Graduation
Requirements and Procedures
Applicants for graduation are urged to confer with the appropriate chair or dean about their major program and degree requirements before the beginning of their last semester of residence at USC Upstate.
Academic Residency Requirements. The last 25 percent of the semester hours of the degree program must be completed in residence at the University. In residence means that students are regularly enrolled in the University, are members of a class which is supervised by a faculty member of USC Upstate, and in other ways conform to the requirements that are normally connoted by the term in residence. In residence requirements may not be met by courses for which credit is earned by exemption or examination or courses for which transfer credit was awarded. Students who have not established credit for the prescribed number of hours in residency are not eligible for graduation.
Residency Requirements in the Major. To receive a degree, students must complete at least 12 semester hours of major course credit at USC Upstate or at other campuses in the USC system.
Degree Applications. Candidates for degrees must complete applications online prior to the last academic term before graduation with the Records Office. Applications must be filed according to the deadlines published. In order to graduate for the term applied for, all academic work, including transfer credit, exemption exams and make up of incompletes, must be received in the Records Office prior to the end of the semester. Students who have applied for graduation but did not meet degree requirements must re-apply for a subsequent term.
| Semester Graduating | Applications | Applications due in Records Office; last day to apply | Ceremony |
|---|---|---|---|
| May (walk in May)1 | December 15 | February 15 | May |
| August (walk in May)2 | May 15 | June 15 | May |
| December (walk in December)3 | August 15 | September 30 | December |
- 1
All course work completed by the end of the spring semester.
- 2
All course work completed by the end of Summer session E.
- 3
All course work completed by the end of fall semester.
Graduation Requirements. Students submit to their dean a list of courses meeting all regulations and requirements of their school and major department which they claim for graduation and for which their overall GPA and their GPA on USC system course work is at least 2.0. This list, after verification, forms the basis for the dean’s approval or rejection of students’ applications for graduation. (This list contains only the courses in which students have performed at or above the required level. The list need not contain all courses attempted or passed, but only those which students wish to submit in fulfillment of graduation requirements.) Students who have been granted academic forgiveness must have an overall GPA of at least 2.0 since returning to USC Upstate. A minimum grade of C is required for any course submitted for fulfillment of general or intensive major requirements in most degree programs. Exceptions to this requirement are noted in the description of each academic program. The USC system does not grant degrees retroactively. Therefore, all academic requirements, including the making up of incompletes or posting of transient credit, must be on the academic record prior to the end of the term in which the student is attempting to graduate.
Second Undergraduate Degree
At times the University confers a second undergraduate degree upon candidates who have completed all requirements for the desired degree. A second degree is awarded provided that the additional requirements for the second degree include a minimum of 18 semester hours beyond those required for the first degree. Students may pursue both degrees simultaneously. A separate application is required for each USC Upstate degree.
Second Major
In some degree programs, a student may elect a second major. If students pursue two majors from within the same bachelor degree program (BA, BS, BSBA, BAS), they must satisfy the requirements for both majors. The coursework includes the upper division courses unique to each major, supporting coursework, and any pre-requisites. It does not include coursework completed as a cognate, minor, and or elective option. The cognate and/or minor requirement is replaced by the requirements of the second major.
- The student must meet admission and progression requirements for the second major.
- All general education and special departmental requirements normally associated with the second major must be fulfilled.
- In cases where the first major and the second major require the same class(es), students apply them to satisfy the requirements of both majors.
Students must seek approval from both deans for a second major. Students interested in other combinations of programs with different degrees may pursue dual degrees.
Transcripts
A transcript of students’ records carries the following information: current status, a detailed statement of the scholastic record showing courses pursued with semester hours carried, semester hours earned, grades, grade points, and system of grading. A permanent record of all failures, incomplete grades and penalties such as probation, suspension or other restrictions are also indicated. The transcript also contains references to other colleges or universities attended and the total credits accepted by USC Upstate. No partial record is issued.
All requests for transcripts must be written. Students needing a copy of their transcript or a certified copy of the end-of-semester grade report must request their transcripts through Self Service. All official transcripts are processed through USC Columbia. Transcript costs are $12.00 for each copy. No transcript is issued to students who are indebted to the University.
With the exception of copies made for internal University use, no copy of a student’s records is released anywhere (including the state department of education) without the student’s written consent, unless required by law or court order.