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CHE Adds USC Industrial Design, Earth Science Degrees in Columbia

Published November 6, 2026 at 9:18 am | By HERE Columbia, Staff Reporter

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — State higher-education regulators cleared a fresh slate of degrees Thursday, November 5, greenlighting 17 programs across nine campuses during the Commission on Higher Educations Columbia meeting.

University of South Carolina Columbia gained two of those slots: a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design described as the states first industrial design degree, plus a Master of Science in Earth and Environmental Science that expands the existing graduate work in geological sciences with dedicated concentrations.

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Commission materials list the Columbia office at 1122 Lady St. Suite 400. Officials tied every approval to priority jobs flagged in South Carolinas statewide education-and-workforce plan, with additional AI, nursing, biomedical, and health-tech offerings at Clemson, the College of Charleston, and other campuses.

CHE Director of Academic Affairs and Licensing Angela W. Peters said the approvals show campuses answering shifts in technology, industry, and community needs as students prepare for careers.

The same USC Columbia industrial design and earth and environmental science proposals appeared earlier on the September 10 Advisory Committee on Academic Programs agenda before the commissions November vote.

Schools will start the programs on their own timelines after accreditation and other launch steps are finished.

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