SMC Welcomes Record Number of Bachelor’s Students

Jeremy Handel

Staff Writer

Spartanburg Methodist College kicked off the academic year with a record number of bachelor’s degree students, continuing the success of its four-year program. 

The record continues a growth streak that began when the College introduced four-year degrees in 2019.

That distinction is a meaningful one at SMC, thanks to the college’s unique two-degree system. Students spend their first two years working toward an associate degree and aren’t considered a bachelor’s degree student until they enter their junior year. It’s a structure that gives students an extra credential along the way to their four-year degree — and it means this fall’s record reflects real, sustained growth in the bachelor’s program.

“We’re incredibly proud of the continued growth in our bachelor’s degree and online programs,” said SMC President Scott Cochran. “Our residence halls are full, the campus is buzzing, and it’s going to be another great year at SMC. I’m enjoying getting to know this talented and motivated class.”

A Warm Welcome to Campus

The year began, as it always does, with SMC’s annual move-in day. Faculty, staff, and student-athletes turned out to greet incoming first-year residential students, helping them and their families unload cars and settle into their residence halls — a tradition that sets the tone of the “students first” atmosphere SMC is known for.

Move-in was followed by the start of classes and convocation, where the newest class of Pioneers gathered with faculty and administration to formally begin their SMC journey. This year’s convocation speaker was local author and management consultant Marjorie Boafo Appiah, known to many as Marjy Marj, who offered the new students a candid and encouraging message.

“You don’t have to have it all figured out; nobody does at this phase in your life,” she told students. “The key is to show up, be curious, and treat people well. The relationships that you plant now are the ones that bloom later.”

New This Fall: A Growing Academic Lineup

Along with a strong incoming class, SMC also welcomed a new additions to its academic offerings this fall, including the College’s first Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science. The new degree program reflects the college’s ongoing investment in expanding academic offerings for students, giving them more ways to build a four-year education around SMC’s hands-on, career-focused approach.

In addition to the exercise science degree, SMC also added Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and two new concentrations to its customizable multidisciplinary degree – IT and education.