Policy Guide

Act 629

Policy Guide to the Transfer of Students from South Carolina Colleges and Universities into Baccalaureate Programs at the Medical University of South Carolina.
 
Revised August 2001.

1. Definitions.

a) Transfer Student.

The Medical University defines a transfer student as someone seeking first-time admission into and someone entering her/his chosen upper-division baccalaureate program at the university with completion of lower-division course prerequisites.

b) General Admission Requirements.

All applicants to baccalaureate programs of the Medical University are required to meet these general requirements.

Applicants must complete a university application for admission and certify that the information provided is accurate.

Applicants must file a university application for admission according to filing deadlines.

Applicants must provide official transcripts of work completed at their high school of graduation and of all post-secondary work already completed at an accredited institution. (And prior to the end of their first semester of enrollment at the university, applicants must provide final official transcripts of work listed on the application as "in progress".) Work completed at non-accredited institutions will be subject to review by MUSC faculty on a course-by-course basis.

Applicants must request that official reports of standardized test scores be sent directly to Enrollment Services.

Applicants must request letters of reference/recommendation be sent directly to Enrollment Services.

Applicants must pay a non-refundable application processing fee for each application submitted.

Applicants must refile an entire application with new transcripts, letters, and test score reports and pay again the filing fee if not matriculated in the year of prior filing.

Applicants with more than 60 semester transferable applicable units and who otherwise meet academic eligibility requirements will receive advanced (i.e., upper-division) standing based on any of those additional units which are at the upper-division level and which meet program degree requirements (including free electives).

Applicants not in full compliance with admission requirements are subject to withdrawal from further consideration by the university.

Conditional admission status is occasionally but rarely awarded to a very limited number of applicants who have not yet fulfulled all admission requirements because of extenuating circumstances but who demonstrate to the faculty a preponderance of evidence that they are eligible to succeed. Conditional status must be resolved early in the enrollment period, in the manner stipulated in writing by the university at the time of admission. Non-compliance with all admission requirements will result in withdrawal of the original offer of admission.

Non-resident applicants from South Carolina colleges and universities are subject to higher index levels of eligibility for admission than are resident applicants from those same colleges and universities.

c) Program Admission Requirements.

In addition the the university's general admission requirements, applicants to the undergraduate programs must also meet prerequisite requirements as follows.

For a listing of technical college courses that meet these prerequisite requirements, see item #5 below.

Program Requirements for Bachelor of Health Sciences

Application Procedures

Term of admission: Spring, Summer, Fall (beginning in the fall semester is advised)
 
Application filing date: Continuous
 
For additional information, (843) 792-9265.

Entrance Requirements

Admissions will be in accordance with the general entrance requirements for the College of Health Professions. SAT/ACT scores should be submitted if available, but may be waived if the test has never been taken. In addition, applicants must demonstrate:

1.  Graduation from an approved training program in a health care discipline with a 2.0 cumulative grade point average, and a 2.5 grade point average in all professional and science courses.

2.  Certification/licensure in a health care discipline, or eligibility to challenge such examinations/requirements (where applicable). Successful credentialing is required prior to graduation if not present upon entry. Students with health care experience but no specific health related credential may request admissions consideration.

3.  Applicants should have completed a minimum of 21.0 semester hours of the 60.0 general education hours required for the degree prior to seeking admission. These should include:

	Course	Semester Hours
	English composition and literature	6.0 s.h.
	College math (may be college algebra)	3.0 s.h.
	Science	6.0 s.h.
	Social sciences and/or humanities	6.0 s.h.

It is highly recommended that applicants include public speaking or a similar communication course as one of the required humanities courses. When applicable, applicants also should have completed or have become eligible for certification, registration or licensure in a health care discipline.

Degree Requirements
Three components combine to meet the 130 semester hours requirement for a Bachelor of Health Sciences degree. At least 25 percent of semester credits applied toware the degree must be earned at the Medical University of South Carolina.

1.  Previous professional training - From 5 to 30 semester hours may be credited for previous professional education, determined by program length, number of didactic professional credits earned, and degree level of the program.

2.  General education courses - From 60 to 90 semester hours of course work (transferred in or completed during or after MUSC enrollment) are required. Applicants should complete a minimum of 21.0 semester hours prior to admission in specific course categories.

	Course	Semester Hours
	English	6
	Mathematics (college algebra)	3
	Sciences	20
	Social Sciences - from at least two of the following: anthropology, business administration, computer, science, economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology	9
	Humanities - from at least two of the following: communications, education, fine arts, foreign language, literature, philosophy, speech	9
	Electives - Management 101 or equivalent for those concentrating in management	13-43
	Must include CPT-101 or the equivalent. Accounting, speech, additional science, social science, and humanities recommended.
	Total Hours	60-90

Credits may be transferred through College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or other recognized suitable testing procedures. Applicants' transcripts are individually evaluated and counseling is provided to review specific degree requirements and to design individualized curriculum plans. Students must complete at least 32 semester hours (one curriculum year) enrolled in the College of Health Professions to qualify for the Bachelor of Health Sciences degree, regardless of course work and credits accepted through previous professional training or general education courses.

3.  Undergraduate Health Sciences Curriculum, Medical University Courses - Includes a 40 semester hour sequence of MUSC course work designed to prepare health professionals to meet the needs of a changing health care environment and to assume leadership positions in their professional roles. Courses in health care system, leadership, communication information systems, and ethics allow students the flexibility to design meaningful educational experiences of value to their specific career goals.

 

Program Requirements for Bachelor of Science in Cardiovascular Perfusion

Term of admission: Fall
 
Application filing deadline: Regular Admission - January 1, Late Admission - July 1
 
For additional information, (843) 792-2298.

PREQUISITES

	Course	Quarter Hours	Semester Hours
	English(composition)	9	6
	Mathematics (6 s.h. recommended)	4.5	3
	Statistics	4.5	3
	Biology - includes lab	6	4
	Anatomy - includes lab	6	4
	General Chemistry - includes lab	12	8
	Organic Chemistry - includes lab	6	4
	General Physics - includes lab	6	4
	Social Sciences - from at least two of the following: anthropology, computer science, economics, history, political science, psychology, and sociology	13.5	9
	Humanities - from at least two of the following: education, fine arts, foreign language, literature, philosophy, speech, communications	13.5	9
	Electives -accounting, speech, additional science, social science, and humanities recommended	9	6
	Total Hours	90	60

Program Requirements for Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Application Procedures

Term of admission: Spring, Fall
 
Application filing date for RN-BSN: Spring: September 15; Fall: February 1
 
Application filing date for Accelerated BSN: Fall: February 1
 
Application filing date for RN-BSN at Francis Marion University: June 1
 
Application filing date for Traditional BSN at Francis Marion University: February 1
 
RN applicants must also submit proof of graduation from a pre-professional NLN-accredited school of nursing, and a photocopy of their current RN license (from one of the United States or its jurisdictions).RN applicants must be licensed in South Carolina by their initial enrollment date in the College of Nursing.
Recent graduates of associate degree and diploma programs may be granted acceptance pending results of the licensure examination.
 
Graduates of non-NLN-accredited schools may be admitted on a provisional basis. Upon satisfactory completion of 12 semester hours of upper division nursing course work, the provisional status is removed.
 
For additional information, call (843) 792-8721 (Enrollment Services) or (843) 792-8515 (Program).

PREREQUISITES

	Course	Semester Hours
	English Composition/Literature	6
	Life Span Human Development	3
	Anatomy	4
	Physiology	4
	General Microbiology	4
	Statistics	3
	Science Electives	4
	Social Sciences/Humanities	15
	Electives	17
	TOTAL	60

Four-year college and university courses meeting these prerequisite requirements can be found here.

2. Limitations.

a) Standardized test scores (ACT, SAT,CLEP, MAT, TOEFL [for applicants whose prior instruction was in a language other than English], and GRE [when it can substitute in some programs for the ACT or SAT test]) are subject to these limitations.

Scores from only one sitting will be used but may be from the sitting that generated scores most advantageous to the applicant.
 
There is no university-imposed time limit on the age of the scores. (The GRE program limits scores to a 5-year life, however.)

b) CLEP credit is allowed and follows recommendations of the American Council on Education.

c) Military credit is allowed and follows recommendations of the American Council on Education.

d) Advanced Placement credit is allowed when it is found on the official transcript of an accredited college or university that has awarded the credit. The Medical University does not itself directly award credit for advanced placement.

e) Foreign institution course credit is awarded when found on an accredited U.S. college or university transcript and when it is part of that U.S. institution's international exchange program.

f) Foreign institution course credit not part of a U.S. program is awarded based on a course-by-course recommendation of a bona fide transcript evaluation agency service. (Note: the applicant pays the agency directly for this service.) The transcript must be an offical translation into English.

g) Non-accredited institution course credit is only awarded following evaluation and recommendation by Medical University faculty.

h) Work satisfactorily completed elsewhere while the student is under suspension is not credited toward the degree although it may give evidence of eligibility for admission or readmission.

i) Substandard work completed elsewhere is not awarded credit.

3. Maximum Transfer Credit Allowed.
The Medical University requires that at least 25% of all work completed toward its degree be completed at MUSC. There is no other specific limitation on the number of transfer credits awarded. However, the baccalaureate programs will accept for prerequisite credits only a specific number of credits used to calculate admission eligibility.

Cardiovascular Perfusion, and Nursing will calculate no more than 60 prerequisite units; and health sciences will calculate between 60 and 90 units, only.

4. Calculation of Transfer Grade Averages.
Entering grade averages are calculated only to determine admission eleigibility. None of these averages is ever included in the Medical University grade average.

a) Several averages may be used to determine eligibility.

Grades of WD, WF, INC are not calculated.
 
Grades in science courses required as prerequisites are calculated as the "Science Key GPA".
 
Grades in science courses are calculated as the "Science GPA."
 
Grades in all work attempted (including repeated courses) are calculated as the "Overall GPA".
 
Grades in all courses that are prerequisite to the program are calculated as the "Key GPA".

b) There is no limit imposed by the Medical University on the age of transfer grades.

5. Technical College Courses.
The Medical University accepts the following courses from South Carolina technical colleges:

SC Technical College Courses Which Will Meet Prerequisite Requirements

The Medical University offers no lower-division courses; therefore, there are no equivalencies for these courses on the university's campus. "Free elective" courses are accepted as follows:

Technical College Courses Transferable to Public Senior Institutions

6. Articulation Agreements.
The Medical University has no articulation agreement with any other South Carolina college or university for any of its baccalaureate programs.

7. Transfer Officer.
The Medical University's transfer officer is:

Sandra Morris, Registrar
Office of Enrollment Management
Medical University of South Carolina
41 Bee Street
P.O. Box 250203
Charleston, SC 29425

tel: (843) 792-8720
fax: (843) 792-6615
internet: morriss@musc.edu

8. Academic Bankruptcy.
The Medical University does not forgive academic records of failed or underachieving students. While it does require that repeated courses be calculated into the prerequisite grade average, it does not allow credits earned in repeated courses to add to prerequisite admission totals or to count toward the degree.

9. Residency Requirement.
See item #3 above.