Emphasis Areas

What are emphasis areas?
We believe academic study can be grouped intelligently into broad categories. These groupings foster collaboration and promote the integration of teaching, research and service. Clemson University has identified eight emphasis areas, which are the foundation for our Academic Plan. Our emphasis areas are:

• Advanced Materials
• Automotive and Transportation Technology
• Biotechnology and Biomedical Sciences
• General Education
• Family and Community Living
• Information and Communication Technology
• Leadership and Entrepreneurship
• Sustainable Environment

Instead of marshalling all of our resources to departments and colleges, we focus on these programmatic areas that provide interdisciplinary research and service venues, unique platforms for enhanced scholarship and more opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students.

What are the benefits of the emphasis areas?

• The interdisciplinary nature of the emphasis areas encourages collaboration and the generation of new ideas and research opportunities.
• Enhancing our academic reputation for focused work in emphasis areas creates a much-needed "recruiting advantage" as we seek to hire new faculty and double our graduate enrollment.
• The creativity of our faculty opens avenues for work in the emphasis areas. This in turn enhances undergraduate and graduate curricula while maintaining the integrity of all disciplines.
• Most important, each emphasis area is "niche-based" with dynamic additions and re-directions emanating from collaborative interactions.