Overview
Since 1805, the College of Arts and Sciences has been the intellectual core of the University of South Carolina, entrusted with the responsibility to provide superb teaching in the arts and sciences to all undergraduates. The college is a richly diverse community dedicated to the discovery, dissemination, and application of knowledge about the natural and human world. It is committed to enriching the academic experience of every undergraduate student through a wide and innovative array of courses, programs, and opportunities in the arts, humanities, and sciences; developing the next generation of intellectual leaders' and excelling in research, scholarship, and creative activity. With its broad coverage of academic disciplines, the college is uniquely situated to promote opportunities for student research and interdisciplinary and international learning. As the heart of a major research university, the college is a catalyst for positive change in the local community, the state, the nation, and the world.
The College of Arts and Sciences consists of the Departments of Anthropology; Art; Biological Sciences; Chemistry and Biochemistry; Criminology and Criminal Justice; English Language and Literature; Geography; Geological Sciences; History; Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; Mathematics; Philosophy; Physics and Astronomy; Political Science; Psychology; Religious Studies; Sociology; Statistics; and Theatre and Dance, as well as the School of the Environment. The Departments of Aerospace Studies, Military Science, and Naval Science administer the University’s ROTC programs. In addition, the college includes interdepartmental programs in African American studies, cardiovascular technology, comparative literature, European studies, film studies, Latin American studies, linguistics, marine science, professional science, public history, and women’s studies.
Centers and institutes within the college include the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences, Center for Asian Studies, Center for Science Education, Center for the Management of Risk Behaviors, Electron Microscopy Center, Ted Mimms Foreign Languages Learning Center, Industrial Mathematics Institute, Institute for Biological Research and Technology, Institute for Public Service and Policy Research, Institute for Southern Studies, Richard L. Walker Institute of International and Area Studies, S.C. Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, McKissick Museum, USC Nanocenter, and College of Arts and Sciences Computing and Technology Center. Please refer to the section of this bulletin titled "The University" and departmental sections for further information about centers and institutes in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The Department of Art is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is accredited by the American Chemical Society. In the Department of Psychology, the graduate degrees in clinical-community psychology are accredited by the American Psychological Association; graduate degrees in school psychology are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the National Association of School Psychologists, with the doctoral program also being accredited by the American Psychological Association. The Master of Public Administration degree offered by the Department of Political Science is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. The Department of Theatre and Dance is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre and the University/Resident Theatre Association. Through selected degree programs, the College of Arts and Sciences participates in the teacher education programs of the University that are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
Oak Ridge Associated Universities
Since 1950, students and faculty of the University of South Carolina have benefited from its membership in Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). ORAU is a consortium of 91 colleges and universities and a contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. ORAU works with its member institutions to help their students and faculty gain access to federal research facilities throughout the country; to keep its members informed about opportunities for fellowship, scholarship, and research appointments; and to organize research alliances among its members.
Through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), the DOE facility that ORAU operates, undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates, and faculty enjoy access to a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Students can participate in programs covering a wide variety of disciplines including business, earth sciences, epidemiology, engineering, physics, geological sciences, pharmacology, ocean sciences, biomedical sciences, nuclear chemistry, and mathematics. Appointment and program length range from one month to four years. Many of these programs are especially designed to increase the numbers of underrepresented minority students pursuing degrees in science- and engineering-related disciplines. A comprehensive list of these programs and other opportunities, their disciplines, and details on locations and benefits can be found in the ORISE Catalog of Education and Training Programs, which is available at www.orau.gov/orise/educ.htm, or by calling either of the contacts below.
ORAU's Office of Partnership Development seeks opportunities for partnerships and alliances among ORAU's members, private industry, and major federal facilities. Activities include faculty development programs, such as the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enrichment Awards, the Visiting Industrial Scholar Program, consortium research funding initiatives, faculty research, and support programs as well as services to chief research officers.
For more information about ORAU and its programs, visit the ORAU homepage at www.orau.org or contact:
Mary Anne Fitzpatrick
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
ORAU Councillor for the University of South Carolina
Monnie E. Champion
ORAU Corporate Secretary
865-576-3306
Degrees and Certificates Offered
The College of Arts and Sciences offers programs of study leading to the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Industrial Statistics, Master of Mathematics, Master of Public Administration, Master of Science, and Professional Science Master. In cooperation with the College of Education, the college offers the Master of Arts in Teaching in selected disciplines for uncertified teachers and the Interdisciplinary Master of Arts in Art Education and the Interdisciplinary Master of Arts in Sciences for teachers who have been certified. The Department of Statistics offers the Certificate of Graduate Study in Applied Statistics. The Linguistics Program offers the Certificate of Graduate Study in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. The Certificate of Graduate Study in Museum Management is offered through the Department of History. The Certificate of Graduate Study in Women's Studies is available through the Women's Studies Program. The Department of Anthropology offers the Certificate of Graduate Study in Historical Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management and the Certificate of Graduate Study in Visual Anthropology. The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice offers the Certificate of Graduate Study in Drug and Addictions Studies. For further information about admission and degree requirements, please consult "The Graduate School" section of this bulletin and the individual departments and programs listed in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Admission Requirements and Degree Requirements
Each program and each department sets specific admission requirements and degree requirements that conform to The Graduate School's requirements, and are detailed within the separate entries for this college. The general requirements may be found earlier in this bulletin (see "The Graduate School").
Anthropology
Art (including Media Arts)
Biological Sciences
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Criminology and Criminal Justice
English Language and Literature (including Speech)
Geography
Geological Sciences
History
Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (including Comparative Literature)
Linguistics
Mathematics
Marine Science
Philosophy
Physics and Astronomy
Political Science (including Public Administration)
Psychology
Religious Studies
Sociology
Statistics
Theatre and Dance
Women's Studies
Most admission decisions focus upon the content of undergraduate and prior graduate degree-seeking work, grade point average, scores on standardized predictor tests, letters of recommendation, and evidence of experiences and performance relevant to the degree being sought. The particular degree program can provide information about the details and the relevant weighting of these various criteria. Any questions not resolved by reading the specific program or departmental entry can be addressed to the graduate admissions chair for that specific degree program.
Center for Science Education
The Center for Science Education, in conjunction with selected departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, is responsible for developing and coordinating interdisciplinary teacher education courses and programs in science and mathematics. These courses are listed and described below under "Science and Mathematics for Educators" and carry the interdisciplinary SMED designator.
The Center for Science Education also assists individual departments in offering content-specific courses within their disciplines that are designed for in-service teachers. These courses, carrying individual departmental designators, include:
BIOL 770, 771, 772, 775, and 776
CHEM 702, 703, 704, 705, 706, and 709
GEOL 531, 700, and 702
MSCI 777 and 778
MATH 701-I, 702-I, 703-I, 704-I, 712-I, 736-I, 752-I, and 780-I
PHYS 781, 782, 783, 784, 785, and 787
Course Descriptions
Liberal Arts (COLA)
- 500 -- Selected Topics in Civilization and Culture. (3)
Science and Mathematics (COSM)
- 701 -- Business and Legal Issues for Science Managers. (3) Survey of skills requisite for careers in domestic or international business: economics, finance, accounting, management, marketing, presentation skills, patent law, regulatory issues, other subjects for managers of science/technology-based businesses.
- 702 -- Scientific and Technological Problems in Business and Industry. (3) Seminar course in problem solving, responding to cases with significant technical components, drawn from business/industry. Students analyze cases to propose solutions to problems, integrating the major activities of a technically oriented business.
- 790 -- Internship in Science and Technology Based Business. (3) Internship in industry, government agency, or national laboratory. Internship experience culminates in oral and written reports on duties and projects. Internship must include a minimum of 150 hours of experience at the internship site.
Science and Mathematics for Educators (SMED)
- 510 -- Life Science for Teachers I. (3) Topics appropriate for elementary and middle-school curricula; phylogenetic organization of major kingdoms, characteristics of plants and animals, including humans; ecological principles; communities; energy needs, resources, flow and balance; heredity and adaptation.
- 510L -- Life Science for Teachers Laboratory. (1) (Coreq: SMED 510, permission of instructor)
- 520 -- Earth Science for Teachers I. (3) Topics appropriate for elementary and middle-school curricula; solar system; earth-moon-sun relationships; geologic time; earth materials; emphasis on surface processes and an introduction to internal processes.
- 520L -- Earth Science for Teachers Laboratory I. (1) (Coreq: SMED 520, permission of instructor)
- 530 -- Physical Science for Teachers I. (3) Topics appropriate for elementary- and middle-school curricula; chemical and physical change; states and transformations of matter; atoms, elements, molecules, mixtures, and compounds; laws of motion; heat, light, and sound energy; electricity and magnetism.
- 530L -- Physical Science for Teachers Laboratory I. (1) (Coreq: SMED 530, consent of instructor)
- 541 -- Classical and Modern Physics for Teachers I. (3) (Prereq: science teaching certificate, algebra, trigonometry) Mechanics, electromagnetism, wave motion, sound, heat, optics, relativity, quantum physics, atomic and nuclear physics. No previous background in physics is assumed. Laboratory activities designed specifically for the pre-college teacher will be required.
- 542 -- Classical and Modern Physics for Teachers II. (3) (Prereq: SMED 541, science teaching certificate, algebra and trigonometry) Continuation of SMED 541.
- 586 -- Energy, Motion, and Matter. (3) (Prereq: introductory-level courses in life, earth, and physical sciences or permission of instructor) Integrated study of the earth's atmosphere for pre-service and in-service middle school teachers combining concepts from earth, life, and physical science leading to an understanding of the interaction of all systems.
- 587 -- Interdependence of Living Systems. (3) (Prereq: introductory-level courses in life, earth, and physical sciences or permission of instructor) Integrated study of the biotic and abiotic environments combining life, earth, and physical science concepts to understand relationships in living systems. For pre-service and in-service middle school teachers.
- 588 -- Origin and Evolution of Living and Non-Living Systems. (3) (Prereq: introductory-level courses in life, earth, and physical sciences or permission of instructor) Study of the earth system for pre-service and in-service middle school teachers, with emphasis on the origin, evolution, and interactions of the subsystems of the earth system.
- 591 -- Data Analysis for Teachers. {=STAT 591} (3) Introduction to statistics for elementary, middle, and high school teachers. The fundamentals of data collection, descriptive statistics, probability, and inference with special focus on methods of teaching statistical reasoning. For I.M.A./M.A.T. (excluding mathematics)/M.Ed./M.T. and nondegree credit only.
- 705 -- Special Topics in Integrated Science for the Elementary School. (1-3) Identification and study of those science topics that will form a local/regional elementary science curriculum; each offering to be a unique blend of topics designed for a specific school district or consortium of districts.
- 710 -- Life Science for Teachers II. (3) (Prereq: SMED 510) Topics appropriate for middle-school curricula: cell biology; phylogenetic organization of all major kingdoms; principles of development, physiology, reproduction, genetics and evolution; biogeochemical cycles.
- 710L -- Life Science for Teachers Laboratory II. (1) (Coreq: SMED 710)
- 720 -- Earth Science for Teachers II. (3) (Prereq: SMED 520) Topics appropriate for middle-school curricula: origin and evolution of universe, galaxies and solar system; quantitative age determinations; Earth's internal structure and processes–earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain building, and plate tectonics.
- 720L -- Earth Science for Teachers Laboratory II. (1) (Coreq: SMED 720)
- 721 -- Marine Science for Teachers. (3) Topics in marine science: ecology of freshwater and saltwater ecosystems; coastal geologic processes; coastal zone management. Classroom and field experiences using marine science instructional materials.
- 722 -- Space Science for Teachers. (3) (Prereq: SMED 520) Origin, evolution, and properties of solar system and universe; observation of the night-time sky; planetary motion; technology of space study and exploration. Laboratory and field activities for elementary/middle-school classroom.
- 723 -- Weather Science for Teachers. (3) Concepts in meteorology and climatology, including basic weather elements and patterns, technology in weather observation and prediction, and human impact on the atmosphere. Laboratory and field activities for the elementary/middle-school classroom.
- 729 -- Special Topics in Science for Teachers. (1-3) Topics not likely to be incorporated into regular offerings, offered as seminars, workshops, and formal courses. Variable credit, depending on contact hours. May be taken more than once.
- 730 -- Physical Science for Teachers II. (3) (Prereq: SMED 530) Topics appropriate for middle-school curricula: atomic structure; periodic table of elements; radioactivity; chemical bonding, principles, and reactions; electromagnetic spectrum; applications of chemistry and physics to life and earth sciences.
- 730L -- Physical Science for Teachers Laboratory II. (1) (Coreq: SMED 730)
- 769 -- Special Topics in Mathematics for Teachers. (1-3) Special topics in mathematics offered as seminars, workshops, and formal courses.
Professional Science Master
Jeffrey O. French, M.S., Program Manager
Overview
The Professional Science Master (P.S.M.) program is a master's-level program designed to provide students with the skills needed for success in the development, application, and/or marketing of science and technology in a business setting. As an alternative to the traditional research-based M.S. or Ph.D. programs, the P.S.M. attracts students who are interested in careers in science- and technology-based business. The student selects from one of four areas of emphasis: biotechnology (offered by the Department of Biological Sciences), bioinformatics (offered by the Department of Biological Sciences in cooperation with the Department of Statistics and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering and Information Technology), environmental geosciences (offered by the Department of Geological Sciences), and modeling for corporate applications (offered by the Department of Physics and Astronomy). However, the program is not currently accepting applicants into the environmental geosciences or modeling for corporate applications emphases.
The ultimate goal of the P.S.M. is the successful placement of the graduate into a rewarding career in an evolving, high-tech job market. It is for this reason that this degree involves case studies and problem-solving, group projects, and internships with industry. Students also benefit from the collaboration of the Moore School of Business, the USC School of Law, and the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies. The professional skills component of the program enhances students' scientific training with the practical skills needed to apply their technical proficiency to problem solving in a business setting.
Program components:
core courses in the chosen science discipline, plus supplementary math or statistics courses
course modules or seminars focusing on professional skills and real-world case studies
an internship with industry
Admission
The applicant must have a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university, with competence in a science field related to the chosen area of emphasis. The applicant's undergraduate transcript and GPA must reflect the ability to handle advanced science course work (usually a 3.00 or higher in science courses) since the applicant review occurs in the science department that offers the chosen area of emphasis. All applicants must also submit scores from the general GRE. Deficiencies in one area may be compensated for by strengths in another.
Degree Requirements
Students are required to take the following courses for a 9-credit-hour core. The remaining courses are listed by area of emphasis.
COSM 701 -- Business and Legal Issues for Science Managers. (3) Survey of skills requisite for careers in domestic or international business: economics, finance, accounting, management, marketing, presentation skills, patent law, regulatory issues, other subjects for managers of science/technology-based businesses.
COSM 702 -- Scientific and Technological Problems in Business and Industry. (3) Seminar course in problem solving, responding to cases with significant technical components, drawn from business/industry. Students analyze cases to propose solutions to problems, integrating the major activities of a technically oriented business.
COSM 790 -- Internship in Science and Technology Based Business. (3) Internship in industry, government agency, or national laboratory. Internship experience culminates in oral and written reports on duties and projects. Internship must include a minimum of 150 hours of experience at the internship site.
Biotechnology
Required:
BIOL 523 Plant Development (3)
BIOL 655 Biotechnology (3) OR 656 Experimental Biotechnology (3)
BIOL 764 Advanced Plant Physiology (3)
BIOL 599A Plant Tissue Culture and Cell Genetics (3)
BIOL 671 Plant Response to the Environment (3)
BIOS 700 Introduction to Biostatistics (3)
Plus an additional 9 credit hours from the following:
BIOL 655 Biotechnology (3) OR 656 Experimental Biotechnology (3)
BIOL 670 Plant Ecology (3)
BIOL 702 Selected Topics in Botany (3)
BIOL 703 Selected Topics in Ecology (3)
BIOL 704 Selected Topics in Genetics and Developmental Biology (3)
BIOL 711 Structure and Function of Nucleic Acids (3)
BIOL 712 DNA Transactions and Gene Expression (3)
BIOL 714 Advanced Cell Biology
BIOL 717 Biological Chemistry (3)
BIOL 718 Biological Chemistry II (3)
BIOL 798 Research in Biology (3)
BIOL 802 Seminar in Botany (2)
Bioinformatics
Required:
BIOL 653 Bioinformatics (3)
BIOL 655 Biotechnology (3) OR 656 Experimental Biotechnology (3)
STAT 530 Exploring Multivariate Data (3) OR STAT 730 Multivariate Analysis (3)
CSCE 555 Bioinformatics Algorithms (3)
STAT 700 (3) and STAT 701 (3) Applied Statistics I and II OR STAT 712 (3) and STAT 713 (3) Mathematical Statistics I and II
Plus an additional 9 credit hours from the following (at least three of which are in CSCE):
BIOL 552 Population Genetics (3)
BIOL 652 Evolutionary Biology (3)
BIOL 711 Structure and Function of Nucleic Acids (3)
BIOL 712 DNA Transactions and Gene Expression (3)
BIOL 714 Advanced Cell Biology (3)
BIOL 717 Biological Chemistry I (3)
BIOL 718 Biological Chemistry II (3)
BIOL 777 Statistical Phylogenetics and Molecular Evolution {=STAT 777} (3)
BIOL 798 Research in Biology (3)
CSCE 520 Database System Design (3)
CSCE 564 Computational Science (3)
CSCE 565 Computer Graphics (3)
CSCE 567 Visualization Tools (3)
CSCE 582 Bayesian Networks and Decision Graphs {=STAT 582} (3)
CSCE 721 Physical Database Design (3)
CSCE 763 Digital Image Processing (3)
CSCE 768 Pattern Recognition and Classification (3)
CSCE 784 Neural Information Processing (3)
STAT 750 Response Surface Methodology (3)
STAT 775 Generalized Linear Models {=BIOS 815} (3)
Environmental Geosciences*
A core course in flow in porous media will be required for 3 credit hours starting in the 2004-2005 academic year. Additional requirements:
Required:
GEOL 570 Environmental Hydrogeology (3)
GEOL 571 Soil Hydrology (4)
GEOL 743 Decision Making in Environmental Resource Management (3)
GEOL 775 Numerical Methods in Subsurface Hydrology {=ECIV 761} (3)
6 credit hours from the following:
STAT 700 Applied Statistics I (3)
STAT 701 Applied Statistics II (3)
MATH 520 Ordinary Differential Equations (3)
MATH 521 Boundary Value Problems and Partial Differential Equations (3)
MATH 552 Applied Complex Variables (3)
Plus an additional 6 credit hours from the following electives:
GEOL 501 Principles of Geomorphology {=MSCI 501} (3)
GEOL 548 Environmental Geophysics (3)
GEOL 553 Marine Sediments {=MSCI 553} (3)
GEOL 557 Coastal Processes {=MSCI 557} (3)
GEOL 575 Introduction to Groundwater Modeling (3)
GEOL 716 Eustasy and Global Variations in Sequence Stratigraphy {=MSCI 716} (3)
GEOL 722 Aqueous Geochemistry (3)
GEOL 764 Seismic Reflection Interpretation (3)
GEOL 773 Water Quality and Pollution (3)
Modeling for Corporate Applications*
Required:
PHYS 517 Computational Physics (3)
PHYS 711 Quantum Mechanics I (3)
6 credit hours from the following (additional credit hours from this section can substitute for electives):
PHYS 701 Classical Mechanics (3)
PHYS 703 Electromagnetic Theory I (3)
PHYS 706 Statistical Thermodynamics (3)
PHYS 712 Quantum Mechanics II (3)
6 credit hours from the following:
ACCT 501 Financial Accounting III (3)
ACCT 502 Cost/Managerial Accounting II (3)
ACCT 728 Financial Accounting (3)
IBUS 700 Survey of International Business (3)
MBAD 702 Strategic Management (3)
MKTG 579 Government Policy Toward Business {=ECON 379} (3)
MKTG 701 Marketing Management (3)
STAT 509 Statistics for Engineers (3) OR STAT 517 Computing in Statistics (3)
Plus an additional 9 credits from the following electives:
PHYS 501 Modern Physics (3)
PHYS 502 Quantum Physics (3)
PHYS 503 Mechanics (3)
PHYS 504 Electromagnetic Theory (3)
PHYS 505 Advanced Classical Physics (3)
PHYS 506 Thermal Physics (3)
PHYS 509 Solid State Electronics (3)
PHYS 510 Digital Electronics (3)
PHYS 511 Nuclear Physics (3)
PHYS 512 Solid State Physics (3)
PHYS 514 Optics, Theory, and Applications (4)
PHYS 515 Mathematical Physics I (3)
PHYS 516 Mathematical Physics II (3)
PHYS 704 Electromagnetic Theory II (3)
PHYS 713 Advanced Quantum Theory I (3)
PHYS 721 Nuclear Physics (3)
PHYS 723 Elementary Particles I (3)
PHYS 725 Solid State Physics (3)
*The program is not currently accepting applicants into the environmental geosciences or modeling for corporate applications emphases.
