The University of South Carolina has been a haven for quality education since its formation in the year 1801. In the early years there used to be only one building and an overall student strength of nine, currently, the campus is on 359-acre land and has over 52,000 students. Even with the considerable student strength the student-to-faculty ratio stands at 17:1, which implies one faculty member for 17 students. It is a public research university and has the R1: Doctoral Universities with the Highest Research Activity classification. This article elaborates on the University of South Carolina admission process, courses, rankings, benefits, and more.
The exuberant buildings and environment provide a pleasant ambience to the university making it the opposite of a mundane routine. The university houses brilliant facilities such as libraries comprising the largest Ernest Hemingway collection along with other literature, the Energy Frontier Research Center, the Koger Center for the Arts, and the Carolina Coliseum.
Right from the University of South Carolina admission process till the very graduation day and even after, the university makes sure every student has a promising outcome. The university has tie-ups with top recruitment companies like ESPN, Amazon, Delloite, Ernst & Young etc. The university also maintains a good alumni network which is symbiotic to the alumnus and the university. The retention rate of the university is close to 88% while the graduation rate is around 77%.
The university has a strong athletics programme, with multiple national team championships and athletes bagging Olympic medals. This passion also runs in the university’s research activities when the institute was awarded $278.6 million in research funding in 2019. With a diverse student body and a commitment to fostering global citizenship and community engagement, USC strives to provide a challenging and enriching educational experience for all its students.
Admission Deadlines 2023
Fall and Spring semesters are the most popular and competitive intakes when it comes to the University of South Carolina admission season. There is a summer intake as well but it isn’t favoured by many since the number of courses open are few. The university has an early action admission where the student has an abundance of time in making a selection among universities and with a further deadline for the regular decision admission. The students must critically submit the application and the documents within the deadline date to avoid any late submissions.
The admission deadlines for the different intakes are mentioned in table –
| Intakes | Deadlines | Decision Released |
| Fall | January 1st | Mid-March |
| Spring | November 1st | Mid-December |
Eligibility Criteria For The University Of South Carolina Admission
Understanding the prerequisites for a course is important to be well-prepared when submitting the application. Generally undergraduate and graduate programmes have different sets of requirements and these may also vary based on the type of course/department. With the University of South Carolina admission process all documents are paramount and have to be submitted before deadlines. The university doesn’t necessarily use certain factors as the base for admission but is generally a mix of things.
Undergraduate Entry Requirements
- Completed application
- A non-refundable fee of $65
- Valid fee waiver (If applicable)
- Unofficial high school transcripts. (Average of 4.4 GPA)
- School report form (Sent by school counsellor)
- English Proficiency tests (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE)
- Standardized test scores (Minimum scores: ACT – 25 to 30, SAT – 560)
- Passport
- Financial documents
Graduate Entry Requirements
- Completed application
- Non-refundable application fee of $100
- Official transcripts of previous academic work (Minimum GPA of 3.8, varies per course)
- English proficiency test scores (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE)
- Standardized test scores (Minimum scores: GRE – 307, GMAT – 621, LSAT – 155)
- Two letters of recommendation for reputable sources
- Personal statement
- CV/Resume
- Proof of work experience
- Passport
English Proficiency Test Scores
Most of the universities/colleges in the USA require an English proficiency test to better assess a student’s communication skills in English, this is especially mandatory for students arriving from non-English speaking countries. As part of the University of South Carolina admission process, the student will have to provide official scores sheets of the tests. The student can either take the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE test in the respective countries. While most of the courses do require these test scores due diligence is also key to assure this.
Below are the cut-off scores for different English proficiency tests for graduates and undergraduates –
| English Proficiency Test | Minimum Test Scores | |
| Undergraduate | Graduate | |
| TOEFL iBT | 77 | 80 |
| IELTS | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| PTE | 53 | 53 |
Application Process
The University of South Carolina admission process is mostly done online through third-party websites or university portals.
Undergraduate Application Process:
- Students can either use the ‘Common Application’, ‘Coalition App’ or the University portal.
- Create a new account or use an existing account.
- Fill in the required details pertaining to personal, academic, grades, etc.
- Submit the application when complete.
Graduate Application Process:
- There are multiple different portals for various schools:
- Common application: General graduate school application
- Business school: Darla Moore School of Business Application
- Public health programmes: Arnold School of Public Health Special Application
- College of Engineering and Computing: Engineering CAS application
- Professional degrees: Doctor of Jurisprudence Application, Doctor of Medicine Application, Doctor of Pharmacy Application
- Create a new account or log in to the existing one.
- Fill in the required details accurately.
- Submit the application.
Courses Offered
The university has evolved over the years from being a single school offering very few courses to the current stature of over 350 courses. The University of South Carolina’s admission curriculum includes around 10 associate degrees, 120 undergraduate programmes, 180 graduate courses, and 60 doctoral programmes. The average tuition fee at the university is around $33,928 but individual fee breakup can be found on the university website. However, with the standard at which the university is kept, every penny invested would be worthwhile. Some of the popular courses offered by the university –
- Master of Social Work [M.S.W]
- Master of Science [M.S] Marine Science
- Master of Business Administration [M.B.A] International Master of Business Administration
- Master of Science [M.S] Sport and Entertainment Management
- Master of Arts [M.A] Psychology
- Bachelor of Arts [B.A] Anthropology
- Bachelor of Science [B.S] Biomedical Engineering
- Bachelor of Science [B.S] Geological Sciences
- Bachelor of Arts [B.A] Journalism and Mass Communication
- Ph.D in Chemistry
- Ph.D in Criminology and Criminal Justice
Some of the course rankings by THE and US News & World Report are mentioned in the table –
| Courses | 2023 | |
| US News & World Report | THE (Times Higher Education) | |
| Engineering | #61 (Chemical Engineering PG) | #301-400 (Engineering) |
| Science | NA | #501-600 (Life Sciences) |
| Humanities | NA | #501-600 (Arts & Humanities) |
| Medicine | #33 (Graduate Nursing) | #401-500 (Clinical and Health) |
| Business | #39 (UG Business) | #251-300 (PG Business and Economics) |
| Computers | #89 (Computer Engineering PG) | NA |
| Law | #84 (Graduate Law) | #176-200 (Law) |
University Admission Decision
Once the application for the University of South Carolina admission is submitted, the university declares the result within a month and a half. The student then has to confirm their decision to proceed with the admission process if agreed. The university commits to a holistic review system and considers a good mix of the student’s application and not just the grades. The first assessment is done by the department of the course selected and the final assessment is conducted by the graduate school. Most of the communication is done through email and hence the approval of admission will be emailed out.
The next step would be to acquire a student visa and the documents required for it are as follows –
- Obtain the I-20 or DS-2019 Certificate of eligibility.
- Submit passport
- Completed certificate of the eligibility request form
- Proof of financial sustainability for one academic year
- To Obtain a Visa (F-1 or J-1).
- Receipt of SEVIS fee
- Completed I-20 or DS-2019 forms
- Academic or personal documents
- Interview with the US embassy
FAQs
1) Is the University of South Carolina a good university for international students?
The university has top ranks in many publications and the diverse student population hail from over 100 different countries.
2) How long does the University of South Carolina admission process take?
The decisions are generally released within 4-5 weeks from the application deadlines.
3) Does the University of South Carolina offer scholarships?
There are numerous merit-based scholarships at the university along with financial aid to deserving students.
4) What is the minimum GPA required for University of South Carolina admission?
The average applicant that previously got admitted had a minimum GPA of 4.0. The university officially doesn’t have a minimum cut-off.
Thank you for reading this blog. If you’d like to read more, check out our other blogs of interest –
1 thought on “Top PGDM Courses In Canada: Universities, Specialisations & Eligibility”
I have done Bachelor’s in Culinary Arts from India and completed my graduation in the year 2022 .I am 22 years old. After graduation, I have done 1 year paid internship from USA .Now, I would like to take occupational experience and learn culinary skills and also do masters in Culinary arts.How can I find the college n best course / country where I can persue studying further