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To review the requirements for your major, consult your Program Bulletin or contact your assigned advisor. Visit the Career Center's Career Planning webpage for career ideas related to these majors.

Art

Biology

Business

Requirements for Business - Accounting

Requirements for Business - Finance

Requirements for Business - Management

Requirements for Business - Marketing

Chemistry and Pre-Pharmacy

Communication

Education

English

Requirements for the Writing Minors

Exercise and Sports Science

History and Political Science

Interdisciplinary Studies

Requirements for Interdisciplinary Studies

Math, Computer Science, and Engineering

Applied Computer Science (no concentration)

Nursing

Requirements for Nursing (Sample Program of Study)

Psychology

Sociology

Undeclared

Requirements for Gen Ed (undeclared)

Visual and Performing Arts

 

This information will be added soon.

As a commitment to maintain Academic Integrity and accept academic responsibility, the following statement should appear signed and dated by the student on all major examinations and assignments:

On my honor as a University of South Carolina Aiken student, I have completed my work according to the principle of Academic Integrity. I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid on this assignment/examination.

 

_________________________
Signature
_________________________
Date

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Log into SSC
  • Click the Student Menu
  • Select Student Profile Tile
  • In the middle of the screen, your advisor will be listed and you can click their name to send an email.
Contact the Office of Academic Advising at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 803-643-6742.
  • You can always email your academic advisor to set up a meeting throughout the semester!
  • During Advisement Months, which are March and October, your academic advisor may reach out to you to schedule a meeting to discuss classes for the upcoming semester. Some professors may opt to have a sign-up sheet outside of their office door.
Yes. All students must meet with their academic advisor before being able to register for classes. If you do not meet with your advisor, you will have a hold preventing you from registering.
  • You must be proactive. You may work with Career Services.
  • Review your grades.
  • Open DegreeWorks. Here, you can see what classes you have left to complete for your degree program. Sometimes there are multiple choices for you to choose from to fulfill the requirement. Reviewing your degree program requirements can help you make informed decisions about what classes you would be interested in taking for the semester.
  • Write down the courses you want to take and bring the list to your advising appointment.
  • Prepare any questions about the University, resources, etc. that you would like to discuss with your advisor and be prepared to discuss academic goals.
DegreeWorks is a great resource for keeping track of which classes you have completed and which you have left to complete your degree. You will also be able to track graduation requirements, such as ICE events, Writing Intensive, and Non-western requirements. You can also see your final grades, GPA, completed credit hours and elective courses you have completed. To access it, follow these steps:
  • Log into SSC
  • Click the Student Menu
  • Select Advisement Planning
  • Click Degree Works Audit and Planner
  • The Academic Bulletin
  • DegreeWorks (For information on finding DegreeWorks, see the FAQ about how to access DegreeWorks).
  • Departmental Major Maps
The Academic Bulletins are the official documents of record concerning academic programs and regulations. Each calendar year has a unique bulletin and there are different bulletins based on your particular course of study. Please speak to your academic advisor if you have questions about the Bulletin.
It is a good idea to look through classes before your advising appointment so you have an idea of what classes you would like to take. You can look at your DegreeWorks worksheet to determine your remaining course options.
  • Log into SSC
  • Click the Student Menu
  • Select Registration
  • Select Browse Classes
  • Choose the appropriate term
  • Campus: USC Aiken
  • Subject: The subject area such as History or Computer Science
  • Course number: make sure to put an “A” in front of the course number. Ex: A101 (Leave this area blank if you would like to see all course options in the subject category.)
  • Click Search
  • DegreeWorks (For information on finding DegreeWorks, see the FAQ about how to access DegreeWorks).
  • Once in DegreeWorks, look under your ID number and name. You will see three tabs.
  • Click the tab labeled Notes

Navigate

  • Download the Navigate Student app and sign in.
  • On the home screen, you can select the button that says My Docs.
  • Select Appointment Summaries and then click the link attached to your advisor's name. The appointment summary will appear!
Log into SSC
  • Click the Student menu
  • Select Registration tile
  • Select Register for Classes
  • Choose the appropriate term

 

From here, you have several options:

  • You can manually search for each class by entering the Campus (USC Aiken), the subject (Ex: Mathematics), course number (A108), and select open sections only.
  • You can search by the CRN number. It is a 5-digit number that is associated with a specific section of a class and can be found in the course description.
  • You can select the “Shopping Cart” option and add your classes from the selection you sent to your shopping cart. See the question below on how to navigate the shopping cart.
  • Log into SSC
  • Select the Student menu
  • Click on the “Registration” tile
  • Choose the “Schedule Planner Shopping Cart”
  • Select the appropriate term
  • Hit the button that says “Create a new Plan”
  • Select the appropriate term and “USC Aiken”
  • Add courses that you and your advisor discussed by selecting the “Add Course” button. Once all courses are loaded, press done.
  • You can customize your schedule choices by adding break times or by editing your options. Note that adding breaks and limiting too many options may affect your ability to find a schedule that meets all your needs.

Instructions for editing course options:
  • Next to each class, there is a button that says “Options”
  • You can hit the button to see all of the sections of that course being offered
  • You can unselect sections based on your preference
  • Those unselected sections will not show in the generated schedules
  • Select “Generate Schedules”
  • You can click through the schedules to see which you like best. Lock a class in place by hitting the lock button
  • Once you have found a schedule that you like, press the button on the top of the screen that says “Send to Shopping Cart”
  • Go back to the Student menu
  • Select Registration and then Register for Classes
  • Select the appropriate term
  • In the search box, select the “Shopping cart” option
  • Click add all
  • Then click Submit in the bottom right corner
  • Log into SSC
  • Click the Student Menu
  • Select Student Profile
  • Above your picture/photo icon there is a black bar with the Term, your Academic Standing, Overall, Hours, Overall GPA, Registration Notices, and Holds.
  • Click the words “Registration Notices.”
  • In the drop-down menu, look under Time Ticket to see the time and date you can register for classes. Please see the Academic Calendar for the last day to add or drop classes without record for a specific term.
Textbooks and other materials needed for class can be found on the USC Aiken Bookstore website. If no textbook information is available, this information will be provided by the instructor’s course syllabus.

Please contact your academic advisor about course options and overrides.

A Student Attribution error occurs when a student tries to register for a class that has been designated for specific student populations. While students may not register for these courses on their own, in certain circumstances, they may be given an override by the academic department offering the course.

A common Student Attribution Error occurs when on-campus students try to register for online Palmetto College Course sections. Only students enrolled in our online degree-completion program may register for these sections on their own. These courses are identified by the letters “PC” in place of a section number. There is an online request form for these specific courses. Filling out the form is not a guarantee, and students should see their advisor for more course options.

  • Log into SSC
  • Click the Student tab
  • Select Student Profile
  • Under your picture/photo icon, you can choose Week at a Glance or Concise Student Schedule. Choose the print icon in the upper right-hand corner to see course details. Save as a .pdf or print the file to help you find your classroom on the first day of classes.
  • Log into SSC
  • Click the Student Menu
  • Select Registration tile
  • Select Register for Classes
  • Choose the Appropriate Term
  • In the bottom right corner, you will see a list of your classes, you can click the drop-down box and select “Drop/Delete”.
  • Hit submit
If you are struggling with your classes, there are many resources you can use!
  • USC Aiken offers free tutoring! Once you find the subject and tutor you need, you can find them in the Learning Commons in the Library. Tutors are students vetted by the departments to help other students in those subject areas. See the Tutoring Schedule.
  • If you would like online tutoring, we partner with a service called Brain Fuse. Students can have 6 free sessions and it can be found on Blackboard. 
  • The Center for Student Achievement provides Academic Coaching.  Academic Coaching is one-on-one assistance with time management, study skills, academic success strategies and more. Contact Shenika Hartley, coordinator, at 803-643-6742 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Talk to your professor about what you are struggling with. A good time to talk to your professor is during their office hours which can be found on the class syllabus. If you cannot make their office hours, emailing them to schedule an appointment is also an option.
  • Log into SSC
  • Click the Student Menu
  • Select Student Profile Tile
  • Above your picture/photo icon there is a black bar with the Term, your Academic Standing, Overall Hours, Overall GPA, Registration Notices, and Holds.
  • Log into SSC
  • Click the Financial Aid Menu
  • Select Award
  • Select Award History
  • Choose USC Aiken as the campus
  • Look under the column marked Fund to see if you have received a scholarship

Please click the following links to learn more about the scholarships:

To access your LIFE GPA and credit hours, follow the steps below.

  • Log into SSC
  • Click the Student menu
  • Select Student Profile
  • Under your photo, choose the option that says “LIFE GPA”
This is not an automated process. The online form you complete must go through multiple offices before the change is processed. Please give the systems a few days to be updated. You will receive an email from the advising office with your new academic advisor, if it needs to be changed.
All Transcripts should be sent to the USCA Admissions office.
After logging into SSC:
  • Click the Student Menu
  • Select Official Record Request
  • Select Transcript Request
  • Click Access the Parchment Transcript Ordering Site
  • Click the option that reads Transcript
  • Follow the steps on the site!
Before you begin the process, contact the institution you want to enroll in. Make sure that they offer the class you need and that you understand the steps you need to complete to be admitted. Once you have done that,
  • Speak with either your Academic Advisor or someone in the Transfer Center (in the Admissions office) to ensure that the class you are wanting to take will transfer back to USC Aiken.
  • Complete the Special Enrollment Form. Your Academic Advisor and the Department Head of your major must sign the form.
  • Return the completed form to the Transfer Center, located in Penland 101.
  • Once you complete the class, send your transcript from that institution to USC Aiken’s admissions office.
  • Log into SSC
  • Click the Student Menu
  • Select Student Profile
  • Above your picture/photo icon there is a black bar with the Term, your Academic Standing, Overall, Hours, Overall GPA, Registration Notices, and Holds
  • If next to the word hold the number is showing “0,” you have no holds on your account.
  • If there is a number next to the word “hold,” click the hyperlinked word for a drop-down menu to appear with a listing of your holds.
The Grade Forgiveness policy states that every currently enrolled, fully-admitted, degree-seeking undergraduate student earning a "D+", "D", "F", "FN," or "WF" in a USC course may take a total of two (2) undergraduate courses for a second time for Grade Forgiveness. Both the first and second grades will appear on the USC system permanent record. Still, only the second grade will be used in computing the University of South Carolina system grade point average. Steps to the grade forgiveness procedure, the complete policy, and the application for Grade Forgiveness can be found on the registrar's website.

Advisors may store notes in one of two places: 

DegreeWorks (For information on finding DegreeWorks, see the FAQ about how to access DegreeWorks).

  • Once in DegreeWorks, look under your ID number and name. You will see three tabs.
  • Click the tab labeled Notes

Navigate

  • Download the Navigate Student app and sign in.
  • On the home screen you can select the button that says My Docs.
  • Select Appointment Summaries and then click the link attached to your advisor's name. The appointment summary will appear!

Yes, if you know who you would like to be advised by, you need to contact them to ask if they are willing to serve as your advisor. If they agree to add you to their caseload, you must email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. a copy of a written agreement from the faculty member (e.g., an email). If you and the advisor are emailing, you can forward the email chain. If the conversation was in person, we will still need the written consent, therefore you will need to follow up with an email. Once your advisor has been changed, you will be notified.

If you are unsure of who you want to change to, please come to the Office of Academic Advising for guidance.

Advisor FAQs

While advisees may request a meeting at any time, and we encourage meeting more than once a semester, there are two solidified times in the academic year that advisors and advisees should meet: October and March. During the October advisement, you and the student will be planning for the spring semester. During March advisement, you and the student will be planning for the fall and summer semesters. Please refer to the academic Calendar to find out when advisement and registration times begin.

Through Navigate you can see your assigned advisees by term.

  • Log into the site
  • Ensure you are on the “Staff Home” page. You can toggle between the “Professor Home” and “Staff Home” by clicking the arrow. A drop-down menu will appear, this is where you will choose “Staff Home.”
  • Once on your “Staff Home” page, you can select the appropriate term and your advisees will show below it.

There are several ways in which you can see this information. Through Navigate:

  • Under your “Staff Home” page, search for a student by their name or ID number
  • You can click through the Overview, Success Progress, and Courses tabs to see information about the student.

Through Self Service Carolina:

  • Log into SSC
  • Select the Faculty and Advisors Menu
  • Click Advisee Information, then Advisee Search
  • Select correct Term, and enter Student ID
  • Click View Profile
  • You will be able to see some general information in the black bar above the student's photo
  • Look under their photo for the following selections: Academic Transcript, Registration History, View Grades.

On DegreeWorks:

  • Log into SSC
  • Select the Faculty and Advisors Menu,
  • Select DegreeWorks
  • Click on Aiken
  • Input Student’s ID, then enter
  • Student’s program of study will be available
  1. Requirements in yellow are completed. Grade and term will be listed
  2. Requirements in blue are in process.
  3. Requirements in orange are still needed.
  4. Electives or courses that are insufficient will be listed at bottom.

Navigate is the best place to record your advisement interactions.

If a student had an appointment with you:

  • Under your “Staff Home” page click the Appointments tab
  • Scroll down to the Recent Appointments section
  • Click the box to the left of the student's name
  • Click Actions, a drop-down menu will appear
  • Select Add Appointment Summary
  • Complete the summary and click Save

If a student did not have a scheduled appointment with you:

  • Under your “Staff Home” page, search for a student by their name or ID number
  • In the “Staff Alerts” box to the right, click Report on Appointment
  • In the Care Unit box, choose Advising
  • Then complete the other drop-down options on the left of the summary
  • Complete the rest of the summary and then click save
  • Log into SSC
  • Select the Faculty and Advisors Menu
  • Click Advisee Information, then Advisee Search
  • Select correct Term, and enter Student ID
  • Click View Profile
  • Under their photo, look for “Remove Advisement Hold” and select it
  • Click “Delete”

Make sure to do this for each term you are advising for. When you are advising for Fall and summer, the holds for both terms must be removed. You can remove for different terms by changing the term when you are searching for that student.

Students can change their major by following the instructions via the links below.

  • Change your major or concentration
  • Chang or declare a minor
  • Log into SSC
  • Select the Faculty and Advisors Menu
  • Click Advisee Information, then Advisee Search
  • Select the correct Term, and enter Student ID
  • Click View Profile
  • Above the Students picture, there is a black bar with information listed
  • Look for the word “Holds” on right-hand side of the bar. If the number is “0” the student has no holds. If there is a number listed, click the word for a drop-down menu to appear with the holds they have on their account .
  • Log into SSC
  • Select the Faculty and Advisors Menu
  • Click Advisee Information, then Advisee Search
  • Select correct Term, and enter Student ID
  • Click View Profile
  • Above the Students picture, there is a black bar with information listed
  • Click the words “Registration Notices” on the right-hand side of the bar
  • Look at the section titled “Time Tickets”
  • The date and time a student can start registering will be listed
  • Students need to log into SSC
  • Select the “Student tab”
  • Select “Registration” and then “Register for classes”
  • To add a class: 1) Search for the class in the search box; 2) Click the “Add” button to the right of the section they want to add; 3) Then click “Submit”
  • To drop a class: 1) In the bottom right corner, the student’s list of registered classes will appear in the “Summary” box; 2) They need to click the drop-down menu next to the class in the “Action” column and select the Drop or Withdraw option; Click “Submit”
  • Student will have to pay an additional fee for each credit hour over 16 hours. ($80 per credit hour).
  • The advisor will need to email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and provide the student’s name, ID, and the specific number of credit hours the advisor has approved.
  • A student who wishes to take 19 or more hours must have earned a GPA of at least 3.0 for the preceding semester’s work (on a minimum of 12 semester hours) to be eligible.

Students can apply for grade forgiveness twice during their time at USC Aiken. If they do poorly in a class, they have the option to retake it. The new grade they receive will replace the old one in their GPA calculation but will still be shown on their academic transcript. Students can only apply for this on their second attempt of the class and replace the following grades: D+, D, F, FN, and WF. Once students have completed a class for the second time and the final grade is in, they need to complete a grade forgiveness form and turn it into the registrar's office. To find the form use the following steps:

  • Go to the Office of the Registrar’s website
  • Select the tab on the top that says “Forms”
  • Select "Grade Forgiveness"

Student must complete the following form: Reinstatement Petition

The SS&P committee meets monthly, and the student will receive communication from the Office of the Registrar once the committee has made its decision. Students whose appeal is approved can register for the following semester's classes but can only be enrolled in 13 credit hours.

You can go to the Office of the Registrar’s website and click the “Academic Bulletin” tab at the top of the screen. You will be routed to a list of several past Bulletins. Make sure when advising a student, you are looking at the bulletin year that they began taking classes at USCA unless they have adopted a newer bulletin.

Appointment Summaries are required for VMSS students to receive their benefits. Veteran and military benefits cover only degree-applicable courses and their prerequisites. The summaries should contain specific course advisements, e.g., MATH A108 or ENGL A102. Nonspecific recommendations, such as “humanities choice” or “a math class,” are not acceptable for VMSS verification. Because of the specificity required, we suggest that the advisor provide alternative course recommendations to help guide students to other options without needing a secondary advisement appointment or the entry of a new summary.
Additionally, the language you use is important in the recording of appointment summaries for VMSS-connected students. Summaries should indicate that the student was provided with the best course suggestions for progression by the advisor. Use “Student was advised for” rather than “student registered for” in your appointment summary to verify that you approve of the courses.

If a student wants to take a summer course at another institution, there are some steps they need to take:

    Speak with either their Academic Advisor or someone in the Registrar’s Office to ensure that the class they are wanting to take will transfer back to USC Aiken. Obtain a Special Enrollment Form from either their Academic Advisor or from the Registrar's office.
  1. Complete the Special Enrollment Form, making sure their Academic Advisor and the Department Head for their major sign the form.
  2. Return the completed form to the Office of the Registrar.
  3. Once the class is completed, students need to send their official transcript from that institution to USC Aiken’s admissions office.

*Students need to be sure to contact the institution they are wanting to enroll in for the steps to become an admitted guest or transient student. They also need to ensure that the school is offering the class they need before submitting their application. Advisors can find course equivalency information through SSC:

  • Log into SSC and select “Transfer Equivalencies”
  • If a student is taking a course at another USC campus select “Home to Home Course Equivalency”. You can search for the USC Aiken class and see how that would transfer from another campus.
  • If a student is taking a course at a non-USC campus select “Transfer Course Equivalency”. Select USC Aiken and then the state and institution the student is going to be taking the class at. The USC Aiken classes are on the right side and the classes from the other institutions are on the left.

If any student has taken off a major semester, they will have to apply for readmission to the University.

USC Aiken recognizes advising as a foundational connection between the university and each of our students. We are committed to providing a student-centered advising experience that leads to the growth, development, and success of all students from orientation to graduation. The P.A.C.E.R.S. goals and objectives for advising guide this important work:

Prepare - Prepare students and advisors for success through training and technology

Advise - Provide a clear roadmap through each degree program with strategic benchmarks

Connect - Connect students with resources and opportunities to promote academic success and personal growth

Empower - Empower students to take responsibility for their own academic, personal, and professional success

Retain - Establish a culture of student persistence in the first year that promotes retention, progression, and graduation

Support - Help students reach their full potential through mentoring, building relationships, and providing targeted support to achieve their educational and professional goals

The Admissions staff at the University of South Carolina Aiken understands that the college selection process can be overwhelming. Our staff is dedicated and prepared to help you with information about the University and our admissions process.

Your enrollment counselor is your personal contact at USC Aiken. If you have a specific question, please feel free to contact him/her.

Find Your Enrollment Counselor

Contact Admissions Staff