Graduate Programs

Students interested in a professional career in the animal sciences will be exposed to educational and research experiences involving the many facets of animal nutrition, physiology, microbiology, genetics, and meat science through a rigorous curriculum of graduate-level courses and challenging experimentation approaches. The most current ideas and concepts in animal sciences will be provided to the students through their daily interactions with the faculty in both the classroom and laboratory environments.

Goal

The purpose of the Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AVS) graduate program is to provide a high-quality education for graduate students with diverse goals, and to develop, through research, the knowledge and technology necessary to continually improve productivity, efficiency, and sustainability of animal agriculture.

The AVS Department requires an applicant’s recent resume, personal statement, and three letters of reference.  Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) scores are not required for departmental admission; however, individual faculty may require GRE scores for acceptance into their program. 

For M.S. thesis, M.S. non-thesis, and Ph.D. degree programs, the AVS Department requires applicants to identify an AVS faculty member who is willing to serve as their major advisor prior to admission. Applications from students who have not been in communication with their prospective advisor before applying to the AVS Graduate Program are rarely admitted. 

For assistance in choosing a major advisor please contact the AVS Graduate Program Coordinator, Dr. Nathan Long (nlong2@clemson.edu). 

To view all AVS graduate courses, with course descriptions please visit the Clemson Catalog.

Clemson Catalog

To view a list of courses available in the upcoming semester with instructors and email addresses can be found using the iRoar Portal.

iRoar Portal

The AVS program has rolling admissions and accepts students for the Spring, Summer, and Fall semesters. Applications are considered year-round for all semesters. However, the majority of our students enroll during the Fall Semester and applications are strongly encouraged* to be submitted by:

Fall semester                     March 20th

Spring semester               August 20th

Summer Semester            January 20^th

*Failure to meet these suggested deadlines might result in admission delay

The most common mechanism of support is a thorough Graduate Research (GRA) and Teaching (GTA) Assistantships. Interested students are encouraged to contact prospective advisors regarding these assistantships’ availability and eligibility. These assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis directly by the Principal Investigator of each research project. Applications from students who have not been in communication with their prospective adviser before applying to the AVS Graduate Program are rarely admitted.

Types of assistantships:

Graduate Research Assistants (GRA) conduct supervised research or assist with research funded from any source administered by the University.

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) teach undergraduate classes or laboratories under the supervision of a faculty member. GTAs are not responsible for assigning grades.

Graduate Teachers of Record (GTR) assume primary responsibility for teaching undergraduate classes or laboratories and are responsible for assigning grades. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) requires that all Graduate Teachers of Record (GTR) have “earned at least 18 graduate semester hours in their teaching discipline, be under the direct supervision of a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline, receive regular in-service training and be evaluated regularly. The department chair has the responsibility for determining that the 18-hr requirement is met either through coursework or with a memo containing documentation that the graduate assistant meets the requirement as an exception. The Enrolled Student Serves Office will certify that the 18-hour requirement has been met.

A few recruitment fellowships and other merit-based scholarships are also available to be awarded on a competitive basis.

Clemson AVS Graduate Student Association

The purpose of this organization shall be...

• to create, develop, and foster interaction between graduate students, undergraduate students, staff, and faculty in the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences,
• to disseminate information to graduate students in Animal and Veterinary Sciences,
• to represent the interests of graduate students in Animal and Veterinary Sciences to the Administration, and the University at large,
• and to represent Clemson University, the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, and the graduate students in Animal and Veterinary Sciences at national meetings of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and related fields.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Susan Duckett
President: Dana McCurdy

To view a full list of clubs offered within CAFLS, visit the club's page.