Admission and Progression Requirements

Entrance Requirements                                                                                                    

New freshmen who meet University admissions standards are eligible for admission to degree programs offered by the College of Education. A student who wishes to enter the College of Education from another college on the Columbia campus or another USC campus must be in good standing and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher if they have completed less than 30 semester hours of credit, or a GPA of 2.25 if they have 30 semester hours or more.

A student who wishes to enter the College of Education from a regionally accredited college or university outside of the USC System must meet the above requirements and the applicable admission standards of the University which include a minimum grade point average of 2.25 (on a 4.00 scale) on all college‑level courses attempted. Students may not transfer any course that carries a gradeof less than C.

Progression Requirements                                                                                                  

To remain in a degree program offered by the College of Education, a student must make satisfactory academic progress toward the degree. A student who fails to make satisfactory progress may be placed on academic probation or removed from the college. In addition, all students in the college are subject to the regulations on probation, suspension, and readmission in the USC Undergraduate Bulletin entitled "Academic Standing."  Students must achieve a grade of C or better in all Education courses (those with prefixes EDTE, EDFN, EDPY, EDEX, EDML, EDRM and EDST.  In addition, a grade of C or better must also be achieved in UNIV 101.

Admission to the Professional Program                                                                          

Upon completion of 60 semester hours of course work and the completion of the 14 semester hour Education Core (UNIV 101, EDTE 201, EDFN 300, EDTE 400, EDPY 401, and EDPY 401P), the candidate may apply for admission to the Professional Education Program in Middle Level Education.  For admission to the Professional Program the candidate must have:

1.      successfully complete all three sections (reading, writing, and mathematics) of the Praxis I (PPST ro CPPST), which is administered on campus at The Testing Center (phone: 777-2780). Information about all Praxis exams, including the "Test at a Glance," is available online at www.ets.org/praxis/prxsc.html. Official scores on all three sections of the Praxis I must be submitted on or before December 1st of the semester prior to entry into the junior spring course EDTE 521.  Note:  Students who have achieved an 1100 or better on the combined Verbal/Math sections of the old two-part SAT (taken prior to March 2005), a combined score of 1650 or better on the new three-part SAT (taken after March 2005), or a 24 or better on the ACT are exempt from the Praxis I requirement.

2.      a GPA of 2.5 or higher

3.      a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the Education Core

4.      comply with criminal background check and health screenng requirements

5.      submit a letter of recommendation from an instructor in the Education Core attesting to the candidate's ability to make a positive contribution to the teaching profession

6.      submit a letter of recommendation from an educator outside the University of South Carolina who has worked with the candidate in a practicum setting attesting to the candidate's character and disposition.

7.      submit an essay addressing the National Middle School Association's initial teacher preparation dispositions

Admission to the Professional Program is granted by the Dean of the College of Education and constitutes the first ãMidpointä review in the Middle Level Program Assessment System.

Admission to Internship

For admission into EDML 598 Internship A in the Middle School, a candidate must:

1.      be admitted to the professional program;

2.      complete  EDTE 521;

3.      earn a crade of C or better in specific course work as required by the program area;

4.      achieve a GPA of 3.00 or higher in all education course work;

5.     comply with criminalbackground check and health screening requirements.

For admission into EDML 599 Internship B in the Middle School, a candidate must:

      1.   complete EDTE 522;

      2.   earn a crade of C or better in specific course work as required by the program area;

      3.   complete four of the six courses in each of the two content areas.

Exit Requirements for the B.A. or B.S. Degree in Middle Level Education

1.      Completed and submitted an application for graduation to the College of Education Office of Student Affairs early in the last semester of the senior year. Students should consult the official University calendar for the specific date that the application is due.

2.      Successfully met all of the B.A. or B.S. degree requirements in Middle Level Education

Certification: In the teacher preparation programs (B.A. or B.S. in Middle Level Education), the degree requirements and certification requirements are linked. Inasmuch as certification requirements are the responsibility of the South Carolina Board of Education, if state regulations change degree requirements are also subject to change. All students seeking a recommendation for certification must:

1.      successfully complete the requirements of the degree program;

2.      achieve test scores at or above the level established by the state on the program appropriate exams (Praxis II series)

3.      submit scores earned on the Praxis II to the Office of Student Affairs, College of Education, Wardlaw 113, USC and to the South Carolina Department of Education;

4.      submit to an FBI check for prior felony convictions;

5.      pay all certification fees as required.

6.      successfully complete ADEPT requirements with a positive recommendation for certification.