Many of our programs are designed for students seeking specific professional credentials or new areas of educator certification. The Ed.S. is not an initial teacher certification program. Students seeking their first teacher certification should consider one of our M.A.T. or M.T. degrees. Below are the various credentials and certifications associated with the Ed.S. degree programs:

• The Counselor Education program concentrations provide the content and practicum hours to become licensed in School Counseling; Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling, or Clinical Mental Health

• The Education Administration program leads to Superintendent certification after program completion and passing the national exam.

We believe that every student wants to be successful, but circumstances can make achieving success difficult sometimes. We will offer a few tips to help your time at USC be productive and positive.

• Use (and check) your USC email account frequently (at least once daily). Communications from the Bursar, Registrar, and your graduate staff advisor will be sent to your USC email account. Do not miss an important message (like applying to graduate) because you did not check your email. Do not forward this account to another account. Emails often go to your junk or spam folder if they are forwarded.

• Communicate often and clearly. We love to talk with students on the phone, but we have found that email communications allow us the ability to clearly communicate whether it is a policy being discussed or next steps that are required in a process.

• Ask questions of your graduate staff advisor and faculty advisor if you are unsure of next steps, have difficulty in your program, or think you need to take a break from courses for a while. We want you to be successful and earn the degree you want, and we know that success looks different for everyone.

USC publishes the academic calendar online. Important dates such as start dates, holidays, and scheduled breaks can be found on the academic calendar. There are instructions for applying to graduate with important  deadline information there, too.

Each state has its own education board and sets its own certification requirements. Students seeking certification in other states should contact the appropriate office in that state to determine requirements. Even with fully accredited programs that are South Carolina State approved programs for certification, we cannot confirm that those programs meet the requirements for certification in another state. For more information visit the USC Office of the Provost’s Professional Licensure Information website. The USC College of Education Certification Officer can assist students with certification processes and answer questions. The Certification Officer is located in Gamecock EdQuarters in Wardlaw College, room 113 and can be reached at 803- 777-6732.

Anthology Portfolio is a data collection tool used by the College of Education to ensure the delivery of quality academic programming, make modifications to programs and courses, maintain assessment and accreditation expectations, and to help students build portfolios of their accomplishments within their programs. Anthology Portfolio is required of all students in the College of Education and is distributed by the Office of Assessment and Accreditation.

In addition to regular university tuition and fees, students will be responsible for fees as follows:

• College of Education program fees: https://www.sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/bursar/tuition_and_required_fees/department_fees/index.php 

• Praxis certification exams which require registration fees as set by ETS, if applicable

• All other appropriate fees as outlined by the University Bursar

The Graduate School has requirements for progression, and each college or school can identify additional progression requirements. The College of Education has specific progression requirements that are documented in the Bulletin.

Students in all Ed.S. programs are assigned a graduate staff advisor and a faculty advisor. These advisors work together to ensure that students receive information about courses and progression information. Faculty advisors have several responsibilities such as teaching, conducting research, and writing. Graduate staff advisors assist students by answering questions about University processes, providing course registration information, and being a liaison with the faculty.

Faculty advisors are critical to students’ success in their programs. Faculty advisors are assigned by each program. While course information is communicated by the graduate staff advisors, the faculty program advisors are a critical step in the process since they are knowledgeable about the course rotation that the graduate staff advisors use.

Graduate staff advisors are College of Education staff housed in the Gamecock EdQuarters office. They are responsible for communicating with all newly admitted students regarding steps leading to registration and with all students regarding course registration for an upcoming semester. The graduate staff advisors work closely with faculty program coordinators and advisors to ensure that students have access to important information about program and university policies. If students need to step out of a program due to health or family concerns, the graduate staff advisor assists with required documentation.

Each student is required to have a program of study. The DegreeWorks audit system shows the courses that you need to take in your program. Your graduate faculty advisor will work with you to identify elective courses if applicable to your program. If you have taken previous graduate course work that is not part of a completed degree, you should talk with your graduate faculty and staff advisors about possible transfer of courses. There is a process for the approval of transfer courses. Your graduate staff advisor will ensure that your DegreeWorks audit is updated after you and your faculty advisor have finalized the courses.

Each program determines if transfer courses can be considered. Only courses that are not part of a completed degree can be considered, and courses must be relevant to the current program to be considered. The Graduate School has specific guidelines regarding transfer courses. The policy can be found on the Certificate of Graduate Study and Requirements page on the Bulletin.

Course loads vary depending on the program. Online accelerated programs are typically designed for students to take 6 credit hours a semester.

Graduate students may be enrolled in an Educational Specialist’s degree and a Certificate of Graduate Study program or an Educational Specialist’s degree and a Doctoral degree (concurrent enrollment) at the same time.  Completion of two programs concurrently is subject to guidelines and formal declaration through the completion of certain forms. You may submit a request for  concurrent enrollment in the same discipline or for concurrent enrollment in different disciplines.

Before completion of any forms, discuss concurrent or dual enrollment with your faculty and graduate staff advisor.

The College of Education Educational Specialist’s programs require comprehensive exams at a specified time in each program. Successful completion of the comprehensive exam indicates that students have learned, retain, and can practically use the content they have learned in their program, i.e., they have mastered the content. Comprehensive exams are typically administered near the end of the degree program and must be taken while you are enrolled in coursework. Comprehensive exams expire 5 years after the pass date and must be revalidated in order to be in-date for graduation. Students must be enrolled for at least 1 credit hour during the term of graduation.

When you receive the registration email from your graduate staff advisor each semester, it will have the courses listed or will contain the course rotation for you to select the next courses to take based on your program of study. Students register in the Spring for the upcoming Summer (if needed) and Fall courses and in the Fall for their Spring courses. You can access your DegreeWorks audit and student plan, and your graduate staff advisor will assist you if you have questions.

In order to view your registration time each semester, log in to Self Service Carolina and select the Student tile. Select the Registration tile, then select Registration Status. You should see any holds that may prevent registration, as well as the date and time that you will be able to register. Registration time tickets are not always available for viewing, but they are usually available by the midpoint of each semester.

 

All fully online programs use Blackboard to deliver course content. On-campus programs may use Blackboard in their courses, too. To access Blackboard, go to https://my.sc.edu/ .

• Find the Blackboard link on the left and select the Columbia campus in the dropdown options. Log in using your Network Username and Password. This is not your VIP ID. Your network username is a combination of letters from your first and last name. It is usually the portion of your name that is before the @ symbol in your USC email address. If you do not know your network username, go to https://my.sc.edu/ and click on “View my IDs” under the Personal section.

• When you are logged into Blackboard, you will see the courses in which you are enrolled.

• Use the left side of the screen to navigate to different introductory and course material.

• Books and/or materials required are in the syllabus.

Circumstances may require you to withdraw or not enroll in a Fall or Spring semester. (Summer attendance is not required in all programs. If your program requires summer enrollment to stay on track for faster program completion, not enrolling in a summer term may affect your graduation date.) Typically, taking a break in study does affect your planned graduation date and may render transfer courses out of date.

We know that unplanned events happen and we can assist you by providing the options if a major life event creates a need for you to take a break for a semester or withdraw from classes if the semester is already underway. Contact your graduate staff advisor if you need to investigate taking a break in study.

The College of Education has an academic petitions and appeals process for students who are requesting an exception to academic policy. Contact your graduate advisor for more information.

In order to successfully complete a program and graduate, you must complete each of the following:

• Complete all required course work with an appropriate grade (including no more than 12 hours below B)
• Have a DegreeWorks audit showing all requirements met
• Be enrolled in at least 1 credit hour
• Meet all GPA requirements
• Pass comprehensive exams
• Apply for graduation

 

While not required for graduation, completion of the College of Education exit survey provides important information for improving our services and program offerings for students.