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International Graduate School Applicant Information

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Deadlines for International Students

Application deadlines vary by program, and some programs accept applicants only once a year. Check with your program on their particular deadlines. International students often have earlier deadlines in order to allow enough time to secure a visa.

Contact your program’s coordinator for more information.

English Language Proficiency Information

Apply in Time To Receive Your I-20 Visa

In addition to your program’s individual deadline, to ensure timely issuance of Certificates of Eligibility (the I-20 and DS-2019), international applicants should complete their Graduate School applications no later than April 15 for Fall semester enrollment, September 15 for Spring semester enrollment and February 1 for Summer enrollment.

I-20s will not be issued after the following dates:

  • November 15 for Spring Term
  • April 1 for Summer Term
  • July 1 or Fall Term
  • Once you are admitted and have provided all required documentation, allow two weeks for an I-20 to be issued.

Conditional Language Admission

Certain graduate programs at Clemson University can offer acceptance to international students who have limited English-speaking skills with the understanding that they must successfully complete an approved English as a Second Language (ESL) program to improve those skills before enrolling. This is called conditional language admission.

Approved ESL Programs

The following ESL programs and proficiency levels are approved:

  • Agape English Language Institute (AELI) — Greenville or Columbia, South Carolina — Level 6 proficiency
  • ELS Language Centers — any location — Level 112 proficiency

Other ESL programs may also meet the requirement if they follow all three of these criteria:

  1. Accreditation: regional accreditation, ACCET (Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Teaching) or CEA (Commission on English Language Program Accreditation)
  2. EnglishUSA membership
  3. Proficiency level equivalent to CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) C1

Graduate Programs Offering Conditional Language Admission

Application Process With Conditional Language Admission

Find a program

Choose one of the programs offering Conditional Language Admission from the list above. Review the program’s other admission requirements to determine if your qualifications make you a good candidate before applying.

Submit the application

When you are completing your application, select “yes” to the question “I am interested in Conditional Language Admission?”

Then, choose the ESL program you plan to attend.

If you plan to study with a program that’s not listed, Graduate Admissions will need to approve that program and level first. The closest ESL program is 45 minutes from the main campus: Agape English Language Center in Greenville, South Carolina.

Upload required supporting materials

Upload all required supporting documents as directed in the online application. Letters of recommendation and personal statements may be submitted electronically unless otherwise stated by the department.

Exam scores are not required for applying if your application is being considered for a conditional language admission. But if you have already taken standardized exams (such as TOEFL, GRE, GMAT), you can submit your scores using school code 5111.

Check your application status

It takes several weeks to review applications thoroughly. If your academic department has an application deadline, wait several weeks before checking your status.

Complete additional requirements specified in your CLA

If you are accepted, a conditional letter of admission (CLA) will be posted to your application portal. If your academic department has additional requirements you must meet before enrolling (e.g., acceptable scores on the GRE or GMAT, or prerequisite courses), these will be specified in your conditional letter of admission.

After Receiving Conditional Admission

Accept Your Offer of Conditional Admission

Clemson University currently offers an online Master of Science in computer science through Coursera. Admission into this program is performance-based rather than application-based, and the only prerequisite is a bachelor’s degree and English Language Proficiency Scores for international applicants. Your bachelor’s degree does not need to be in computer science to pursue this program.

Coursera offers a flexible, online class schedule and the opportunity to earn a Clemson master’s degree from home. View more details about our partnership with Coursera to see if it’s the right fit for you.

Clemson Coursera Program Information

Complete Your International Student Enrollment Next Steps

Satisfy any additional requirements

Additional requirements from your program may include taking the GRE or GMAT. If you are required to take a test, make sure you leave enough time to schedule and complete it and ask the testing service to send your score to Clemson University (school code 5111) in time to enroll in courses. These requirements will be specified in your conditional letter of admission.

Obtain ESL completion verification

After completing the ESL program, ask them to send an official transcript verifying that you completed the expected level of proficiency. They can send it by email to grdapp@clemson.edu or by mail:
Graduate Admissions
E-209 Martin Hall
Clemson, SC 29634

Receive new letter from Graduate Admissions

After we have verified that you have met all the requirements for conditional language admission, Graduate Admissions will issue you a new decision letter, which you can view in the application portal.

Obtain SEVIS record request for U.S. immigration status

Contact your ESL program and request for your SEVIS record to be transferred to Clemson. Your ESL program will advise you on the appropriate documentation (such as your fully admitted admission letter) that must be provided before transferring your record.

Obtain an I-20 immigration document from the Office of International Services

The Office of International Services will issue your I-20 document once your SEVIS record has been transferred and released to Clemson University and OIA has determined your eligibility. Questions regarding transferring SEVIS records to Clemson and I-20 issuance should be directed to the Office of International Services.