Office of Undergraduate Admissions

Required Materials

All international transfer applicants must submit the following credentials: 

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• Completed application

  Submit the transfer application by the deadline for the term you would like to enroll at USC.

• Application fee

  All transfer applicants must submit a nonrefundable application fee at the end of the application. For international transfer applicants, the application fee is $100. 

• Official secondary transcripts

  If fewer than 30 semester hours of college-level work have been attempted, then you must meet both transfer and freshman entrance requirements. Hours on a pass/fail basis do not count towards the 30 semester hour requirement. Official secondary transcripts must be from all secondary schools if less than 30 semester hours of college-level work attempted.

  If your transcript is not in English, you must submit a certified transcript translated into English by a school official.

  If you apply for admission before graduating from high school, you must submit an official (or attested copy) of all final transcript(s) after you graduate from high school.

  A document is considered official if it comes from an original source and is not opened prior to arriving at the university. Stamped and sealed envelopes that we receive from your school, a credential evaluation company or a test center are considered official. Official documents submitted via email by a verifiable school is also acceptable.

  All official documents can be sent to:
  
  University of South Carolina                                                   
  Office of Undergraduate Admissions
  902 Sumter Street/Lieber College
  Columbia, SC 29208

• Official post-secondary transcripts

  Official post-secondary transcripts must be submitted from each institution attended.

  If your transcript is not in English, you must submit a certified transcript translated into English by a school official.

  If coursework is attempted outside the United States you will be asked to submit a course-by-course evaluation with GPA from a NACES-approved company. An admissions decision will not be made until the evaluation and all transcripts are on file.

  A document is considered official if it comes from an original source and is not opened prior to arriving at the university. Stamped and sealed envelopes that we receive from your school, a credential evaluation company or a test center are considered official. We do not consider documents sent directly from the student as official documents. 

  All official documents can be sent to:
  
  University of South Carolina                                                   
  Office of Undergraduate Admissions
  902 Sumter Street/Lieber College
  Columbia, SC 29208

• Credentials evaluation

  Credential evaluations are done by NACES-approved companies and are not conducted by any member at the University of South Carolina. Contact NACES directly to complete the credential evaluation.

  U.S. citizens (freshman or transfer applicants) who have attempted any courses outside the United States must submit a course-by-course credential evaluation. 

• International coursework descriptions

  Applicants with foreign university work must submit course descriptions for each international course taken to help determine the USC course equivalency. 

• English proficiency score

  Exam	Minimum Score
  TOEFL Internet-Based	77
  TOEFL Paper-Based	550
  IELTS	6.5
  PTE	53
  Duolingo	115
  SAT	560  (Evidence-Based  Reading Writing Subscore)
  ACT	22  (English Subscore)

  
  

  Please note: If you are unable to meet the minimum English proficiency requirement, English Programs for Internationals (EPI) may be an option. Undergraduate students interested in conditional admission should complete the undergraduate admissions application and indicate interest in both English Programs for Internationals (USC's intensive English program) and conditional admission. Students must also contact English Programs for Internationals directly to submit the EPI application.

  You may also wish to explore the University of South Carolina’s International Accelerator Program, a one-year transition program for international students that leads to a four-year degree at the University of South Carolina.
  
  English proficiency scores are not required for international students from countries where the primary language of instruction is English nor from graduates of high schools in the United States.
  
  English proficiency exempt list:

  • American Samoa
  • Anguilla
  • Antigua
  • Australia
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Canada (note: residents of Quebec students must take the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE)
  • Dominica
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Grenada
  • Grand Cayman
  • Guam
  • Guyana
  • Ireland
  • Jamaica
  • Kenya
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Montserrat
  • New Zealand
  • Nigeria
  • Sierra Leone
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • St. Lucia
  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Swaziland (Eswatini)
  • Tanzania
  • Trinidad/Tobago
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Uganda
  • United Kingdom
  • US Virgin Islands
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

Important Dates

Our transfer applications will open on the following dates:

• Spring: Sept. 1
• Summer & Fall: Feb. 1

International transfer applications and all credentials must be submitted by the following deadlines:

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• Spring (January-May)

  All Majors

  Application deadline: Nov. 1
  Credentials deadline: Dec. 15

• Summer (June-July)

  All Majors (except business)

  Application deadline: May 1
  Credentials deadline: May 15

  Business Majors

  Application deadline: May 1
  Credentials deadline: May 1

• Fall (August-December)

  All Majors (except business)

  Application deadline: July 1
  Credentials deadline: July 15

  Business Majors

  Application deadline: May 1 
  Credentials deadline: June 1

Application Review Criteria

• International transfer applicants must have at least a cumulative 2.25 grade point average on a 4.00 scale. In addition, several colleges and programs within the university require higher grade point averages on all college work attempted and course completion with a specific grade. Visit transfer GPA requirements for requirements by major. 
• To calculate your transfer GPA, USC reviews all college-level courses you’ve attempted and the grades you earned, excluding remedial or developmental classes.
• Your application may also be reviewed holistically, taking into account your recent academic progress, commitment to your education, and relevant life or work experience. 

Note: The deans of the university's colleges and schools ultimately determine which transfer courses are credited in their programs.

• Questions about USC?

  Frank McClary is the admissions representative for international students. Contact him at adminter@mailbox.sc.edu.