Pre-Professional Options at USC Upstate
Most professional programs require or strongly recommend that you have a bachelor's degree at the time of entry into the professional program. Pre-Professional programs that require, or for which a Bachelor's degree is recommended, are:
Entry into professional schools and graduate programs is on a competitive basis. Other pre-professional tracks require that students complete 60+ credit hours of undergraduate credit (about two years of work at USC Upstate, followed by two or more years of professional study elsewhere). Completion of the professional program typically results in receiving either an undergraduate B.S. degree or a professional degree.
Pre-professional areas that require a minimum of 60+ credit hours of prerequisite coursework are:
Physician Assistant programs require that students complete a minimum of 90 credit hours of undergraduate credit (about 3 years of work at USC Upstate) before admission is possible into the professional program. Although the Physician Assistant programs may not require a B.S. degree for entrance, most students gaining entrance do complete a B.S. degree
Pre-Engineering
USC Upstate does not offer professional engineering degrees in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Computer, or Biomedical Engineering. The USC Upstate pre-engineering program is designed to meet entrance requirements of the USC College of Engineering in Columbia. The pre-engineering program at USC Upstate consists of approximately one year of basic science, mathematics, humanities, and social science courses. After completing foundational coursework, students must transfer to an engineering institution for completion of a baccalaureate degree. Timely degree completion requires students to enter the engineering program of their choice in their third semester (Fall of the Sophomore year). Entry to all engineering programs is on a competitive basis.
Pre-engineering majors who wish to transfer to the USC College of Engineering must have a cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.) of 2.75 or higher. All transfer students must complete at least one semester of calculus with a minimum grade of “C” prior to transfer.
Students interested in engineering programs other than the USC College of Engineering should consult that particular school's catalog for transfer and admissions requirements. Courses that are typically required for most programs include English, Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics.