The mission of the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law is to provide students, through an in-depth legal education, with a foundation upon which they can build successful careers in the practice of law and public service; to contribute to the development of the law and legal theory through significant faculty scholarship on issues of state, national and international importance; and to advance the administration of justice through service to the legal profession, the state and the nation.

Degree Programs

The Joseph F. Rice School of Law offers a full-time day Juris Doctor program. To earn the J.D., students must successfully complete 90 hours of course work over six semesters, including at least four semesters of study in residence at the Joseph F. Rice School of Law.

• Juris Doctor
• Graduate Legal Studies 

Combination Degrees

The Joseph F. Rice School of Law offers students the opportunity to complete work on a Juris Doctor and a graduate degree in one of the following programs:

• Accountancy / Law, M.A.C.C. / J.D.
• Criminology and Criminal Justice / Law, M.A. / J.D.
• Earth and Environmental Resources Management / Law, M.E.E.R.M. / J.D.
• Health Services Policy and Management / Law, M.H.A. / J.D.
• Human Resources / Law M.H.R. / J.D.
• International Business / Law, I.M.B.A. / J.D.
• Journalism and Mass Communications / Law, M.M.C. / J.D.
• Public Administration / Law, M.P.A. / J.D.
• Social Work / Law, M.S.W. / J.D.

Dual Degree

• Environmental Law and Policy / Law, M.E.L.P. / J.D. (Dual Degree Program with the Vermont Law School)

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement for Distance Education Complaint Process

USC participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), which is a voluntary, interstate reciprocity agreement that establishes comparable standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education. Students who wish to file a complaint about distance education covered by this agreement must first file a complaint with USC. If the complaint is not resolved, students may contact the SC Commission on Higher Education, which is the SC SARA portal agency. See State Authorization Complaint Policies for information about how to file a complaint.