University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA

Overview

History, Affiliations & Rankings

One of the few colleges to earn the top-tier designation for Research and Community Engagement, the University of South Carolina is a premier public research institution founded in 1801. A pre-civil war era establishment, it has a long history of producing in-demand graduates while working towards improving the standard of education in the state. It also ranks among the best colleges for international students in the USA. Ranked no. 1 in International Experience by Financial Times, the university provides one of the best first-year experiences and a comprehensive orientation programme is in place to ease students into life at college.

Infrastructure, Campus & Courses

The university started from just a cluster of buildings, called Horseshoe, which now forms the heart of what is one of the best campuses in the USA, its flagship campus in Columbia, SC. The Columbia campus along with 7 others — Aiken, Beaufort, Upstate, Lancaster, Salkehatchie, Sumter and Union — form the University of South Carolina System, that spreads across 19 different locations in the state. The university system offers over 450 on-campus and online programmes, including 56 nationally-ranked academic programmes. It is known for providing an all-round educational experience that not just focuses on academic excellence but trains graduates who are motivated to take on global challenges. A research-oriented approach is maintained at the university, with focus laid on Health Sciences, Energy, and Environment and Sustainability. There is ample on-campus housing for international students at the University of South Carolina. It encourages students to live on campus and provides beautiful, spacious rooms for students, backed with facilities such as food services, ethernet, cable, libraries, computer lab, and sports and recreation facilities. Plenty of off-campus housing is also available in the scenic city of Columbia, and students can take the help of Off-Campus Student Services to find affordable apartments.

Accomplishments & Alumni

At the University of South Carolina, the faculty members and students are engaged in research work under various disciplines like health care, environment, alternative energy sources etc with the sole purpose to tackle global problems. The USC faculty members have been offered more than  $242 million as sponsored awards since the past five decades for R&D. The alumni of University of South Carolina stays connected with each other even after years of passing out. Various events and seminars are conducted on a regular basis for the alumni team and the same is updated on the University website. The alumni also play an essential role in the growth and development of the university in whatever way they can.

Student Diversity & Visiting Companies

With more than 30,000 students enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at the University of South Carolina, diversity is at its heart. This student body includes 1,891 international students who come from 48 different countries, including India, China, Saudi Arabia, etc. The University of South Carolina is a well-reputed university with a diverse spectrum of students. It has a research-oriented approach to study, affordable tuition fees, great scholarships and a welcoming atmosphere for freshmen, making it one of the best colleges in the USA for international students.

COVID-19 Response 

The University of South Carolina is all set with necessary guidelines and steps to restart it’s on-campus learning programmes from January 2021. For this, the campus space and classrooms areas are properly arranged to maintain social distancing and the following guidelines need to be followed: 

•  Face covering is mandatory without which students will not be allowed to enter the classroom. 

• The capacity of classrooms, lectures rooms, meeting rooms and seminar halls are adjusted. The classroom sessions will be held with not more than 100 students. 

• The university has also released guidelines for students, faculty and staff members to get COVID-19 testing done before return to the campus. On-campus weekly testing will begin from the last week of January. 

• Group gathering is strongly discouraged and everyone is required to maintain social distancing.

• The University of South Carolina is not only concerned about the physical health of everyone but is also keeping a check on the mental well being of everyone. Students are encouraged to join in group discussions on online mediums. Also, there are counsellors available for any help and assistance.