College Admission Requirements

The following is a list of college preparatory course prerequisites for admission to the state’s public colleges and universities. These were developed and approved by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education in partnership with the colleges and universities to take effect at the beginning of the college Fall semester in 2001.
These college preparatory prerequisites do not prohibit public colleges and universities from setting even higher admission requirements in terms of prerequisites. 

For example, Clemson University already requires a third unit of foreign language of all applicants to the freshman class. Please remember that the prerequisites represent the collective thinking of the public four year higher education community regarding minimum standards for success at the postsecondary level. It is your responsibility to contact the college of your choice for possible exceptions to the guidelines below.

COLLEGE PREPARATORY COURSE PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS

FOUR UNITS OF ENGLISH:
At least two units must have strong grammar and composition components, at least one must be in English literature, and at least one must be in American literature. Completion of College Preparatory English I, II, III, and IV will meet this criterion.

THREE UNITS OF MATHEMATICS:These include Algebra I (for which Applied Mathematics I and II may count together as a substitute if a student successfully completes Algebra II); Algebra II and Geometry. A fourth higher level mathematics course is strongly recommended. The fourth course should be selected from among precalculus, calculus, statistics, or discrete mathematics.

THREE UNITS OF LABORATORY SCIENCE: Two units must be taken in two different fields and selected from among biology, chemistry or physics. The third unit may be from the same field as one of the first two units (biology, chemistry, or physics) or from advanced environmental science with laboratory or marine biology with laboratory for which biology and/or chemistry is a prerequisite. Courses in earth science, general physical science, or introductory or general environmental science for which biology and/or chemistry is not a prerequisite will not meet this requirement.

TWO UNITS OF THE SAME FOREIGN LANGUAGE

THREE UNITS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE: One unit of U.S. History is required: a half unit of Economics and a half unit of Government are strongly recommended.

FOUR UNITS OF ELECTIVES: Four college preparatory units must be taken from three different fields selected from among Computer Science, English, Fine Arts, Foreign Languages, Humanities, Laboratory Science (excluding earth science, general physical science, general environmental science or other introductory science courses for which biology and/or chemistry is not a prerequisite), Mathematics above the level of Algebra II, and Social Sciences. It is suggested that one unit be in Computer Science which includes programming (i.e., not just keyboarding) and one unit in Fine Arts (appreciation of, history, or performance).

ONE UNIT OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION OR ROTC

NOTE: Each institution may make exceptions in admitting 1) students who do not meet al of the prerequisites, limited to those individual cases in which the failure to meet one or more prerequisites is due to circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the student or 2) students who have taken the Tech Prep (Applied Academics) courses rather than the required college preparatory curriculum described above and who meet all other institutional admissions criteria.