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 must be in good standing and have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher if they have completed 30 semester hours of credit or less or a GPA of 2.25 if they have more than 30 semester hours.
A student who wishes to enter the College of Education from a regionally accredited college or university outside of the USC or State 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 grade of 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 be 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 Studies Bulletin entitled "Academic Standing." http://www.sc.edu/bulletin/ugrad/acadregs.html
Students must achieve a grade of B or better in EDEL 505, EDEL 505P, EDEL 441, and EDRD 430. In addition, students must achieve a grade of C or better in all other Education courses (those with prefixes EDEL, EDTE, EDFN, EDPY, EDRM, EDEX, and EDRD).
A grade of C or better must also be achieved in the following: UNIV101, ENGL101, ENGL 102, SLIS 220, MATH 221, MATH 222, ENGL 431 or SLIS 325, PEDU 575, ARTE 520 or 530 or MUED 454. Likewise, a grade of C or better is required in 2 out of the 3 required science courses and 3 out of the 4 required social studies courses.
Regardless of individual course grades, a collegiate summary GPA of 2.5 must be achieved in all courses and a 3.0 GPA in all education courses.
Admission to the Professional Program
Upon completion of 60 semester hours of course work including courses specified by the Program Area, the candidate may apply for admission to the Professional Program in Elementary Education. Applications for admission to the Professional Program are available from the Office of Student Affairs web site at http://www.ed.sc.edu/SA/docs/UPPEM_Elem.pdf. (Note: Admission to the Professional Program is granted by the Dean of the College of Education and constitutes the first "Midpoint" review in the Elementary Program Assessment System.)
For admission to the Professional Program the candidate must:
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: 777-2782). Information about all Praxis exams, including the "Test at a Glance," is available online at www.ets.org/praxis/prxsc.html. Students should pass all three sections of the Praxis I on or before May 1st of the sophomore year. Please note, no student will be pwemitted to enter the junior spring block of courses (EDEL 440 or 450 or 460, 441, and EDRD 430) without official passing scores being on record with the College of Education by December 1st of the semester prior to entry into the junior spring block. 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. Achieve a collegiate summary GPA of 2.5 or higher.
3. Achieve a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and no grade lower than a C in education courses and field experiences.
4. Complete with a grade of B or better EDEL 505 and 505P, and a grade of C or better ENGL 101, ENGL 102, MATH 221, EDTE 201, SLIS 220, EDFN 300, EDTE 400, EDPY 401, EDPY 401P, and UNIV 101. Also complete with a grade of C or better 2 out of the 3 required science courses and 3 out of the 4 required social studies courses.
5. Successfully complete the criminal background check that is required by the College of Education.
6. Provide a written recommendation for admission from an instructor in education.
7. Provide a written 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 professionalism and character.
8. Submit an admission essay addressing the dispositions (Stewardship, Intellectual Spirit, Integrity, and Justice) of the College of Education Conceptual Framework. http://www.ed.sc.edu/ncate/student.htm (To be completed while enrolled in EDEL 505).
Admission to the Internship Phases of the Program
Applications for admission to the Internship are available from the Office of Student Affairs web site at http://www.ed.sc.edu/SA/docs/Ugrad%20Elementary%20Internship%20App%20_2008_.pdf.
Admission to the Internship occurs in two phases. For the initial admission into the Internship, a student must have:
1. Been admitted to the Professional Program.
2. Completed EDEL 505, 505p, 441, and EDRD 430, with a grade of B or higher.
3. Achieved a GPA of 3.0 or higher in all education course work.
4. Achieved a grade of C or higher in all major course work as specified by the program area.
5. Successfully completed the health screening and the criminal background check that is required for South Carolina Teacher Certification.
In addition to the above, for admission into Internship II (EDTE 590 A, B, C) a GPA of 3.0 or higher in EDEL 570, EDEL 440, 450, 460, 506, 571 is required.
Your eligibility for Internship II is dependent on receiving a clear SLED and FBI background report from the South Carolina Department of Education. You must submit with this application an application for certification, completed fingerprint card and appropriate certification fee by the deadline or your Internship participation will be delayed.
Exit Requirements for the B.A. Degree in Elementary Education
1. Complete and submit 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 meet all of the requirements of the degree program.
Certification:
In the teacher preparation programs (B.A. in Elementary Education), the degree requirements and certification requirements are linked. Inasmuch as certification requirements are the responsibility of the State Board of Education, if state regulations change, degree requirements are also subject to change. All students seeking a recommendation for certification in elementary education 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 State 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.