Academic Catalog

Special Programs

Pre-Engineering

Engineering areas of study include Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Environmental, and Mechanical engineering. The pre-engineering program at USC Upstate is designed to provide up to one year of general coursework transferable to the USC College of Engineering. Students must transfer to the USC College of Engineering, or other engineering program, by their sophomore year to earn a degree in a specific engineering area of study. Admission to engineering degree-completion programs is competitive and completion of Calculus I with a grade of C+ or higher is required for transfer to the USC College of Engineering. For more information, please contact the chair of the Department of Natural Sciences and Engineering.

Health-Related Fields

USC Upstate offers opportunities to students interested in pursuing health-related careers. Advisement tracks are available for pre-chiropractic, pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-occupational therapy, pre-optometry, pre-physical therapy, pre-physician assisting, and pre-veterinary medicine. A four-year baccalaureate degree in the sciences at USC Upstate is typically required before entering most postgraduate professional programs. A student must seek admission to a school that offers the desired professional degree. Entry into these professional programs is on a competitive basis and requirements for each professional program vary.

Specific information on health-related programs may be obtained from the Department of Natural Sciences and Engineering.

Pre-Law1

USC Upstate provides advisement and information about various law school programs through the chair of History, Political Science, Philosophy and American Studies.  Because most law schools do not prescribe a specific curriculum, USC Upstate does not offer a pre-law major. While students interested in law often major in political science, a variety of other disciplines such as history, English, economics, business and math provide excellent backgrounds. Law schools want students who have mastered written and spoken English and who have the ability to analyze and think critically.  They prefer a variety of learning experiences since the practice of law encompasses knowledge in many fields.  In addition to certain requirements in the general education program, such as speech, math, computer science, lab science, American government, the following courses represent the broad base of knowledge preferred by most law schools:

  • Freshman and Sophomore Years
    •     Psychology U101
    •     Foreign language
    •     Sociology U101
    •     Economics U221
    •     History U101
    •     Accounting (ACCT U225 Financial Accounting)
  • Junior and Senior Years
    •     Logic U205 and U207
    •     International Law (POLI U460 International Law)
    •     Literature Course
    •     Legal Environment of Business (ACCT U247 Legal Environment of Business)
    •     Judicial Process (POLI U452 The Judicial Process)
    •     Constitutional Law (POLI U450 Constitutional Law)
    •     Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (POLI U451 Civil Rights & Civil Liberties)

Students should understand that taking specific courses is not nearly as important in gaining entrance to law school as maintaining a solid grade point average (GPA) and attaining a respectable score on the Law School Aptitude Test (LSAT).  Students in any major or program interested in attending law school should contact the chair of History, Political Science, Philosophy and American Studies for assignment of a pre-law advisor.

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Students desiring a postgraduate professional degree should note requirements for the Three-Plus-One Program.

Pre-Pharmacy

USC Upstate provides advisement services to pre-pharmacy students through faculty members in chemistry. Each fall, representatives of the South Carolina College of Pharmacy are invited to campus to meet with interested USC Upstate pre-pharmacy students. USC Upstate provides the course work required for admission into the South Carolina College of Pharmacy but does not award a degree in pharmacy.  The South Carolina College of Pharmacy considers applications from students who complete a minimum of 67 semester hours of pre-pharmacy course work at USC Upstate.  Pre-pharmacy students are encouraged to consider completion of a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry or Biology to improve their chances of admission into a pharmacy school.  The following recommended sequence of courses has been developed through consultation between the South Carolina College of Pharmacy and USC Upstate.

Recommended Courses for the South Carolina
College of Pharmacy

  • First Pre-pharmacy Year
    •     Biology U101:  Biological Science I
    •     Biology U102:  Biological Science II
    •     Chemistry U111: General Chemistry
    •     Chemistry U112: General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis
    •     English U101, U102: Composition and Literature
    •     Mathematics U141: Calculus I
    •     Psychology U101:  Introduction to Psychology
    •     Electives (6 semester hours)
  • Second Pre-pharmacy Year
    •     Biology U243:  Anatomy & Physiology I
    •     Biology U244: Anatomy & Physiology II
    •     Biology U250: Principles of Microbiology
    •     Chemistry U331: Organic Chemistry I
    •     Chemistry U331L: Organic Chemistry Laboratory
    •     Chemistry U332: Organic Chemistry II
    •     Chemistry U332L: Organic Chemistry Laboratory
    •     Mathematics U102:  Elementary Statistics
    •     Physics U201: General Physics I
    •     Economics U221: Principles of Macroeconomics or Economics U222: Principles of Microeconomics
    •     Speech U201
    •     Electives (3 semester hours)

As soon as possible, students interested in pursuing a career in pharmacy should contact the chair of the Department of Natural Sciences and Engineering for assignment to a pre-pharmacy advisor.

Three-Plus-One Program

USC Upstate awards the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) to a student who has satisfactorily completed at least 90 semester hours of undergraduate work and one year (30 semester hours) of work in an approved accredited professional school, provided the applicant has:

  • made application to the interdisciplinary studies program at USC Upstate;
  • satisfied all general education and degree requirements with all minimum grade requirements met
  • completed a minimum of 42 semester hours of junior- and senior-level courses;
  • completed at least 30 semester hours of courses in the IDS program;
  • submitted a transient permission form, approved by the IDS director, prior to leaving USC Upstate to enter the professional, postgraduate school; and
  • submitted official documents from the approved professional school demonstrating satisfactory completion of the first year of full-time study leading to a post-baccalaureate degree.

A degree other than interdisciplinary studies may be awarded if the combination of course work taken at USC Upstate and the professional school is equivalent to the work required for another bachelor’s degree program at USC Upstate. In such a case, the school in which the degree is offered may recommend awarding that bachelor’s degree.

Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)

Participation in ROTC is voluntary. Semester hours earned with the department can be applied toward an academic degree program. Uniforms, textbooks and equipment required for the ROTC program are provided at no expense to the student. For ROTC scholarship students, the Army pays tuition and other expenses (see description under "Scholarships"). The ROTC program is normally four years of instruction; however, a two-year program is also offered. The four-year program of instruction is divided into the Basic Program and the Advanced Program.

The Basic Program. Acceptance may be considered when one of the following programs have been completed: six semester hours in the Basic Program, two years of active military duty with an honorable discharge, or three years of JROTC. Students must show leadership potential and meet the necessary physical and academic standards. Students participating in the Basic Program have no military service obligation.

The Advanced Program. Satisfactory completion of six semester hours in the Basic Program, substitute military experience (two years of active duty with an honorable discharge), or three years of JROTC qualifies students for entrance into the Advanced Program, if they have also shown leadership potential and have met the necessary physical and academic standards. The student must be an academic junior or senior with acceptance to graduate school to qualify for the advanced program.

Normally taken during the student’s junior and senior years, the Advanced Program offers a maximum of 12 semester hours. It provides instruction in techniques of effective leadership, tactics, military law, logistics, administration, responsibility of the officer, and the exercise of command. It is designed to further the development of the student’s leadership qualities. Advanced Program students receive a tax-free subsistence allowance of $150 per month for 10 academic months per year, and are paid approximately $800 for the five-week summer camp they are required to attend after completion of their junior year. The total subsistence and pay amounts to more than $3,000 while enrolled in the Advanced Program. Cadets graduating from the ROTC program receive a second lieutenant’s commission upon completing their undergraduate degree requirements.

The Advanced Program cadet may elect to enter active duty for three years or participate in the Reserve Force Duty Program (R.F.D.) as means for fulfilling the incurred obligation for military service. Under the R.F.D. program, students are commissioned in either the National Guard or the U.S. Army Reserves for a total of eight years, during which time they attend monthly paid drill periods. This enables individuals to pursue civilian careers and serve their nation at the same time. The R.F.D. program can be guaranteed if the student desires. Moreover, students’ preferences concerning the occupational specialty in which they wish to serve are taken into consideration prior to assignment. The options offered are numerous and attractive.

ROTC Activities.  In addition to normal classroom instruction, the Military Science Department sponsors numerous extracurricular activities. These activities are designed to complement and reinforce classroom skills and techniques. Participation is voluntary and no academic credit is awarded. The activities presently offered are the rifle team, and the Rangers. A chapter of the National Military Honor Society of Scabbard and Blade is available for student participation. Adventure activities such as rappelling, orienteering, mountaineering and white water rafting are open for participation.