USC Upstate and its partner, the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind, will provide rigorous, comprehensive training and supervised fieldwork that will equip teacher candidates in meeting the diverse needs of students with visual impairment aged 3-21. Field experiences begin the first semester of the program and continue throughout the program. Students will have two seven-week field placements: one placement in a special education resource or residential setting, the other placement as an itinerant teacher serving students on multiple campuses.
Required Courses
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| EDPS U715 | Advanced Perspectives on Educating Individuals with Disabilities | 3 |
| EDLC U720 | Foundations of Literacy | 3 |
| EDLC U721V | Instructional Strategies for Reading in Grades PK-5: Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments | 3 |
| EDTE U726 | Standards-Based Assessment for PK-12 | 3 |
| EDVI U610 | Nature and Needs of Learners with Visual Impairment | 3 |
| EDVI U650 | Anatomy, Physiology, and Disorders of the Visual System | 3 |
| EDVI U675 | Functional Low Vision Assessment and Intervention | 3 |
| EDVI U705 | Literary Braille Code | 3 |
| EDVI U706 | Advanced Braille | 3 |
| EDVI U712 | Assistive and Instructional Technology for Learners with Visual Impairment | 3 |
| EDVI U717 | Orientation and Mobility for Learners with Visual Impairment | 3 |
| EDVI U724 | Visual Impairment and Multiple Disabilities | 3 |
| EDVI U730 | Assessment and Educational Methods for Learners with Visual Impairment | 3 |
| EDVI U734 | Student Teaching in Visual Impairment Education | 6 |
| Total Hours | 45 |
Admission Standards for Degree Seeking Students
Individuals seeking admission to USC Upstate as a degree candidate will be considered for full admission when the USC Upstate Admissions Office receives all admissions materials. A baccalaureate or higher degree from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting agency is required. All graduate admission decisions are made by the individual academic units where the program resides.
Applicants whose educational preparation is equivalent to that represented by a baccalaureate degree and who have sufficient preparation to undertake advanced study may be admitted after review of their application materials, including appropriate test scores, recommendations, and transcripts.
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 achieving a minimum GPA of 3.25 on the initial 12 hours of USC Upstate graduate program course work;
- need to satisfy any other valid conditions that the committee sets before full admission can be recommended
Application Requirements for Master of Arts in Teaching
- Application, application fee, residency form with all requested information and supporting documents.
- Transcripts: Individuals seeking admission must provide official transcripts showing all post-secondary 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 USC Upstate or delivered in a sealed envelope bearing a registrar's stamp.
- Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation using forms provided in the application packet.
- Documentation of a passing score on all three sections of the state-adopted entrance examination Praxis Core. This requirement may be waived for candidates who meet SC minimum scores. Contact the College of Education, Human Performance, and Health for more details.
- Official Test Scores: The GRE/MAT requirement for entry into the graduate program is waived for students who enter the program with an overall Grade Point Average of 3.0 as a undergraduate. If students enter the program having earned an overall Grade Point Average less than a 3.0, students must submit scores for either the Miller Analogies Test or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is acceptable. Note: GRE and MAT scores are valid for five years.
- Personal Statement: Applicants are required to submit a 1-2 page personal statement that describes their academic and/or other interests.
- Proof of immunization for measles (rubeola) and German measles (rubella) if born after Dec. 31, 1956.
Applicants Not Seeking a Degree
Students wishing to enroll in either program courses or professional development courses but who do not wish to pursue a graduate degree at USC Upstate must submit the following admission materials:
- Application for Non-Degree Seeking Graduate Students (available at www.uscupstate.edu)
- Residency form with all requested information and supporting documents
- $10 application fee
- Proof of immunization for measles (rubeola) and German measles (rubella) if born after Dec. 31, 1956.
Students admitted as non-degree students may take up to 18 hours of graduate work. In order to enroll in more than 18 hours as a non-degree student, the applicant must complete another non-degree application form, a state residency status form, and submit a copy of a teaching credential.
