Admissions

The Clemson University Graduate School oversees the admissions process for all graduate programs at Clemson University. Criteria used in making decisions will vary according to the college and program you’re applying for, but all decisions include an evaluation of your potential for graduate-level work and the ability of a program to accommodate additional students.

Typically, each academic department accepting graduate students will form an admissions committee and review all requests, then forward the committee’s recommendations to the Graduate School for final approval and processing. 

The Clemson University Graduate School application process is completed entirely online. We’ll be glad to assist you with the online application and admissions process, and we are always glad to answer questions. You can also check the status of your pending application online.

While there’s no universal application deadline, please be aware that programs may set their own application deadlines, and there are some programs that accept applicants only once a year. In addition, international students often have earlier deadlines in order to allow enough time to secure a visa.

For more information:

• Check out the requirements that apply to your program, so you are aware of any special deadlines, funding opportunities, or other information you may need.
• Apply online through a secure, web-based application system.
• Check your application status at any time, 24/7.
• Review our Admissions FAQ for more information on many Graduate School topics, or ask us any specific questions not covered there.
• Call the Graduate Admissions Office at (864) 656-3195.
• Email any remaining questions to grdapp@clemson.edu.

General information

• Clemson’s application is hosted by CollegeNET and you will be entering your information on their secure server. You do not need to complete the entire application at one sitting. Once you create a UserID and password, you may begin the application, save it, and return to it at a later time.
• Deadlines vary for domestic and international students and vary by department. Applicants are encouraged to contact academic departments and programs for additional information. We provide a list of programs with contact information.
• To ensure timely issuance of Certificates of Eligibility (the I-20 and DS-2019), international applications for admissions to the graduate school should be submitted by April 15 for fall semester enrollment, by October 15 for spring semester enrollment and by February 1 for summer semester enrollment.
• To ensure that your supporting materials (transcripts, recommendations, etc.) are properly matched with your application, we recommend that you upload documentation directly to the online application.
• The Clemson University Graduate Admissions Office uses an online imaging system for departmental review of all applications and support materials. Materials are viewable by the department as they are updated on our student database and scanned into our imaging system. 

Applying to more than one program

While Clemson allows you to apply to more than one program, all applications at Clemson are customized to meet the needs of each specific program and are not interchangeable between programs. After you’ve submitted the first application and paid the application fee, you must return to the online application and, using your same UserID and password, complete a separate application for the additional program you’d like to apply to. Once you submit the second application, you will be prompted to pay another application fee.