submission of the portfolio.

The Rising Junior Proficiency Portfolio in Writing is designed to allow students seeking a baccalaureate degree from USCA an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to apply the skills and competencies they began to develop in the composition sequence to University writing contexts beyond that level. It will consist of three course-related papers selected by students as examples of their best writing and one reflective essay annotating the various reasons for the selections.

The three course-related papers must include researched writing. Essays, extended essay exam answers, journals assigned for class, or other appropriate written assignments may be used. No more than one of these may come from the composition sequence. Since the portfolio is designed to show the range of a student’s writing, the student is encouraged to select work from a variety of courses. Papers produced through group work are discouraged in this portfolio review.

Each selection must be identified by course title, semester taken, and instructor’s name. All three papers may be rewritten to demonstrate the student’s current writing proficiency, for a paper deemed satisfactory at the freshman level may not adequately demonstrate proficiency at the rising-junior level. When a paper is rewritten, it must be accompanied by a copy of the original class paper and the course information listed above. The reflective essay will serve as a cover essay for the portfolio and should discuss the reasons the student selected each paper.

While papers from USC Aiken/USC Sumter classwork are preferred, transfer students may submit papers from other academic settings if the student is within the final 30 hours of course work for a degree.

Those students who have demonstrated competency in university-level writing will be certified as having satisfied USC Aiken’s expectations concerning writing proficiency within the context of general education requirements. Those students whose portfolios do not meet expectations will be advised to appeal or to enroll in and pass AEGL 201 Writing in the University.

Academic Discipline or Grievances

Students enrolled in the USC Aiken Business School Professional Program may continue judicial process initiated on the USC Sumter campus for either student academic discipline or student academic grievances by appeal to the vice chancellor for academic affairs at USC Aiken.

Special Note

Reinstatements, grade changes, and withdrawals due to extenuating circumstances must be submitted through the USC Aiken process once students seek USC Aiken baccalaureate degrees.

USC Upstate Bachelor of Arts Degree in Early Childhood or Elementary Education

The University of South Carolina Upstate and the University of South Carolina Sumter have formed partnerships to better serve the needs of students in the Sumter area wanting to earn a degree in either early childhood or elementary education. Students interested in becoming certified teachers will complete their first two years of general education at USC Sumter, enrolling in courses outlined in an articulation agreement which guarantees that courses taken at USC Sumter will satisfy general education requirements for a B.A. in elementary and early childhood education from the University of South Carolina Upstate. All junior- and senior-level professional education courses for the degree will be offered either on the USC Sumter campus or in public schools in the Sumter area.

The USC Upstate Teacher Education Program is organized around the theme “the teacher as reflective practitioner.” Teachers prepared at USC Upstate are knowledgeable of the liberal arts and applicable content areas, the latest developments in curriculum and instruction, and the foundations of education. They understand and respect cultural diversity and place the welfare and educational needs of their students first. As reflective practitioners, they are committed to a service ideal built upon professional standards and ethics. The USC Spartanburg Teacher Education Program is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Successful completion of the USC Upstate program entitles the student to a recommendation to be certified in every state in the United States. In order to be certified in South Carolina, prospective teachers must complete an NCATE certified program.

Elementary Education

The program is designed to prepare students to teach in grades 2-6. The program consists of a general liberal arts background, professional educational training, and preparation in content concentration. During the semester in which students are enrolled in directed teaching (SEDL 470), they spend each school day for a period of 15 weeks in the elementary or middle school to which they are assigned. For the elementary education degree, students spend half of their directed teaching experience at one level and half at another. Students are expected to complete a broad general education course requirement, including communication, mathematics, arts, humanities, natural sciences, and foreign cultures.

Early Childhood Education

The early childhood education program provides preparation for teaching in four- and five-year-old kindergartens and in grades 1-3. A substantial portion of the curriculum consists of course work in the liberal arts to establish a broad educational background prior to the professional sequence of courses. A content concentration in sociology or psychology provides related course work in a subject specialization. The professional sequence provides content and direct opportunities for field experience. The final experience is a semester-long student-teaching assignment, of which half is in a preprimary (4- and 5-year-olds) setting and half in a primary setting (grades 1-3).

Course Offerings

Junior- and senior-level courses in the professional education program are taught on the campus of USC Sumter. Some courses are offered in the traditional classroom setting on the USC Sumter campus; other courses are offered via a state-of-the-art telecommunications system that links USC Upstate teacher education classrooms. Courses may originate in the distance learning classroom either at USC Sumter or at USC Upstate. Courses taught by telecommunications are totally interactive. Students at USC Sumter and USC Upstate see and hear each other and the instructor as if they were in the same classroom. Preservice teachers will be required to use this technology during the learning process, and, as a result, they will be “fearless” and more effective users of technology in the classrooms of the 21st century. Students are invited to visit the distance learning classroom on the campus of USC Sumter to experience this innovative delivery system.

Admission to the Professional Program

Students must apply to the School of Education for admission to the professional program, which covers the junior and senior years. The professional program application form may be obtained from the school office and must be filed with that office at the beginning of the term in which students complete 60 semester hours of study. Admission of applicants is based on individual consideration. Each applicant must fulfill the following requirements:

• completion of ENGL 101  and ENGL 102  and THSP 140 or their equivalents with grades of C or higher
• successful completion of the prerequisites for MATH 111  
• cumulative GPA of at least 2.50 on at least 60 hours earned
• the achievement of passing scores on the Praxis Pre-professional Skills Test (PPST)
• two satisfactory recommendations: one from the general faculty and one from the School of Education faculty.

Action is taken on a student’s application as soon as the academic records are available. Students who are accepted enter the professional program. Students whose applications are denied are advised of their alternatives.

USC Upstate Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree (for Registered Nurses)

The R.N. completion track is offered to registered nurses who are graduates of an accredited associate’s degree or diploma program in nursing that leads to the Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. This program offers the R.N. student on the Sumter campus the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to practice nursing in a wide variety of professional settings and provides the educational foundation that is the basis for graduate study in nursing. Interested students should contact the Mary Black School of Nursing for further information.

Special Programs and Opportunities

University 101

University 101 is a three-hour seminar course, open for credit only to freshmen and to other undergraduate students (i.e., transfer students) in their first year at USC Sumter. This course provides an introduction to the nature and importance of university education and a general orientation to the functions and resources of the University.

The course helps new students adjust to the University, develop a better understanding of the learning process, and acquire essential academic survival skills. It also provides students a support group in a critical year by examining problems common to the new-student experience. Extensive reading and writing assignments relevant to the student’s college experience are required.

Organized in small groups of 20-25 students, University 101 is taught by faculty members and administrative personnel who have a special interest in working with new students. The course may be taken as part of a student’s regular load or as an overload. Course credit is awarded on a letter-grade basis. Credit is applicable as elective credit toward almost all baccalaureate degrees offered by the University.

Opportunity Scholars Program

The University of South Carolina Sumter offers the Opportunity Scholars Program (OSP), an academic support service for students. The purpose of OSP is to help students complete a baccalaureate degree. Students chosen to participate are those who have backgrounds that may make adjustment to college life more difficult than for their fellow students. Many of the OSP students come for specific help but find that OSP is a well-rounded program that offers free tutoring; an up-to-date computer lab; cultural enrichment activities; career search and counseling; staff mentors; workshops on resumes, writing, study skills, and time management; supplemental classes; and transfer help and advisement.

The success rate at OSP is very high, and we welcome qualified students when there is an opening. Our program has a maximum enrollment of 150, and everything is free to participants.

USC Columbia Baccalaureate Degree Programs

Many students who enter USC Sumter intend to apply their credits toward a baccalaureate degree. These students are advised to work closely with their advisor to outline a program of study for the first two years that will meet preliminary requirements of the four-year major they wish to pursue.

These students are also strongly advised to obtain and use a copy of the undergraduate bulletin for the Columbia campus when determining specific degree requirements.