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Professional MBA Program

New (Recently Admitted) Student Information

Welcome to the Professional MBA (PMBA) Program at the Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina.  The Information provided here is designed to assist you with registering for classes, and to provide other information about the PMBA Program.  If you have any questions about the information provided or any other issues, please call the PMBA Program Manager at (803) 777-9890 in Columbia or (800) 950-7622 from elsewhere.

Please complete a locator form  so we will have your e-mail address and can add you to the PMBA e-mail list.  This form should also be used to update us of any changes to your contact information at any time.

Information concerning policies and/or regulations governing the PMBA Program can be found  in the  PMBA Program Policy Statement.

All other official policies and procedures governing the PMBA Program (as all other graduate programs at USC) are included in the Graduate Bulletin .

If you have any questions about registration, please contact our office at (803) 777-9890. 

New and recently admitted students will find the following information helpful:

 

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General Information

Incoming students are strongly encouraged to develop proficiency in the use of Microsoft's EXCEL software prior to entering the program.  All PMBA students are required to have access to an Internet e-mail account and Web Browser for communication with professors and the PMBA Office.  You will also need "high-speed" access to the internet for back-up viewing of classes through our video streaming capabilities.  All televised week-night classes are available on the internet for up to three weeks after the original class.

Please use the appropriate code for your viewing location when registering.  Information for each viewing site can be found here .    All students must register for the section where they normally view their courses.  You should register online through the University's VIP  Page at: http://vip.sc.edu  (ID: your SSN, PIN: old USC PIN or birth month and day in four digits).  If you are told that you need to satisfy the immunization requirements, the form can be downloaded at this  link .  You should also contact your site cordinator ahead of time to get specific class location information.  The " site technical information " link will give you the correct frequency (channel) and the "talkback" line to use when calling in to the studio during class.

Registration is completed online and fee payment by electronic check is strongly recommended.  Your registration may be cancelled if fees are not paid by the indicated due dates. If you decide not to take a course after registration, you must remove yourself from the class (otherwise you may be billed for the course and receive the appropriate grade).  ECT (Electronic Check Transfer) fee payment is the recommended method of payment. You can still pay fees at the VIP site with a credit card, but a "courtesy fee" will be charged for the credit card use. (If you wish to use ECT for fee payment, required information and a required printable form are available at  http://www.sc.edu/bursar/forms.html . Print and fill out the form, and send it to the designated address with a voided check two weeks before the time you wish to pay your fees. Then you can use the VIP site and request payment by Electronic Check.) 

When paying by check, please make your check payable to: University of South Carolina, and include on the check: "Tuition for - and the last four digits of your SSN".  Then mail the check to:

University of S.C. Bursar's Office
1521 Green Street (Room 206)
Columbia, SC 29208

If you are a regular PMBA student, when you register for classes, the correct amount you should be billed for each class as tuition is $1,566 if you are a state resident, and $1,740 if you are a non-resident student.  It may take as much as two weeks after your inital "admission" for the correct amount for tuition to be indicated on your bill.  This is due to the steps involved to have you updated in all computer systems to "PMBA" status.  Any other amount you may see is not accurate, and you should not pay your fees until the amount is corrected (please call 803.777.9890).  If you have already paid, and the bill was not correct, it will be adjusted, and you may have additional fees due.  If you are a resident and are classified as a non-resident, you probably need to complete a "Residency Certification Form,"  which can be downloaded at the following PDF (Adobe) link: Residency Certification Form .

If you need a receipt, you can call the Office of Financial Services at 777-4233 and press "9" when the VRU answers.  You can also request a receipt via e-mail at mkjaco@gwm.sc.edu (include your SSN and the address where you want to receive the receipt.) 

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Special Notes

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Steaming Video

All televised PMBA Classes are viewable over the Internet within 24 hours of the live broadcast.  This system is designed as a backup/review capability, and not as a primary means of viewing and completing PMBA Program courses.  All students are expected to attend classes when they are broadcast live, and to participate in class discussion and question and answer sessions.  Classes are normally kept on the Streaming server throughout the semester.

To use this system, you must have a high-speed Internet connection (cable or DSL are recommended) and Microsoft Media Player  (free download).  The Web site is at: http://video.sc.edu , then click on the Moore School of Business link. When you select a class for viewing or for download, you are asked to enter a "User Name" and "Password", which are, respectively, "pmba" and "QUALITY#2007".  Both are case sensitive with no quotation marks, and must be typed instead of cut-and-paste.

To download a class for later viewing on your PC, you should right-click over "Download" and then select "save file as" as the option desired. Then save it to your hard-drive.

Due to the demands on this system, it may be necessary to try several times before actually connecting or securing a reasonable download speed.  If you continue to have difficulty, please click on the "Report Trouble" link on the left side of the "streaming video" page, and let the experts assist you.

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Course Sequencing

The first year of the Professional MBA Program is structured to provide an adequate foundation for more advanced graduate business course work. Required PMBA classes are typically offered once in each academic year due to space scheduling and channel allocation limitations. Therefore, students are strongly encouraged to register for classes as outlined in the course sequence sheet for the term they enter the program.  Sequence sheets by term can be viewed at these links:   Fall , Spring I  .  Contact the PMBA Program Manager for advisement if desired.

If you find it necessary to deviate from the course sequence, please contact the PMBA Program Manager for academic advisement. Advisement will ensure that you continue to make efficient progress in the program and that all program requirements are satisfied. 

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Registration Information

Before you can register, you must send to the student health center proof of immunization. An immunization form can be accessed through the student health services page at   http://www.sa.sc.edu/shs/form/New_Imm_Form.pdf .

To register for classes, you need to enter the VIP system at: https://vip.sc.edu/ and use your SSN as your ID and the PIN number will be your old USC PIN if you were previously a USC student, or your birth month and day in four digits if you have never been a USC Student.  The "term" to use in vip for the PMBA Program terms are as follows:

PMBA Fall Term - VIP Fall Term
PMBA Spring I Term - VIP Spring Term
PMBA Spring II Term - VIP Spring Term (Add classes to Spring I schedule if you took Spring I Courses)
PMBA Summer Term - VIP Summer II Term

Section information to use when registering is listed in a separate table, based on the viewing location where students attend classes.  Each student should register for the appropriate section where they will attend their classes. Section Information

Specific registration information for each term is indicated at one of the following "term" links:

Fall Term 2008  
Spring I Term 2009    
Summer Term 2009   (When available)

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Parking information (Columbia Campus)

Parking on the Columbia campus can be problematic at times.  Most students find available parking on the public streets around the Moore School of Business without too much difficulty.  Parking maps and vehicle registration information for USC parking facilities are available at the Parking Services web site at:   http://www.sc.edu/vmps/park.html .

Metered parking on the public streets requires no payment after 6:00pm on weekdays, and not at all on Saturdays. 

Some campus parking areas, like the parking area in the basement of the Moore School of Business, are reserved spaces (24 hours a day).  Your vehicle can be ticketed, or even towed, if you park in a reserved space without specific permission from the "owner" of the space.

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Important Phone Numbers Registration Difficulties: Registrar's Office 803-777-5555;   PMBA Program Manager 803-777-9890

Fee payment problems -- 803-777-4233

Tuition Receipts -- 803-777-4234 or mkjaco@gwm.sc.edu

Immunization -- 803-777-9511: Immunization Form

Legal Residency Questions - 803-777-4060; Residency Certification Form

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