There are many! We offer over 600 Honors College classes per year. These classes are small, averaging 16-18 students, allowing for you to engage deeply with your classmates, your professor, and the course content. Our classes are distinguished by discussions, demonstrations, debates, and much more.

Our students also get free printing, priority registration and an advisor who specializes in Honors curriculum to help keep them on track with requirements. There are also study abroad trips, research opportunities, internship programs and service learning experiences available exclusively to Honors College students.

No, only Honors College students who declare International Business as incoming first-year students receive direct admission. Students transferring to the SCHC (either internally or externally) who declare International Business are not eligible for direct admission and will be required to apply through the standard process.

No, the Accelerated Undergraduate to M.D. program is only open to incoming first-year students accepted to the South Carolina Honors College.

No, the BARSC application and admission process is typically completed by the end of a student’s first undergraduate year.

Admission to the Honors College does not carry any implication for scholarships or financial aid. There is no financial assistance that comes automatically from being a member of the Honors College. However, admitted transfer students can apply for a limited number of Honors College departmental scholarships, as well as funding for Honors beyond the classroom (BTC) and senior thesis experiences.

Internal transfers who have previously received a university scholarship will retain their scholarship. SCHC transfer students are not eligible for additional university scholarships through Admissions.

All Honors College students, including those who transfer in, are expected to complete the Honors College requirements and maintain progression and GPA requirements, all of which are outlined here.

While the curriculum requirements may look complicated, you will be assigned an advisor who specializes in the Honors curriculum to provide guidance on fulfilling requirements and graduating on time.

However, you will not retake courses you’ve already completed. Your advisor will help you navigate Honors curriculum and classes.

Courses you have previously taken will not count towards Honors requirements. Requirements of the Honors College curriculum can only be filled by classes taken through the South Carolina Honors College. Credit earned through AP, IB, dual enrollment or other first-year classes cannot fill Honors College requirements. However, you will not retake courses you’ve already completed. Your advisor will help you navigate Honors curriculum and classes.

In rare cases, current USC students may have completed a course in their first year that is pre-approved to fulfill the Beyond the Classroom requirement. Your advisor will help you determine if this is the case for you.

For example, Honors students must take at least 3 credits of an Honors social science course. Options include Honors versions of courses available to the general university, such as PSYC 101 or ECON 221, or signature Honors courses that are only available to Honors students, such as “A Recipe for Entrepreneurship: The Business of Food” or “Foundations of Public Health Leadership.”

We primarily look at work done at the college level. SAT and ACT scores and high school GPA factor very minimally into our decision.

If your GPA cannot or will not be at a 3.6 or greater by the end of your first year, you are ineligible to apply.

If you expect your GPA to be at or greater than 3.6 by the end of your first year, you are eligible to apply. The transfer review committee will check second semester grades during the application review process. If an applicant’s GPA has fallen below 3.6 after second semester grades have been posted, their application will become ineligible.

Students in their second semester as a full-time student are able to demonstrate a full year of academic success at the college level and have adequate time to complete the Honors requirements.

If you have unique circumstances that may affect your eligibility, such as beginning college in a spring semester or attending a university with a different credit system, please email Cami Reid at CamiReid@sc.edu.

The Honors College curriculum consists of 44 credit hours, intended to be completed in conjunction with coursework required by the Carolina Core and a student’s major over a period of three to four years. Honors students typically take two to three Honors courses each semester.

Because non-Honors courses completed during a student’s first year do not count toward the Honors requirements, transfer applicants must intend to remain at USC for two and a half to three years to allow for the completion of the Honors curriculum. 

While we do prefer faculty, it is to your advantage to ask for a letter of recommendation from an instructor who can best speak to your academic abilities and work ethic — and that may be a staff member or graduate student.

Letters of recommendation should be addressed to the Transfer Review Committee and in PDF format.

Content-wise, we expect that the letter will address your academic ability and academic work ethic.

No, to be equitable to all applicants, the questions will not be shared before the application opens.

If accepted, students will be connected with an advisor specializing in Honors curriculum to make schedule adjustments in the weeks following acceptance. Generally, this includes adding one to three Honors classes for the upcoming fall semester.

No, you are not required to live in Honors housing. It is also difficult to get into Honors housing in the semester immediately following your acceptance, as housing contracts have already been completed. However, you are welcome to apply for Honors housing options in future semesters. 

Being a student in the Capstone program does not, in and of itself, give you an advantage in transfer consideration, but Capstone students tend to be competitive transfer applicants. If you are accepted as a transfer student into the Honors College, you can be both a Capstone Scholar and an Honors College student if you choose. Note that there are fees associated with participation in both.

Because the Capstone Scholars program invites students based on the presence of a university scholarship, students who transfer into the Honors College will not lose their university scholarship. These scholarships are granted and revoked independently of the Capstone Scholars Program. Additionally, a student’s decision to accept transfer admission into the Honors College, whether in addition to or in place of the Capstone Scholars Program, will not affect their university scholarship.

The tuition rate does not change for members of the Honors College, meaning it does not cost more to take Honors courses.

Like many academic colleges at USC, the Honors College has a semesterly fee for all students. The current fee is set at $750 per semester. The fee primarily helps defray the costs of offering almost 600 Honors courses per year. It also allows the Honors College to fund student research, internships, study abroad, service learning and senior thesis grants. Other educational and social events that help to nurture the SCHC community are funded through the generosity of donors, our alumni and friends.

The Office of Financial Aid provides the full breakdown of the estimated cost to attend.

In addition to exploring our website, we encourage those interested in learning more about the South Carolina Honors College to:

Attend an on-campus information session

• You’ll hear from Honors Ambassadors and staff about academics, opportunities and day-to-day life in Honors –– with plenty of time for your questions. Sessions are offered Mondays and Fridays when classes are in session and can be booked through the Visitor Center.

Connect with an Honors Ambassador

• Have a specific question or just want to hear directly from a current student? Our Honors Ambassadors are excited to connect with you! Explore their profiles online and use the contact form to reach out for personalized insights about Honors and college life.