Frequently Asked Questions

We require the following items: 1. Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores on the three parts of the exam (for the Masters on-line, non thesis degree GRE is recommended but not required); 2. A University application including applicant's personal statement; 3. Two letters of recommendation; 4. Transcripts of all academic work; 5. A current resume reflecting academic and professional experience, and 6. A departmental supplemental information form.

Item 6 should be returned to PRTM, 128 McGinty Court, 263 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634. All other material should be returned to the Clemson University Office of Graduate Admissions. An on-line application is preferred.

The application includes detailed instructions which should be followed as you complete the form.The URL link for the application is as follows: https://www.applyweb.com/apply/clemsong/ The Clemson University Graduate School Web page provides supplemental instructions which you may find useful in advance of filling out the online application. These instructions may be found at this URL: http://www.grad.clemson.edu/Admission.php. The departmental supplemental information form should be returned directly to the PRTM Department and is available at here.

Scores of the two objective sections (verbal and quantitative) of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for students admitted to the program are expected to be at least 500 for both sections. Any applicant with a V+Q total below that average must be able to submit exceptional supporting materials to have a competitive application (transcript, reference letters, whatever else you may desire). (GRE scores more than five years old relative to the date of initial enrollment will not be accepted.) Because of the strong communication component of the Ph.D., non-native speakers of English should have a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper version) or 213 (computer version), 79 (internet based).

Information about the GRE is available at www.gre.org

We begin our review of applicants, for admission as well as for assistantships, in mid-February. Therefore, we urge you to submit all materials by February 1. Applications received after that date will be considered based on available space in the program and funding availability.

You can check the status of your application online at http://www.grad.clemson.edu/admission/statuscheck.php

A degree in the parks, recreation or tourism field is not required. In fact, over half of our student comes from other fields, as varied as education, business, biology or physics.

Two graduate degrees are offered: the Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy (view the requirements). The M.S. places greater emphasis on research design and methodology and requires a thesis representing an original contribution to scholarship acceptable to the faculty and Graduate School. The Ph.D. program is based on the student's grasp of recreation subject matter, competency to plan and conduct research, and the ability to effectively and professionally use written and oral communication.

We have four emphasis areas: community recreation management, recreation resource management, therapeutic recreation, and travel and tourism. Many graduate students pursue study in areas that include more than one of these areas. You will find additional information about these areas on our website.

A few students start in the spring semester and that is a possibility. However, more funding is available for the fall semester. In addition, it is our experience that the graduate program is more conducive to a fall semester start.

Sport management is not available as an area of study. However, if you are interested in community sport (i.e., running a community's athletic program, working for the YMCA) the community recreation management focus may be right for you.

Yes, admission to our Ph.D. program is limited to individual's who already have a Master's degree.

There is no standard answer to this question since individual circumstances vary. However, our expectation is that our master's students finish in two years and our doctoral students in three years.

There are approximately 20 full time faculty members in our department. See a description of the faculty and their interests here.

We typically have between 50 and 60 graduate students at any one time. Approximately half are pursuing doctoral degrees and the other half are pursuing master's degrees.

Yes, the department offers several graduate assistantships. Duties include assisting faculty in their teaching or research. In addition, our students work as graduate assistants across campus including the Leisure Skills Program, Fike Recreation Center, the Outdoor Laboratory, the Martin Inn and the athletic department. In addition to the graduate assistantship stipend, all graduate assistants receive a tuition waiver (you pay no tuition, in-state or out-of-state; you do, however, pay about $950 per semester in various fees and a health insurance fee of approximately $300 per academic year).

Health insurance is mandatory for all on-campus graduate students. Waivers are available if you have another approved policy. Further information is available at http://www.grad.clemson.edu/HealthInsurance.html

You may contract Dr. Denise Anderson, graduate program coordinator at (864) 656-3400 or email GRDPRTM@clemson.edu.

The cost of living in Clemson is low compared to most university towns. For example, a two bedroom apartment or a small house can be rented for between $400 and $600.

Clemson is a vibrant, university community. To find out more, visit http://www.cityofclemson.org/