South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 62 - STATE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Article I - LICENSING NONPUBLIC POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Section 62-11 - Program and Instructor Requirements for Associate Degree Programs

A. Associate degree programs are lower-division college programs which typically consist of courses that full-time students may complete in a minimum of two academic years, i.e., six to eight academic quarters or four academic semesters. Courses offered in non-traditional formats, e.g., concentrated or abbreviated time periods, must be designed to ensure an opportunity for preparation, reflection, and analysis concerning the subject matter. At least one calendar week of reflection and analysis should be provided to students for each semester hour of credit awarded (or equivalent for a quarter schedule so that a four-and-one-half quarter hour course could be offered in no less than three weeks or a three quarter-hour course could be offered in no less than two weeks).

B. The curriculum shall consist of at least ninety quarter hours or sixty semester hours and, except for a highly specialized curriculum, a maximum generally of one hundred ten quarter credit hours or seventy-three semester credit hours of instruction. The curriculum must include a minimum of fifteen semester hours or equivalent in general education courses to include at least one (three semester-hour) course in each of the following areas: the humanities/fine arts, the social/behavioral sciences, and the natural sciences/mathematics. The curriculum must provide components designed to ensure competence in reading, writing, oral communication, fundamental mathematical skills, and basic use of computers.

C. The Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees primarily prepare the student to transfer to an upper-division baccalaureate degree program. To qualify as a transfer program, a minimum of fifty percent of credit hours required for completion of that program shall consist of college-level courses in the arts and sciences.

D. Occupational degrees must include at least fifty percent of quarter or semester hours of related technical course instruction.

E. Associate degree programs designed primarily for immediate employment should be designated as an Associate in Applied Science degree, or other appropriate title, and identified with a specialty designation. This identification of a specialty or major implies relevant preparation for employment in a specific area of work (e.g., Associate in Applied Science, Computer Technology).

F. Remedial/developmental/deficiency/refresher courses shall not be credited toward a degree.

G. Faculty members who teach general education courses (humanities/fine arts, social/behavioral sciences and natural sciences/mathematics) or professional, occupational, and technical courses designed for college transfer must have completed at least eighteen graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline and hold at least a master's degree or hold the minimum of the master's degree with a major in the teaching discipline. Exceptions to academic preparation may be made only with the prior consent of the Commission.

H. Faculty members who teach courses in professional, occupational, and technical areas that do not usually result in college transfer or in the continuation of students in senior institutions, must possess appropriate academic preparation (usually a bachelor's degree) or academic preparation coupled with work experience. The minimum academic degree for faculty teaching in professional, occupational and technical areas must be in a related field and at the same level at which the faculty member is teaching. Exceptions to academic preparation may be made only with the prior consent of the Commission.

I. An institution must employ faculty members whose highest earned degree presented as the credential qualifying the faculty member to teach at the institution is from an institution accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Exceptions may be made only with the prior consent of the Commission.

J. Notwithstanding the above requirements, the Commission may license out-of-state institutions accredited by a recognized accrediting agency to recruit in South Carolina.