Retail Management Concentration
College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management
Retailing Department
Bulletin Year: 2026-2027

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Semester One (16 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
!	ENGL 101	Critical Reading and Composition (CC-CMW)	3	C
		Carolina Core ARP Requirement (CC-ARP)	3
!	RETL 265	Principles of Retailing (MR)	3	C
	HRSM 101	HRSM Prof. Dev. Career Exploration Seminar (PR)	1
		Carolina Core Requirement3 (CC)	3
	UNIV 101	The Student in the University or Carolina Core Requirement3 (PR/CC)	3

Semester Two (16-17 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
!	ENGL 102	Rhetoric and Composition (CC-CMW, CC-INF)	3	C		C or better in ENGL 101
		Carolina Core ARP Requirement (CC-ARP)	3
!	RETL 261	Principles of Accounting I (MR)	3	C
	HRSM 201	Professional Dev. Seminar (CR)	1	C		C or better in HRSM 101, passing grade in SPTE 195, or enrollment in the BAIS- Services Mgmt. Major
		Carolina Core Requirement3 (CC)	3
		Carolina Core Requirement3 (CC)	3-4

Semester Three (16-17 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	RETL 262	Principles of Accounting II (CR)	3	C		C or better in RETL 261
	SPTE 240	Business Law (CR)	3	C
	RETL 242	HRSM Professional Communications (CR)	3	C		C or better in ENGL 101 & 102
	HRSM 301	HRSM Adv. Prof. Dev. Seminar (CR)	1	C		C or better in HRSM 201
		Foreign Language4 or other Carolina Core Req.3 (CC-GFL)	3-4
		Carolina Core Requirement3 (CC)	3

Semester Four (15 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
!	RETL 295	Retailing Practicum5 (MR)	6	C		C or better in RETL 265
	RETL 340	Sustainability in Fashion and Retail (CR)	3	C
		Foreign Language4 or other Carolina Core Req.3 (CC-GFL)	3
		Carolina Core Requirement3 or Elective6 (CC/PR)	3

Semester Five (12 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
!	RETL 366	Retail Buying (MR)	3	C		C or better in RETL 261
	RETL 310	Digital Retailing (MR)	3	C		C or better in RETL 265
	HTMT 344	Human Resource Mgmt. in HRSM (CR)	3	C
	SPTE 274	Computer Applications in HRSM (CR)	3	C

Semester Six (12 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	RETL 350	Sales Strategies (MR)	3	C
	RETL 362	Principles of Customer Service (MR)	3	C
		RETL Elective7 (MR)	3	C
		Carolina Core Requirement3 or Elective6 (CC/PR)	3

Semester Seven (14 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	RETL 465	Global Sourcing in Retail & Fashion (MR)	3	C		C or better in RETL 261 & 265
	RETL 369	Retail Promotion (MR)	3	C
	RETL 351	Retail Entrepreneurship (MR)	3	C
		Carolina Core Requirement3 or Elective6 (CC/PR)	3
		Elective6 (PR)	2

Semester Eight (12 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	RETL 421	Retail Finance (MR)	3	C		C or better in RETL 262
	RETL 425	Customer Experience Management (MR)	3	C		C or better in RETL 265
	RETL 330	Asset Protection for Retailers (MR)	3	C		C or better in RETL 265
		RETL Elective7 (MR)	3	C

Summer Semester (6 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	RETL 495	Retailing Internship8 (MR/CC-, INT)	6	C		RETL 295

Graduation Requirements Summary

Minimum Total Hours	Minimum Major Requirements Hours	College and Program Requirements Hours	Carolina Core Hours	Minimum Institutional GPA
120	54	23-35	31-43	2.00

1. Regardless of individual course grades, students must maintain a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA.
2. Some colleges require a minimum GPA for major courses. Courses indicated below are included in the major GPA for this program of study.
3. The Carolina Core provides the common core of knowledge, skill and academic experience for all Carolina undergraduate students.
4. College of HRSM students must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language by achieving a score of 2 or higher on the foreign language placement test, or credit equivalent to USC 109 and 110 courses, or credit equivalent to the USC 121 course.
5. Supervised work experience in an area of the retail industry, selected by the student and approved by the Retailing Internship Director.
6. The Retailing major curriculum includes 2-14 hours of approved (free) electives, depending on how students fulfill the Carolina Core requirements and whether or not students choose a minor.
7. RETL Electives (6 hours): Some RETL electives have prerequisites that must be completed. Check each course’s description in the Bulletin for information. Select 2 of the following: RETL 237, 268, 348, 365, 368, 460, 462, 485, 525, 535, 551, 562, 569, 590, 592.
8. Internship experience within the industry that prepares students for permanent placement. Students are responsible for securing their own internship and should contact the internship director for resources to identify opportunities of interest and to seek approval once an internship has been secured. Students are not permitted to enroll in RETL 495 without seeking the approval of the internship director first. It is strongly recommended that students not take additional courses while completing RETL 495. Students will not be permitted to enroll in more than 13 total hours while completing RETL 495.

Program Notes

• All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade that covers the founding documents. This course may fulfill any requirement in the program of study. Courses that meet this requirement are listed in the academic bulletin.
• Clarification of RETL 295: Retailing Practicum vs. RETL 495: Retailing Internship
  • RETL 295: Retailing Practicum—a practicum is a job in retailing or a closely-related field, for example, as a clerk or an associate in a store, boutique or gift shop, in an insurance or real estate company, in a bank or other financial institution, etc.
  • RETL 495: Retailing Internship—an internship gives the student more responsibility and an intense experience in retailing or a closely-related field and may take one of two forms:
    • 1) the student is participating in an employer’s formal internship program as an intern, or
    • 2) the student is interning for an employer that does not have a formal internship program; however, the student is working in a position on a higher level than the practicum; for example, as an assistant manager, an assistant buyer, a manager trainee, etc.
  • Students must complete RETL 295: Retailing Practicum before they can enroll in RETL 495: Retailing Internship. Both are required for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Retailing.
• No courses of remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward the Bachelor of Science Degree in Retailing.
• The last 30 credit hours toward your degree must be earned in residence at the University of South Carolina-Columbia. 

Code Definitions

University Requirements: Bachelor’s degree-seeking students must meet Carolina Core (general education) requirements.

Code	Definition
CC	Carolina Core
CC-AIU	Carolina Core – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding
CC-ARP	Carolina Core – Analytical Reasoning and Problem-Solving
CC-CMS	Carolina Core – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component
CC-CMW	Carolina Core – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written Component
CC-GFL	Carolina Core – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language
CC-GHS	Carolina Core – Historical Thinking
CC-GSS	Carolina Core – Social Sciences
CC-INF	Carolina Core – Information Literacy
CC-INT	Carolina Core – Integrative Course
CC-SCI	Carolina Core – Scientific Literacy
CC-VSR	Carolina Core – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility
CR	College Requirement
MR	Major Requirement
PR	Program Requirement