University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina appears in our ranking of the 10 Most Affordable Doctorate in Elementary Education Online.
The University of South Carolina is one of the largest public schools in the south. Established in 1801 as South Carolina College, it operated under this name for a number of years. Its founders originally hoped to bridge the gap between the two different regions in the area and to provide students from both regions with the same opportunities. The campus had just one building and nine students when it first opened. That building still exists on the campus today. As the college grew, it added more programs and saw its enrollment grow too. The university now goes by the names of both USC and South Carolina.
U.S. News & World Report included USC on many of its top lists. It ranks its undergrad business program and its international graduate business program as the best in the nation. USC also ranks on its list of the best American colleges and the top law schools. The National Research Council ranked many of its doctoral programs among the best in the country too, including those in history and English. USC also ranks as one of the best colleges in the world. The school is now part of the University of South Carolina System. It has an enrollment of around 34,000 students on its main campus and more than 50,000 students across all its campuses.
University of South Carolina Accreditation Details
USC has accreditation for a large number of its degree programs, including those in pharmacy education, public health and psychology. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) also accredited all the USC education and teacher prep programs. This lets students know that they will go through the training necessary to work in the field. The university also has accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). This is the regional accreditation that allows students to seek state and federal financial aid and to transfer credits into a degree program.
University of South Carolina Application Requirements
Students applying to one of the USC educational doctoral programs must meet all the requirements of both the university and the program itself. They can use the standard application on Collegenet, which the university calls its Degree Seeking Application. All students must first create an account and choose both a password and a username. The site offers help to those who forget their information later. The university charges a $50 fee to process the application, but it also charges a $15 fee for students who want to make changes to the application after they submit it.
USC requires that students have both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree before enrolling in a doctoral program. It will accept students who apply before they finish their degrees though. Those students can submit an unofficial transcript and then an official transcript once they graduate. Educational doctoral programs ask for an official GRE score too, which shows the department that students are capable of working at this level. USC requires two letters of recommendation as well. The letters can come from any professional or academic reference who can speak to the positive attributes of the student.
Those applying to a doctoral program may need to submit other types of information or documents too. Some programs ask for a resume because the departments want to ensure that students have some practical experience before they enroll. Other programs will ask for a writing sample or a portfolio to get an idea of the work that the student is capable of doing at the advanced level.
University of South Carolina Tuition and Financial Aid
USC charges the same rate for graduate students as it does for doctoral students. This rate starts at around $552 per credit hour for South Carolina residents. They'll pay $6,627 per semester when taking a full course load. Students who did not live in South Carolina before enrolling and are not full-time residents will pay $1,182 per credit hour, which brings the cost up to $14,184 per semester for full-time nonresidents. The university requires that students have health insurance coverage. It offers plans for students for $2,020, which provides them with a year of coverage.
Students who complete the FAFSA can easily find out if they can borrow money from the government while enrolled in a degree program. Less than 40 percent of the university's graduate and doctoral students use loans though because USC offers so many different types of aid. It offers eight awards and fellowships that it gives to the best incoming students. Travel grants are also available for those who want to travel for work or research purposes. USC also offers assistantships that provide students with a stipend and tuition assistance. Students can work as research, staff or teaching assistants.
Ed.D. in Elementary Education
USC offers several programs for students with an interest in elementary education. Undergrads can earn a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the university, which allows them to study educational technology, working with diverse learners and student assessments. This program can help students get their teaching licenses too. The university also offers a Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education through its College of Education.
The doctoral program in elementary education that the university offers is actually a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Students can take classes to focus more on working with younger children than older students, but some may want to focus on working with adult learners and nontraditional students. This program is open to both certified teachers who have a valid license and those who want to change careers and students who do not have teaching licenses. It is also available as an online program, which allows working professionals to keep their jobs as they study.
This program features 60 credits. Students earn credits for each of the classes that they take and the research work that they do. They also earn 12 credits for their dissertations. The university requires that students take a qualifying exam and pass with a high score before doing any dissertation work. They will also need to seek approval from the department before doing a dissertation. The program also features a comprehensive exam that students must pass before they can get their degrees. Doctoral candidates attending the University of South Carolina will present their dissertations and defend their work in front of a panel too.