Academics
Southern Miss’s expansive academic programs are designed to power our students with the fundamental knowledge required to succeed in the professional world. We offer a wide variety of degrees in programs at the undergraduate and graduate level, including an extensive catalog of online courses and an International Studies program. Various learning centers and institutes are located on campus to enhance your academic experience. Expand your mind, solve problems, think independently, and gain an academic edge at Southern Miss.
In a tradition of academic leadership, Southern Miss has five colleges: the College of Arts and Letters; the College of Business; the College of Education and Psychology; the College of Health; and the College of Science and Technology. Within the five colleges, nearly 50 different academic departments offer a large number of degrees, providing the Southern Miss student with the comprehensive college education expected from the University that promotes the power of learning.
HONORS COLLEGE
The Honors College offers opportunities to students who demonstrate high academic potential, intellectual curiosity, and ambition.
Students who wish to be considered for admission to the University’s prestigious Honors College must make separate application to the Honors College and apply for general admission to the University.
All freshman applicants to the Honors College must have a minimum 26 composite ACT (or combined 1170 verbal/quantitative SAT) and a 3.25 cumulative grade point average.
All transfer applicants to the Senior Honors program must have a minimum cumulative 3.25 grade point average.
January 5th is the priority application deadline for admission to the Honors College and Senior Honors program. Applications received after this date will be reviewed on a competitive, space-available basis.
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Southern Miss is committed to preparing all graduates for success in today’s interdependent global village. Therefore, we offer a variety of programs so that virtually any student can study abroad, regardless of major or minor. Study-abroad offers you a chance to acquire the international experience so vital in today’s interconnected world – thereby enhancing your resumé– while you earn credit toward your Southern Miss degree. Moreover, you’ll have opportunities to visit historic landmarks you’ve always dreamed of seeing and to participate in another culture as you learn about local traditions.
CREDIT BY EXAMINATION
The University of Southern Mississippi will allow students to earn credit by examination under one or more of the following programs up to a total of 30 semester hours.
Credit earned through the use of the examination will be included in the 50 percent of the hours applied to a degree. “Limitation of Transfer Credits” rule and may not be used to meet the 25 percent of the hours applied to a degree from Southern Miss.
A student can earn no more than eight semester hours of credit in any subject area through test credit (to include AP, CLEP, IB, and challenge examinations).
College-Level Examination Program: A student of any age who has not earned college-level credit in the subject area in which he or she seeks credit can take a CLEP subject-area examination from any of the 34 subject area examinations offered by CLEP for advanced placement and college credit.
Subject Area Examination Southern Miss Course Equivalent Semester Hours
American Government PS 101 3
American History I and/or II HIS 201, 202 3/6
Biology BSC 110, 110L 4
Business Law, Introductory BA 200 3
Calculus, with Elementary MAT 167, MAT 168 3/6 Functions
Chemistry, General CHE 106, 106L; CHE 107, 107L 8
College Algebra MAT 101 3
*Freshman English ENG 101 3
Foreign Languages All languages 3-12
Information Systems & CSC 100 3
Computer Applications
Introductory Macro- ECO 201 3 economics
Introductory Micro- ECO 202 3 economics Sociology, Introductory SOC 101 3
Trigonometry MAT 103 3
Western Civilization I HIS 101, 102 3/6
and/or II
*Essay required. The respective department at Southern Miss will have final determination of the amount of credit to be awarded based on the essay.
CLEP credit cannot be used to remove an F grade. Credit will be awarded for a scaled score of 50 or above.* The essay is required for all English examinations. CLEP examinations in English can, with required scores, be substituted for ENG 101. The Department of English cannot accept CLEP examinations as substitutes for ENG 102. The appropriate department at Southern Miss will have final determination in the amount of credit to be awarded, based on the essay.
Under this program, students are restricted to a maximum of 30 semester hours, with not more than eight hours or two courses in one subject-matter area.* It is understood that the 30-hour total includes all credit earned by examination. The Office of Admissions will be charged with the responsibility of determining a student’s eligibility to earn credit through these examinations. Credit appearing on another institution’s transcript will be accepted as transfer credit only if it meets the above cited standards.
*Credit for all foreign languages will vary within a range score of 40-80 and may allow up to 12 semester hours’ credit.
Prior to June 2001, the following policies apply for the General Examination of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Credit for the General Examination will be restricted to students who have been out of high school for at least three years. A student who has earned more than 30 semester hours of college credit may not earn additional credit through the use of the General Examination. Credit will be awarded for each area in which the student receives a scale score of 500 or above. All English General Examinations taken between January 1978 and April 1986 require a score of 610 for credit. It will be the responsibility of the Office of Admissions to determine a person’s eligibility to receive credit.
Advanced Placement Program: All Advanced Placement examinations taken during or prior to, 1986 will receive three semester hours credit for scores of 3 or 4 and 6 semester hours of credit for a score of 5. All Advanced Placement examinations taken between 1987 and fall 2004, will receive three semester hours of credit for scores of 2 or 3 and 6 semester hours of credit for a score of 4 or 5. All Advanced Placement examinations taken in or after fall 2004, unless otherwise noted, will receive three semester hours of credit for a score of 3 and 6 semester hours of credit for scores of 4 or 5.
Listed below are the Advanced Placement examinations accepted by the university and the Southern Miss credits to be awarded.
AP Examinations Southern Miss Course Equivalent Credit
Art, Drawing ART 101, 102 3/6
*Biology (4-5) BSC 110, 110L; BSC 111, 111L 8
Chemistry CHE 106, 106L; 107, 107L 4/8
***Computer Science, A CSC Elec., CSC 101 3
Computer Science, AB CSC Elec., CSC 101 3
**Economics, Macro ECO 201 3
**Economics, Micro ECO 202 3
English Language or ENG 101, 102 3/6
Literature
French Language or FRE 101, 102 3/6
Literature
German GER 101, 102 3/6
**Gov’t. & Politics PS 101 3
U.S. or Comp.
History, American or U.S. HIS 201, 202 3/6
History, European HIS 101, 102 3/6
Latin LAT 101, 102 3/6
Math, Calculus, AB or BC MAT 167, 168 3/6
Music Theory MUS 101, 102 3/6
Spanish Language or SPA 101, 102 3/6
Literature
Physics B or C PHY 111, 111L, 112, 112L 4/8
Psychology PSY 110 3
*Beginning 1990 testing, biology scores or 4-5 will receive eight hours’ credit; scores of 1-3 will receive no credit.
**Scores of 3-5 will receive three hours’ credit.
***Scores of 3-CSC Elec.; 4 or 5-CSC 101
International Baccalaureate: Student receiving the IB diploma may receive up to 30 semester hours of credit for scores of 4 or better on both higher-level and standard-level examinations. Specific policies are determined by the academic unit for which credit is awarded.
IB Exam Exam Score of 4 Exam Score of 5-7
Advanced Math MAT 167 MAT 167/MAT 168
English A1 ENG 101 ENG 101/ENG 102
History or Europe HIS 101 HIS 101/HIS 102
History of Americas HIS 201 HIS 201/HIS 202
History HIS 101 HIS 101/HIS 102
Spanish B SPA 101 SPA 101/SPA 102
Psychology PSY 110 PSY 110
French FRE 101 FRE 101/FRE 102
German GER 101 GER 101/GER 102
Challenge Examination: Under the following policy, departments may grant credit by examination in lieu of class enrollment for courses where no CLEP subject area examination is offered.
a. The student must be currently enrolled or must be a former student of the university.
b. The examination must be given by the department through which the course is offered.
c. The student must make application to the chair of the department, who should be assured that the student has
had some formal or informal learning experience that has prepared the student for the examination.
d. If approval is granted, the department chair sends a memorandum by the student to the Office of the University Registrar giving the student permission to register for the course(s) on an arranged basis. The memorandum should include the student’s name and emplid, the course number(s), semester and year, semester hours of credit, and the name of the instructor.
e. The student should complete registration procedures and present the registration invoice to the department chair. NOTE: The $10 per semester hour fee is assessed above and beyond any additional course-related fees paid for the term.
f. The instructor of record will receive a regular grade roster at the end of the term for recording the final grade.
