Academic Programs
Academic Programs
Master of Education Degree in Educational Technology
The Master of Education Degree in Educational Technology is designed to provide advanced professional studies in graduate level course work to develop capabilities essential to the effective design, evaluation, and delivery of technology-based instruction and training (e.g., software development, multimedia development, assistive technology modifications, web-based development, and distance learning). For more information, see page 149.
Master of Education Degree in Elementary Education
The Master of Education Degree in Elementary Education is designed to provide advanced professional studies in graduate level course work for persons who currently hold teacher certification and who are committed to excellence in elementary education. For more information, see page 144.
Master of Science Degree in Applied Clinical Psychology
The Master of Science Degree in Applied Clinical Psychology provides graduate study and clinical experience in preparation for careers in applied clinical and counseling settings and as a foundation for students interested in pursuing doctoral studies. Students enrolled in this program are expected to pursue a plan of study to assure increased professional competence and breadth of knowledge in the field of clinical and counseling psychology. For more information, see page 152.
Curricula
1. Proficiency Portfolio in Writing
The curricula established for all baccalaureate degrees include, generally,
a set of courses that fulfill the general education requirements, a set of
courses that comprise a departmental major, a set of courses that comprise a
cognate and several hours of free elective courses. See page 31 for General
Education Requirements. Major, cognate, and elective courses are described under
each individual degree program.
The Rising Junior Proficiency Portfolio in Writing serves a twofold purpose:
1. to certify each student’s writing proficiency within the context of general education assessment, and
2. to make all students aware of the necessity for developing and transferring their writing skills beyond the composition sequence.
To these ends, each student must submit a writing proficiency portfolio as soon as possible after the completion of sixty credit hours. Transfer students who have reached the sixty-hour level through the accumulation of course credit at other institutions are given up to thirty hours in residency at USCA to build their portfolios (policy effective: Fall 1996).
Students are encouraged to visit the USCA Writing Room regularly during their first sixty hours to work on their academic writing. Any questions concerning this process should be addressed to either the Director of Writing Assessment or the Director of the Writing Room.
For this year’s schedule of submission deadlines, please consult the USCA Undergraduate Calendar.
All students are encouraged to work with their academic advisors. Advisors are encouraged to provide warning notices to students who miss designated credit-hour stipulations. Failure to submit can place a student’s anticipated graduation in jeopardy.
The Rising Junior Proficiency Portfolio in Writing is designed to allow students seeking a baccalaureate degree from USCA an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to apply the skills and competencies they began to develop in the composition sequence to university writing contexts beyond that level. It will consist of three course-related papers selected by the student as examples of his/her best writing and one reflective essay annotating the various reasons for his/her selections. The three course-assigned papers must include researched writing. Essays, extended essay exam answers, journals assigned for class, or other appropriate written assignments may be used. No more than one of these may come from the composition sequence. Since the portfolio is designed to show the range of a student’s writing, the student is encouraged to select work from a variety of courses. Papers produced through group work are discouraged in this portfolio review. Each selection must be identified by course title, semester taken, and instructor’s name. All of these three papers may be rewritten to demonstrate the student’s current writing proficiency, for a paper deemed satisfactory at the freshman level may not adequately demonstrate proficiency at the rising-junior level. When a paper is rewritten, it must be accompanied by a copy of the original class paper and the course information listed above. The reflective essay will serve as a cover essay for the portfolio and should discuss the reasons the student selected each paper.
While papers from USCA classwork are preferred, transfer students may submit papers from other academic settings if the student is within the final 30 hours of coursework for a degree.
Those students who have demonstrated competency in university-level writing will be certified as having satisfied USC Aiken’s expectations concerning writing proficiency within the context of general education requirements. Students who demonstrate exceptional competency will be recognized as meritorious. Those students whose portfolios do not meet expectations will be advised to appeal or to enroll in and pass English (AEGL) 201: Writing in the University.
2. Major Requirements
3. Cognates
4. Minor
5. Electives
A student must successfully complete at least one hundred and twenty semester credit hours with a minimum GPA of 2.0 to earn a baccalaureate degree. General education requirements are a component of all majors.
The chart on page 49 provides a comprehensive listing of fields available as academic majors at USCA. The programs are arranged by disciplinary area rather than by college, school, or department.
The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) program is structured in part to meet an individual student’s specific academic and career goals. It is designed for those students whose educational objectives are better served by a flexible interdisciplinary program of study rather than by a traditional single-discipline major.
The goals of the BIS program are to offer students:
• a broad-based foundation in the liberal arts and sciences with which to anchor additional study in specifically chosen academic fields or disciplines;
• in-depth study in a pairing or combination of academic areas or disciplines that reflect the student’s educational and/or career goals;
• the opportunity to discover and/or develop a substantive understanding of the connections between/among those disciplines and areas of study; and
• an opportunity to articulate the strengths, connections, and applications discovered during the student’s course of study for the degree.
USCA offers a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. Students in the BIS program typically select two academic disciplines for concentrated study instead of majoring in one discipline. Students may select only those disciplines in which USCA offers upper-level courses. Numerous combinations of concentrations are possible. Some examples are studio art and biology; communications and management; computer science and accounting; English and history; sociology and public administration; political science and psychology; philosophy and art history; and engineering and management. Some concentrations also offer several options, such as political science or public administration; performance theater or design/technical theater; and English-literature or English-writing. In addition, several larger interdisciplinary concentrations, such as International Studies, are available.
Admission into the BIS program is by application only. (This is in addition to the application for admission to the University.) Normally a student will not be admitted until he/she is a sophomore. Application should be made at least two weeks before the beginning of the semester in which the student plans to enter the program. The application procedure includes meeting with the BIS Director, completing a statement of educational and career goals, and the selecting of two academic concentrations. At least 30 credit hours of study must be completed under the supervision of an advisory committee established for each BIS student.
Each BIS major must have a completed portfolio on file with the BIS Director before the BA or BS degree is granted. This portfolio will consist of papers written for selected courses in the student’s concentrations, with both concentrations represented. Portfolios will be used for an ongoing process of program assessment. (BIS majors should see the BIS Director for details.)
Students who have taken course work at another college should consult the section on Transfer Admission in this bulletin for more information on the courses that are normally transferable to USCA.
For information on the BIS program, students should contact the BIS Director, Dr. Karl Stenger, in H&SS D-2.
BIS Degree Requirements
1. General Education Requirements.............................
53-55
The student
must complete the USCA general education requirements.
2. Interdisciplinary Studies
Program Requirements..... 30-60
Based upon each
student’s educational and career goals, the members of the student’s advisory
committee decide
on the courses
that will be required in the two concentrations. Due to the individual
nature of each program of study,
the required
number of hours varies. However, a minimum of 15 hours is required within
each concentration, and 30
hours are the
maximum that can be required in one concentration. A 2.0 grade average within
each concentration is also required for graduation as specified by the student’s
program of study.
3. Electives........................................................................
6-36
The number of
elective hours available varies considerably, depending on the
hours required in the two concentrations.
4. Portfolio on file with
BIS Director
Total hours required ................................................................120
The Office of International Programs coordinates programs and services that promote international awareness among students and faculty, and addresses contributions and concerns of international students.
The Office provides information to students on study abroad, work abroad and volunteer abroad opportunities. It is the goal of the Office of International Studies to work closely with faculty and staff on developing new study abroad programs for students and to assist faculty with research/teaching projects abroad.
The Office of International Programs provides services to international students on campus. Services include providing information to prospective international students, assisting international students with academic and social issues, and advising on immigration regulations. We work closely with student and community organizations to insure that international students are well-adjusted and successful on campus.
The USCA Office of International Programs has as its mission the provision of a global perspective by advancing knowledge and appreciation of the broader world and its cultures. This is accomplished by bringing the world to USCA via campus lectures, panel discussions, other cultural events, and through internationalizing the curriculum when appropriate.
The Office of International Programs is located in H&SS Room 101A.
The Evening Program Office provides evening students and faculty at USC Aiken with services required for instruction after normal office hours. The office also informs the Academic Council about evening course activities and advises the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs on issues related to the USCA Evening Program.
The Evening Program serves students who seek a baccalaureate education by attending the University after 4:30 p.m. The University offers evening classes within the general education framework leading to degrees in Business, Industrial Mathematics, English, Sociology, Nursing and Interdisciplinary Studies. Evening students may not be able to complete all requirements for degrees in four years. A special office for evening students is located in the Humanities and Social Sciences Building, Room 101, which is open during class days on Mondays through Thursdays until 7:30 p.m. Services are provided in the evening by the USCA Bookstore, Registrar’s Office, Food Services and others. For information on the evening program and course offerings, contact the Evening Program at 641-3604, or visit Humanities and Social Sciences Building, Room 101, during the hours of operation.
Distance Education includes education delivered live via an audio/video connection or education delivered asynchronously via video tape. Web-based distance education includes education delivered via the Internet.
Distance education should not be thought of as merely the addition of new technology to instruction, but also as the means to improve and examine new approaches to instruction. Moreover, distance education offers not only the opportunity to provide quality instruction to those at a distance from the campus, but also a means to improve instructional opportunities for students on campus.
Distance education extends the reach of the campus to the work force by offering college level courses and enhances existing off-campus programs in Sumter, Allendale and Walterboro.
Only catalog courses taught by full-time faculty are offered via distance education.
The University of South Carolina Aiken subscribes to the principles of good practice for electronically offered academic degree and certificate programs developed by the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications (WICHE). The factors for assessment of quality that are included in the WICHE documents are:
• conformance to standards of all courses/programs offered by the college or university;
• assessment of learners (outcomes, competency of graduates);
• specific goals with clear requirements for courses/ programs;
• selection of media on basis of needs and capability;
• quantity and quality of interaction with other students and instructor;
• support services (facilitator, technology, library services, advising, instructor availability).
Only one associate degree is offered on this campus, the Associate in Science in Technical Nursing Degree (ADN). The Associate Degree in Nursing major is in the process of being phased out and is no longer admitting students to this major. Currently enrolled students with this major seeking admission to the Clinical Nursing Courses for spring semester 2004 must apply by October 1, 2003, to begin spring 2004. This will be the last cohort of students admitted to the Associate Degree in Nursing Clinical Nursing Course sequence.
Certificate Program in Writing
This post-baccalaureate, completion certificate program is designed for students who have already earned a college degree but are seeking coursework in writing for work-related purposes or for personal growth and satisfaction. Individuals wishing a Certificate in Writing from USCA must complete 15 hours of course work in writing of which at least three must be in theory. Entry requirements: interview with and portfolio to program director.
The Extended Graduate Campus Office serves the greater University community by offering a variety of courses for graduate credit. These programs are designed to meet the needs of traditional and non traditional students, business professionals, and the community at large.
Through the Extended Graduate Campus, credits toward graduate degrees in Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Journalism, Library and Information Science, Nursing, Public Health, and Social Work may be earned on the Aiken campus. Course work meeting other graduate degree requirements may also be earned.
Utilizing the entire range of educational technology, from live instruction to television and video taped course work, the residents of this region are able to take advantage of the resources of a much larger university without leaving the area. Students interested in additional information concerning graduate programs should contact the Office of Graduate Studies in the Penland Administration Building, Room 101A.
The Professional Master of Business Administration Program is designed to provide, in a schedule suited to the working professional, all the course work required to complete the MBA degree. Most classes are broadcast over a closed-circuit viewing system to the Aiken campus. On-site communication facilities allow two-way voice contact between student and professor during class. Approximately three Saturday sessions in Columbia each semester provide students opportunity for direct interaction with their professors.
The Office of Continuing Education supports USC Aiken’s mission of serving the public by making available it’s resources to the community at large. The Continuing Education Department serves a wide variety of external and internal audiences in a cost effective and customer service oriented manner with a shared commitment to excellence.
Continuing Education offers a wide variety of programs: conferences, lectures, workshops, teleconferences, and non-credit short courses. Courses are primarily designed for those individuals who wish to acquire new skills or upgrade their current skills. Businesses may contract with Continuing Education to provide custom designed training programs. Summer programs are designed for children and youth to challenge their bodies and minds. An educational travel program is offered for those who wish to expand their horizons. The Academy for Lifelong Learning offers an educational outlet for those mature persons who look forward to a full life as they grow older. The SeniorNet program offers computer training courses including Introduction to Computers to Geneology for those 50 years of age or older. For more information concerning course offerings and activities, contact the Office of Continuing Education in the Business and Education Building, Office 100.
A Distance Education Program offers classes for undergraduate and graduate credit. The course work is designed to meet educational needs of adults with busy professional and personal schedules. Students may study at home using the web, VHS videocassettes and audiocassettes or by viewing local South Carolina Educational Television broadcasts. As an ITFS (Instructional Television Fixed Service) site, classes held in other locations are viewed on the Aiken campus.
Students who are interested in pre-legal education may enroll in one of several bachelor’s degree programs at USCA. For pre-law advisement and for information on preparing for the Law School Admissions Test, students should contact Dr. Carol Botsch, in H&SS C-5.
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