Skip to main content

About the Graduate School

Clemson graduate students come from 50 states plus all U.S. territories, and more than 70 countries.

The purpose of the Graduate School is to promote superior research and scholarship and provide the highest levels of education and training for students who may pursue careers in academia, government, the nonprofit sector, business and industry. The mandate of the Graduate School is to assist departments in recruiting and supporting outstanding students who will be capable of continual inquiry into fundamental questions in their fields and who can communicate clearly their findings through research, scholarship, teaching and service.

The Graduate School coordinates University-wide efforts in graduate education, and is responsible for policies and standards governing graduate education. Clemson University’s Graduate School administers all graduate programs of the University. Clemson University offers 50 doctoral, 86 master’s, and two educational specialist degree(s) across more than 80 fields of study. The Graduate School oversees University fellowships and assistantships for Graduate Students.

  • the
    numbers

  • 139

    graduate degree and certificate programs in 80+ disciplines

    3,478

    students at master’s and specialist's level

  • 1,687

    students at doctoral level

    373

    certificate or non-degree seeking students

  • 5,538

    graduate students

    *Student data retrieved from the Office of Institutional Research website, based on student enrollment data for the Fall 2020 term.

Leadership

  • John M. Lopes, Ph.D., Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
  • Natasha N. Croom, Ph.D., Associate Dean of the Graduate School
  • Marieke Van Puymbroeck, Ph.D., Associate Dean of the Graduate School
  • Brian Dominy, Ph.D., Associate Dean of the Graduate School
  • William Ferrell, Ph.D., Associate Dean of the Graduate School

Vision Statement

The vision of the Clemson University Graduate School is to provide a transformative education that generates intellectual, economic and social capital for the benefit of all.

Mission

The Graduate School will fuel the implementation of the University’s strategic plan, ClemsonForward, by

  • bolstering Clemson’s reputation as an R-1 (highest research activity) Carnegie Classification institution;
  • investing in a diverse and inclusive environment that encourages intellectual curiosity, advances transformative thinking and instills individual and social responsibility;
  • facilitating recruitment, retention, matriculation and graduation of exceptional graduate students;
  • developing best-in-class support structures that enable students to develop personal and professional competence that prepares them for life after graduation;
  • collaborating with faculty and academic units to deliver high-quality graduate education effectively and affordably;
  • developing resources and relationships that prepare Clemson University to provide for the future needs of graduate education; and
  • supporting Clemson University’s land grant mission to transform knowledge, culture, society, the physical and built environment, quality of life and wellness and our collective future.