Accelerate Virtual (Dual-Enrollment) Engineering Program

Get an early start on your engineering career with this program delivered by GSSM and its college partners. For 10th-12th grades at participating schools.

Explore Admissions Requirements

Most Accelerate courses are conducted via live interactive video conferencing, and all classes are supplemented by in-person summer learning experiences and research opportunities.

Unlike GSSM’s residential students, Accelerate students remain at their home school districts and complete program requirements in addition to their regular coursework.

Accelerate students are also able to participate in exciting experiences! In addition to their coursework, Accelerate students also have an opportunity to attend week-long Summer Learning Experiences prior to their 10th, 11th, and 12th grade years. Saturday labs take place during all three years of enrollment in the program. More about Summer Learning Experiences and Saturday labs.

Accelerate Information sessions

Accelerate Fast Facts

  • Accelerate offers advanced academic preparation for South Carolina high-school students (10th-12th grades who are interested in pursuing careers in engineering or related fields after engineering. 
  • Most courses offered by Accelerate are dual-enrollment, which means that students are both high school and college students simultaneously. 
  • Depending on students’ choice of college and major, Accelerate offers them the opportunity to receive as many as 39 semester hours of college credit prior to finishing high school.
  • In addition to required coursework in pre-calculus, calculus, chemistry, physics, engineering, Accelerate provides students with the opportunity to take honors engineering electives in areas such as electrical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, biomedical engineering, and mechanical and aerospace engineering.
  • All instructors within Accelerate have master’s or doctoral degrees in their fields of study.
  • Depending on their grade level, Accelerate students participate several times a year in pre-engineering, chemistry, and physics labs at GSSM’s Hartsville campus.
  • Aside from their coursework, Accelerate students participate in Summer Learning Experiences and Saturday Labs, which are designed to give them exposure to real-world engineering challenges through hands-on learning and team-based projects.
  • Accelerate is generously supported by the South Carolina General Assembly and corporate partners. Although there is no cost to participate in the program, parents are responsible for providing transportation to and from Summer Learning Experiences and Saturday Labs.

 

Accelerate Course Catalog 2023-24

Accelerate Course Catalog 2024-25

Partner Schools

At this time, Accelerate is only open to students at the following schools. Please note: this list is subject to change. The number of students and sites will fluctuate annually.

Schools are organized by district.

Partner schools