Applicants must hold a bachelor’s or a master’s degree from an accredited degree program. While our curriculum and research focuses on the social sciences, we are an interdisciplinary program and welcome applicants with backgrounds in all academic disciplines to apply. U.S. and International applicants are welcome.
Students entering with a Master’s degree &/or practical experience in the field(s) do have an advantage but recent graduates are able to and do succeed. Success in the program is dependent on each student’s own motivation, the time they have to devote to their studies and individual work ethics.
You must apply online at: http://www.grad.clemson.edu/admission/. Your materials are loaded into a system that will allow us to evaluate your application.
Applications are accepted from early September until March 1st of the year you are seeking admission. You will be notified about admissions decisions in March.
We look at each prospective student holistically when making decisions about admissions. Test scores and GPA are considered, along with performance in each applicant’s undergraduate and graduate coursework. We carefully consider each applicant’s professional, research, and community service experience, as well as their career goals and recommendations from professionals familiar with their academic work and/or professional experience.
Applicants should submit the following documents with their application:
Successful applicants may have very different academic backgrounds and professional and volunteer experiences. Strong candidates typically have solid GPAs (typically 3.0 or higher), GRE scores, and TOFEL/IELTS scores; a history of professional experience and/or community service; a basic understanding of and interest in statistics and quantitative analysis; and research experience.
The GRE is required, but it may be waived in special circumstances (such as when it is not offered within several hundred miles of an applicant’s home). Applicants who submit GRE scores will be more competitive than those who do not. Only the GRE general test is required. There is no need to take the specialized tests. The graduate admissions committee considers an applicant’s total package of materials when considering admissions. Thus, there are no minimum GRE scores necessary for admission. Historically, the trend has been that the higher the scores are, the better chances the applicant has of admission, but low or high scores are not dispositive and constitute only one factor in the admission consideration.
Step 1:Compile the documents below:
Step 2: Submit the documents online at: https://www.applyweb.com/clemsong/index.ftl
No interview is required.
Students can take classes before being accepted into the doctoral program. However, certificate students are limited to taking a maximum of 12 credit hours, and acceptance as a certificate student does not guarantee acceptance into the Ph.D. program. A student who is not currently enrolled in a graduate program at Clemson will need to apply as a Certificate or Non-Degree Student, with a Non-Degree application & fee. On the application, the student should select the Specialty Area: International Family and Community Studies. Our faculty will review the application, and applicants will be notified by the Graduate School if the application has been approved or denied. Students will be able to enroll in courses once admitted. If a certificate student wants to later pursue the Ph.D. degree, he or she will be required to submit the Degree-Seeking application and pay another application fee.
Students who are already pursuing a graduate degree at Clemson may register for classes in our program without having to be admitted to our program, but they may need permission of individual instructors.
Program costs are the same for both the campus-based and blended formats and are dependent on the number of courses taken. Our curriculum and degree requirements can be found here. Tuition and fees are determined by the Board of Trustees each year and can be found on Graduate School's page. Our program is Tier 5. A tuition increase should be assumed each year.
For Ph.D. students who reside in the Upstate SC area, we may be able to offer funding in the form of research or teaching assistantships, which carry a work requirement, offer a stipend, and offer a tuition waiver. Such funding is limited, however, and is offered as available and on a competitive basis. Information on University Fellowships & Awards can be found at this link: https://www.clemson.edu/graduate/finance-tuition/fellowships.html. Information on student employment opportunities can be found at: https://www.clemson.edu/graduate/finance-tuition/student-employment/index.html.
The curriculum requirements and electives are found here.
Students should work with the Graduate Studies Coordinator and/or their Dissertation/Advisory Chair to develop a Plan-of-Study that will meet the requirements of the program and assist them in reaching their individual goals.
Classes for entering graduate students begin with the fall semester (in mid-August). Exact dates can be found by looking at Clemson's Academic Calendar.
All students are expected to participate in an orientation/annual meeting in Clemson, SC in mid-August prior to the start of classes. Students residing abroad can participate online if attending in person creates a financial hardship.
The doctoral program can ordinarily be completed in three years by students who enter with a master’s degree and in four years by students without prior graduate education. This projected timeline is based on students pursuing the degree on a full-time basis. The timeline is also affected by an individual student’s level of preparation, job demands, and personal responsibilities.
Yes, many of our students work part-time or full-time and complete the programs by taking one, two or three courses a semester, depending on their personal situations. Clemson University has a Continuous Enrollment Policy, which requires students to be enrolled for fall and spring semesters unless an approved leave of absence is in place.
Many of our students have families and established careers. Students are encouraged to work closely with the IFCS Graduate Studies Coordinator to develop a plan-of-study that will allow them to complete the program in a timely manner and maintain healthy home and work lives.
Department faculty and staff offer extensive support to students in our doctoral program. During the first 1-2 years of the program (until you have completed your coursework), you will receive one-on-one guidance from the IFCS Graduate Studies Coordinator. When you are about to finish your coursework, you will select a Dissertation/Advisory Committee (DC) Chair. This individual is a member of the program faculty who will assist you in selecting the other members of your Dissertation/Advisory Committee. The majority of your committee must come from full-time, tenure-track faculty at Clemson. Persons not employed by Clemson University may serve if they have been appointed to an adjunct faculty status. You will work closely with your DC Chair on your master’s equivalent research project (if applicable), comprehensive exams, and dissertation. Your committee members will also provide support and guidance throughout the balance of your program, and will meet with you in person, through conference calls, Skype or web conferencing tools, as needed.
Yes. Several courses, not offered during the fall or spring semesters, are offered during the summer.
The program is offered in a blended format, allowing campus-based students to attend in person and students outside of the Clemson area to connect via the Internet. We currently use Adobe Connect. Courses are offered in real time (Eastern Standard Time), and all students are expected to attend in person or virtually and to fully participate in class lectures, discussions and presentations.
Class times are based on Eastern Standard Time and usually meet once a week either from 9:00 a.m. to noon or from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Occasionally a class may be offered later in the day, but that is rare due to the difficulties it might create for our overseas students.
In the fall and spring semesters, classes typically meet once per week. Summer courses usually meet twice per week.
International students may pursue the degree from their home countries or as full-time students at Clemson. If pursuing the degree while living in your home country, you need not apply for residency. For those international students who will be relocating to Clemson, the Office of Global Engagement's International Services provides support for all international students and faculty and is responsible for policies and regulations related to immigration. For detailed and current information visit https://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/campus-services/international/ and for information about the arrival process once you’ve be accepted please visit: https://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/campus-services/international/student-arrival/arrival-guide.html
The program can prepare graduates for several different career tracks. Our students become scholars in interdisciplinary institutes or in academic departments on child and family studies, social policy studies, and international studies. Students also become researchers, planners or administrators in domestic or international governmental or non-governmental agencies concerned with children, families and/or communities.
For additional information, please email the Graduate Studies Coordinator at: yfcsinfo@clemson.edu.