Regardless of intended major, all undergraduate students must apply to USC through Undergraduate Admissions. An admissions application must be submitted and approved by the USC Office of Undergraduate Admissions before any student may enroll in an undergraduate course.
Engineering and Computing Freshmen
Freshmen must meet all university admission requirements. Freshmen may declare any major, including all engineering and computing majors. University admissions are based on a combination of test scores and high-school credentials. Because the admissions process is competitive, USC does not set or publish absolute admissions standards.
A table displaying the USC Columbia credit you may receive for high scores on the AP or IB exams can also be found on the Undergraduate Admissions site
Find Out If Your AP/Dual Enrollment Credits Transfer
Many of our freshmen have had the opportunity to take AP/IB classes or dual enrollment courses for prior college credit before enrolling at USC. To get an unofficial idea of how AP/IB classes or dual enrollment courses may impact your course curriculum, check out prior college credit resources.
Transfer Students Within the USC System
All students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better on at least 15 hours earned at USC to enter the College of Engineering and Computing. In addition, students interested in majoring in an engineering program must have completed a four semester hour calculus course equivalent to MATH 141 with a grade of "C" or better.
Use this table to see equivalent courses between USC Columbia, USC Aiken, USC Beaufort, and USC Upstate.
Transfer Students from Outside the USC System
All non-USC transfer students must have completed 30 semester hours or more of college work with a minimum GPA of 2.75 to enter the College of Engineering and Computing. In addition, students interested in majoring in an engineering program must have completed a four semester hour calculus course equivalent to MATH 141 with a grade of "C" or better.
Use this table to see if college courses you have taken or plan to take have transfer equivalencies at USC Columbia.
Major Change Applicants
USC Columbia students must have a cumulative GPA of a 2.5 or better to change major into the College of Engineering and Computing. Students applying to an engineering program must also have completed MATH 141 with a “C" or better. It is strongly encouraged that students first meet with an Exploratory Advisor to ensure that all necessary requirements are met. Then, schedule a Change of Major Workshop with the College of Engineering and Computing.