General Undergraduate Admission Requirements
Note: Not all Online Program offerings are available to residents of all U.S. states. Please contact an admissions representative for further information.
To be admitted to any of the undergraduate programs at South University, the prospective student must provide proof of high school graduation as recognized by the state of residence on the date the degree was earned, or the equivalent in which a diploma was earned, with a minimum CGPA of 1.5 on a 4.0 scale within 5 weeks of the start date (refer to Conditional Acceptance). Students providing a GED must meet the minimum required test score deemed as passing in each section as required at the time of testing.
The prospective student must also complete the university administered placement tests within the first quarter of attendance. South University accepts the International Baccalaureate Program diploma as meeting the requirement for high school graduation. Credentials earned outside the United States must be evaluated by a NACES or AICE-member credential evaluation service. Please speak with an admissions representative for more information.
Students with less than the minimum CGPA of 1.49 on a 4.0 scale may meet admissions requirements by submitting a minimum combined SAT (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and Math) score of 700 or 900 on the SAT requiring an essay portion, a combined ACT score of 18, or meet the criteria established for acceptance as a transfer student.
Students with a CGPA between 1.49 to 1.0 on a 4.0 scale may be admitted provisionally for two quarters. Failure to achieve a 1.5 CGPA in the first two quarters of attendance will result in dismissal. Students may appeal the dismissal by following the Procedures for Appealing Academic/Financial Aid Dismissal Policy.
Students with less than a 1.0 on a 4.0 scale do not meet the admissions requirements for South University.
Acceptable verification of high school graduation or the equivalent would include a high school transcript (official or unofficial), or GED scores and state-authorized examination scores (ex. HiSET, TASC). In states that maintain a database that serves as an official registry of high school and GED graduates, an excerpt from the official database documenting the student's graduation or GED completion may be used.
Campuses in South Carolina must be provided with official high school transcripts or GED scores.
Please see the policy on GPA Calculation for Admission for additional information
Conditional Acceptance
Students may be conditionally accepted by submitting unofficial copies of documentation required for the admission requirements. Conditional acceptance is allowed for 5 weeks beyond the start of the student’s first session. Failure to provide acceptable, official documentation, as stated in the admissions requirements, within 5 weeks from the start date will result in the following:
- Removal from class
- Cancelation of enrollment
- No final course grades
- No transcript
Students who do not provide acceptable documents for full, unconditional acceptance within the 5 week period will not be responsible for tuition and related fees. South University may grant exceptions to the 5 week period for unusual situations or circumstances. All exceptions must be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar for approval.
Admission of Transfer Students
Note: Not all Online Program offerings are available to residents of all U.S. states. Please contact an admissions representative for further information.
To be eligible for admission, transfer students must complete the application procedures and satisfy the following criteria:
- Submit a completed application for admission.
- Have earned 24 or more credit hours, or the equivalent (e.g. 16 semester hours), with a cumulative GPA of 1.5 from an acceptable accredited collegiate institution.
- Submit official transcripts (including verifiable faxed transcripts) from all colleges and universities attended.
- Submit self-certification of high school graduation or GED completion.
For transfer of credit practices refer to the applicable section under the Academic Affairs section of this catalog.
To be admitted as a Transfer student into South University the prospective student must have earned 24 or more quarter credit hours or the equivalent (e.g. 16 semester hours), with a cumulative GPA of 1.5 from an acceptable accredited collegiate institution. Official transcripts from the collegiate institution(s) must be received within 5 weeks of the start date (refer to Conditional Acceptance), and who are not required to take ENG0099 and/or MAT0099, will be exempt from taking the UVC1000 Strategies for Success. Students will select another 4 credit course in consultation with their Academic Advisor or Academic Counselor to fulfill the degree requirements.
Students with 24 or more quarter credits with a CGPA of between 1.49 to 1.0 may be admitted provisionally for two quarters. Failure to achieve a 1.5 GPA in the first two quarters of attendance will result in dismissal. Students may appeal the dismissal by following the Procedures for Appealing Academic/Financial Aid Dismissal Policy.
Students who are citizens of countries other than the United States should refer to the section entitled International Student Admissions Policy.
Students who are transferring from or to a school within the University of North Carolina or the North Carolina Community College System should be aware of the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement approved by both governing Boards on March 1, 1996 and revised in September of 2008. This agreement may be found in its entirety at the following website.
For additional admissions information please see the admissions section here.
Offered at Austin, Columbia, Montgomery, Online Programs, Richmond, Savannah, Tampa, Virginia Beach, and West Palm Beach.
Note: Not all Online Program offerings are available to residents of all U.S. states. Please contact an admissions representative for further information.
The Bachelor of Business Administration degree program focuses on preparing students with the knowledge and skills they will need to pursue entry-level positions in business. With courses such as Strategic Management (MGT4070), Operations Management (MGT3059) and Business Simulation (BUS4098) students can discover how to adapt business strategies to accommodate changing marketplace conditions. Courses that include Project Management (MGT3035), Organizational Behavior (MGT3002) and Leadership (MGT3102) are designed to provide students with opportunities to understand and apply effective leadership skills. Through case studies and intensive projects, students will have the opportunity to gain the ability to assess organizational needs and implement effective improvement scenarios.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to determine the extent of information needed, assess the needed information, evaluate information and its sources critically, use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose, and access and use information ethically and legally.
- Demonstrate an ability to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing, their understanding of and solutions for common business problems.
- Demonstrate effective teamwork and communication skills when working with team members with diverse backgrounds and abilities to realize important business objectives.
- Demonstrate an ability to apply quantitative analysis and critical thinking skills to analyze business problems within and across functional business disciplines to positively affect financial performance.
- Demonstrate attainment of discipline-specific knowledge and the practical skills to be effective in entry-level positions.
Bachelor of Business Administration: 180 Credits
Area I General Education Requirements: 48 Credits
Professional Development
Quarter Credits : 4
This course equips students with the essential tools for success in both academic and professional environments. Through the identification of academic resources and the development of resiliency skills, students will gain strategies to overcome challenges and achieve long-term goals. The course also highlights the role of critical thinking as a cornerstone for decision-making and goal attainment, preparing students to navigate complex academic and professional landscapes with confidence and integrity.
Quarter Credits : 4
Basic Communications
Students will be introduced to college-level writing processes, particularly planning, writing, and revising essays. Emphasis will be placed on refining individual skills, exploring types of essays, developing effective writing styles, voices, and procedures, and gaining insight on personal growth as a writer. A minimum grade of C is required to pass this course.
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Choose one additional course from the list below:
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Mathematics and Statistics
The course is designed to develop the concepts needed for College Algebra II using graphs and applications to motivate students and provide real-world examples. The course covers the solution of systems of linear equations, exponents and polynomials, factoring, rational expressions, functions, and quadratic equations.
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Statistics provides students with lecture and extensive practice in the concepts of descriptive and inferential statistics. The course emphasizes practical calculation and application. It begins with sample statistics and population parameters, proceeds to measures of central tendency, dispersion, and position, introduces the least-squares best-fit line and several key probability distributions, and concludes with the sampling distribution of sampling means, and hypothesis testing. MyStatLab or a comparable resource may be required in the course.
Quarter Credits : 4
Natural Sciences (choose one)
Principles of Biology I is the first in a two-course sequence in biology. The course introduces scientific methods, biological chemistry, cells, energy for life, basic genetics, biotechnology, and the principles of evolution. Students will also complete writing assignments that develop their skills as scientifically literate citizens.
Quarter Credits : 4
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to fundamental chemistry concepts and their applications. Students will explore essential terminology, the scientific method, atomic structure, chemical kinetics, and radioactivity, while learning how to classify matter, understand ideal gas law relationships, and identify acids, bases, and salts. Students will gain a solid foundation in chemistry, preparing them for further scientific studies.
Quarter Credits : 4
Arts and Humanities
This interdisciplinary course explores the relationship between social identity, individual perception, and social institutions in shaping the self and influencing how we engage with others. Students will define key concepts related to social identity and social responsibility, analyze how social institutions affect individual and collective perceptions, and develop strategies for promoting cultural humility and social responsibility. Through critical reflection and discussion, students will gain a deeper understanding of how social structures and personal experiences intersect to influence ways of seeing the world.
Quarter Credits : 4
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Area II Foundation Requirements: 36 Credits
ACC1001 is the first of a three-course sequence focusing on how stakeholders rely upon accounting information to assist them in their decision-making activities. ACC1001 introduces accounting as the "language of business" the tool used to communicate the effects of an organization's business activities on its income, financial position, and cash flows. The course provides an overview of the financial accounting system, including: the role of accounting in business; the format, content, and use of financial statements; the impact of transactions on the financial statements; the regulatory environment of accounting; and the accounting standard-setting process.
Quarter Credits : 4
ACC1002 is the second of a three-course sequence focusing on how stakeholders rely upon accounting information to assist them in their decision-making activities. ACC1002 continues the study of the financial accounting system, including a study of the time value of money and the effects of various financing, investing, and operating activities on a firm's earnings, financial position, and cash flows. It also begins the study of managerial accounting systems as an invaluable source of information to support managers' decision-making activities and introduces a host of alternative cost concepts, including the concept of different costs for different purposes.
Quarter Credits : 4
ACC1003 is the third of a three-course sequence focusing on how stakeholders rely upon accounting information to assist them in their decision-making activities. ACC1003 continues the study of the managerial accounting system, including a focused study of product costing using both traditional and activity-based approaches, the uses of cost-based information in decision making, the use of budgeting to accomplish organization objectives, traditional and contemporary approaches to performance management for all levels of responsibility centers, and capital budgeting.
Quarter Credits : 4
Business Law I provides a foundation of the U.S. legal system and its interrelationship to business and ethics the legal and ethical considerations of business operations. Topics include the legal environment, operation of the legal system, completion of contracts, torts, constitutional law, criminal law, and intellectual property.
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
This course is designed to prepare students to organize and compose effective business correspondence and operations. Focus will be on various types of business communication encountered in management functions, including creating documents, preparing presentations, managing meetings, providing leadership, and building teams. The course will address both internal and external organizational communications as well as professional career preparation.
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Area III Major Requirements: 48 Credits
Core
Quarter Credits : 4
The course presents a comprehensive study of advanced legal topics in commercial transactions for students interested in pursuing careers in accounting or other professions, which require detailed understanding of business law concepts. Topics covered include types of business organizations, securities regulations, sales, negotiable instruments, secured transactions, bankruptcy, insurance, accountants' liability and employment law.
Quarter Credits : 4
This course is designed to provide students with a sound conceptual understanding of the role that quantitative analysis plays in the decision-making process. It emphasizes the application of a variety of techniques to the solution of business and economic problems to help students become effective users and evaluators of quantitative and qualitative information in making decisions.
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
This course covers the decision-making principles of accounting and finance in an integrated manner. Material includes the recognition and understanding of the estimates and assumptions underlying financial statements.
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
This course will provide the student with an understanding of the main principles of project management. It will provide real-world examples of how and when to apply these principles, including financial, accounting, and budgeting considerations. An overview and usage of project planning software package will also be provided.
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
This capstone course is intended to integrate subject matter from more specialized business courses and related areas of study to help students develop conceptual skills needed in management. Major topics include the development of organizational strategy, decision making within a strategic framework, the planning process, formulation of objectives and policies, and the management of change. Use of the case method will draw significantly on students' prior management study and experience. Students will review business concepts for all areas of the business curriculum and demonstrate proficiency in the common professional components required of effective business managers and leaders through a standardized business test.
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Elective Pool (twelve courses or 48 credit hours)
Transfer students may transfer any course to help fulfill the elective pool requirements, provided the course meets the standards of the Credit for Transcripted and Non-transcripted Work policy found in the Academic Affairs section of this catalog.
Non-transfer students, with their advisor's consultation and approval may choose courses from any department recommended and listed course or more broadly from any course offered by South University. Work from other fields must include any required prerequisite courses in the elective field.
A course can be used to meet only one requirement in Area I, Area II, or Area III, but not simultaneously in two areas. Students should work with their academic advisor or counselor to be sure they are making appropriate course choices.
Choose eight courses from the following list:
Suggested Electives:
This course provides students with an integrated view of business processes/cycles, information processes, and accounting procedures. Topics may include how business and information processes impact business strategy, with internal controls embedded to mitigate different types of risk. Emphasis is placed on linkages between financial and managerial accounting techniques and business processes.
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
This course examines ethical considerations specific to the IT industry through a systematic approach of the basic principles of ethics and the relationship of these principles to a technological and global society. It also explores ethical decision-making and practical applications of ethics in society.
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4
Quarter Credits : 4