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New Student To Do List

Congratulations, and welcome to the Graduate School at Clemson University!

By choosing Clemson, you’re joining a community of internationally renowned educators, researchers, and scholars. You’ll participate in innovative research in some of the world’s most sophisticated labs, discover solutions to local, regional, and global challenges, and engage in service activities throughout the world. Very literally, your transformation begins here!

We’re confident you’ll find Clemson to be a collegial, hospitable community. Please use the information on this site to help you begin your Clemson career, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions that aren’t addressed here. You can find contact information on the Graduate School Contact page. The Graduate School office is located in E-106 Martin Hall, while the Graduate Admissions office is upstairs in E-209. Feel free to stop by for help or just to say hello. And again, welcome to Clemson University!

What’s next? The steps below will help you get started on your journey as a graduate student.

+ First Things First

Wait to receive instructions from the Graduate School on accessing your Clemson username and password (email will be sent 3–5 days after you accept your offer of admission).

To activate your Clemson University username:

  1. Start by accessing the Student Onboarding App .
  2. You will need your Clemson University XID# that was sent to you in your acceptance letter. Your XID number should begin with “C” and have 8 numbers—e.g., C12345678.
  3. You will need your username activation code, which will be emailed to you. Please note that you may receive this email several days after you get your acceptance letter. If you need this information re-sent to you by email, please contact the Admissions Office or ITHELP. Then, you can proceed with authenticating your Clemson University username and creating your password.
  4. After you set up your username and password, you will need to set up two-factor authentication (a security feature now required for many areas of the Clemson website) by registering with Duo. Duo is the dual-authentication app that Clemson University uses for security purposes. Find instructions from CCIT for setting up Duo Authentication, and complete this step before you try to set up your email.

Once you know your Clemson University username and password, please completely close your browser and open a new session.

Your official Clemson email address is in the format username@clemson.edu. In partnership with Google, Clemson offers students Google Apps for Education accounts. This account has already been created with your Clemson username. All you need to do is set up your account and password.

  • CCIT provides Instructions for setting up your Google Apps for Education email account.
  • If you’d like to opt out of using Google Apps for Education and instead use another email service, check the CCIT Incoming Students web page and contact ITHelp.

If you receive an offer of an assistantship or fellowship, please return your award letter to your academic department as soon as possible so your bill can be adjusted well before the payment deadline. If you did not receive an offer, or if you need additional financial aid, you may be eligible for a federal Stafford loan. You can apply at the Federal Student Aid website.

The Office of International Services has created an International Student Arrival Guide as a resource for international students to help prepare for departure to Clemson University.

In order to issue the appropriate certificate of eligibility for your visa application process, you will need to complete the following steps:

  1. Wait to receive instructions from the Graduate School on accessing your Clemson username and password (email will be sent 3–5 days after you have accepted your offer of admission).
  2. Follow the instructions from step 2 above to access your Clemson username and password. If you already have a Clemson username and password, proceed to step 3.
  3. Complete the instructions on accessing the Sunapsis Student Portal to submit an E-form Request for Certificate of Eligibility.

*Transfer Students: Students transferring an Active SEVIS record from another U.S. institution will also need to submit the IS-100 Request to Transfer-In F-1 SEVIS record or IS-270 Request to Transfer-In J-1 SEVIS record and complete the Transfer-In E-Form. Forms may be found on International Services’ Forms and Documents web page.

Please allow 7–10 business days from the SEVIS transfer release date for processing time of the transfer I-20 or DS-2019.

Consult with the coordinator or representative of your program to determine your department’s preferred timeline for class registration, your planned course of study, prerequisite courses, etc. After you have consulted with your advisor, you can register for classes. Note: Some programs will advise new students to refrain from registering until arriving on campus.

Welcome to Clemson University! Your onboarding experience as a new graduate student is extensive. It may include the Graduate School’s orientation, the graduate virtual orientation, your program or department’s orientation, and additional University programming (e.g., international student orientation, graduate assistantship training).

Each of these onboarding experiences includes different topics, allowing us to cover institution-wide rules, policies and procedures pertaining to graduate students, program and departmental guidelines, resources, and essential items to help you be successful.

The Graduate School offers two on-campus orientations at the main campus each year, one in August and one in January. The program runs from approximately 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Lunch is included. At this time, there is not a program for spouses, partners or families. Attendance is not required, but students are highly encouraged to attend; for those enrolling in programs off-campus, some portions of orientation may be streamed online and recorded. For more information and to register, please visit the Graduate Student Orientation page hosted by the Division of Student Affairs.

The Graduate School also hosts a mandatory Graduate Virtual Orientation online.  You will need your Clemson login credentials to access it. The Graduate Virtual Orientation is especially helpful for new students who can’t attend the Graduate School on-campus orientation. You will receive information on how to access this required orientation — and the deadline for completion — through your Clemson email.

Please inquire directly with your program to learn more about program/departmental orientations and trainings you may be required to attend.

Official transcripts are only required of those applicants who are offered admission. Therefore, upon receiving official notice of acceptance to the Graduate School, you should request official transcripts from the institutions where you completed your bachelor’s and any other previous academic work. Transcripts are considered official only if they meet one of the following requirements:

  • Are received by the Graduate Admissions office in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution. Please mail transcripts to:
    Graduate Admissions
    E-209 Martin Hall
    Clemson SC 29634-5713

OR

  • Are received electronically directly from your institution’s registrar’s office (U.S. institutions only). To submit a secure (passcode required) final official transcript electronically, directly from your institution’s Registrar’s Office, please use the following email address  gstranscripts@clemson.edu (all other inquiries should be directed to  grdapp@clemson.edu).

AND

  • The title of the degree earned and the date awarded must be noted to be considered a final official transcript. Official certificates or diplomas in sealed envelopes from the issuing institution should accompany any transcripts that do not note the degree earned and date awarded directly on the transcripts.

registration hold will be placed on all students who have not submitted final official transcripts during their first term.

Transcript translations
An English translation of all international transcripts is required. Translations are accepted from the issuing institution or translations provided by any  NACES or  AICE recognized credential evaluation service. Some do not provide translations. Three companies which do provide transcript translations are  Spantran (requests for translations/verifications should be sent via email),  Josef Silny and Associates, Inc., and Scholaro Translation, but you are welcome to use any NACES- or AICE-recognized company. Clemson does not endorse any particular company.

More information and transcript FAQs are available online.
Download a PDF copy of the Graduate School’s complete Final Official Transcript Policy.

+ Before You Arrive

There are only a few steps for registering for classes:

  1. Access the iROAR portal.
  2. Log in with your Clemson username and password.
  3. Authenticate with Duo. If you have not registered with Duo, you can do so at CCIT’s Dual Authentication web page. Duo is a dual-authentication requirement that Clemson University uses for security purposes.
  4. Once you are logged in, click Student Self-Service.
  5. Under Student Registration, click on Add/Drop Classes and proceed with your registration.

Tiger Training offers an online Register for Classes module (CU login credentials required) that will walk you through the steps in registering for classes.

If you have any questions about your registration, your academic department and program coordinator are available.

*Some programs will advise you as a new student to refrain from registering until after you arrive on campus.

All new or transfer students are required to complete the  Student Immunization Form and provide written proof of required immunizations by July 1 for fall semester and December 1 for spring semester. Please read the official Immunization Policy hosted by Student Affairs.

Exception: If you are enrolled only in online courses, you do not need to comply with medical clearance requirements.

Full-time Graduate Students on the main campus, Graduate Assistants, and International Students will be enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan. If you already have health insurance coverage, you can need to download the online Health Insurance Waiver form from the Insurance and Billing web page (see the Student Health Insurance Plan topic). Then, follow the instructions to request a waiver of the required Student Health Insurance Plan. For additional information and a video about insurance for international students, visit the Clemson Student Health Services Center Student Insurance and Billing page.

Even if you are on an assistantship, you will still be responsible for paying student fees. Please visit the Student Financial Services Office to pay your tuition and fees after registering for courses. Payment deadlines for the current semester may be found on the Paying Your Bill page.

All of your bills are available in the iROAR database through the steps below:
  1. Use your userID and password to log in.
  2. Once you’re logged in, click the Student Billing tab.
  3. Then click My Bill or Optional Fees.

The online bill provides all of information of your current registration and billing information. Your bill is real-time, so you can make sure all fees are satisfied before the payment deadlines.

Government sponsored students

If you are a government sponsored student, you are responsible for submitting a copy of your official Financial Guarantee or Financial Support Letter via email prior to the payment deadline. After you submit your official support letter, please monitor your student account through iROAR and make payment on any non-covered fees prior to the published deadlines.

Late fees

For due dates and late fees, please visit https://www.clemson.edu/finance/student-financials/billing.html.

South Carolina state law requires all state institutions of higher education to verify legal presence in the U.S. All students will be asked to provide documentation to confirm their current legal presence. To ensure that a student may enroll and attend classes, they must provide documentation as described below. Documentation must be uploaded electronically through the Legal Presence Documentation Portal.

 

  1. U.S. Citizens — The following documents will be accepted as proof of your U.S. citizenship:
    • A completed FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid to Clemson), if not yet submitted (our code number is 003425);
    • A valid S.C. driver’s license first issued after January 1, 2002, if your date of birth is after January 1, 1987. If you were born before January 1, 1987, a S.C. driver’s license is not acceptable and you must provide another form of documentation; 
    • A current U.S. passport; 
    • An original U.S. or U.S. Territory birth certificate (not a hospital certificate);
    • A Certificate of Naturalization;
    • U.S. government-issued Consular Report of Birth Abroad; or
    • Certificate of Citizenship. 

*You will have 30 days after the start of classes to declare your legal presence without penalty.

  1. Aliens — You must complete immigration documentation with the Office of Global Engagement within 30 days of the first day of classes in the fall semester. Legal presence for aliens will be verified as follows:
    • U.S. Permanent Residents — Permanent Residency status will be verified through the SAVE system.
    • J-1 and F-1 Student Visa holders — Legal presence in the U.S will be verified through the SEVIS system. 
    • All other aliens — Legal presence in the U.S. will be verified through the SAVE system.

If the Office of Global Engagement cannot obtain verification within 30 days following the first day of class of the student’s initial semester of attendance, the student may be given 30 days to provide additional information that the University can submit for verification with the federal government.

TigerOne ID is the official Clemson University ID for students, employees and affiliates. As its name implies, the TigerOne ID is your all-in-one source for campus identification, access, purchasing and more! 

Visit: https://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/tigerone/index.html and click on Get Your TigerOne ID.

Clemson University contracts with Off Campus Partners, LLC to create Clemson Off Campus. This website allows students access to a variety of housing options available off campus. While this resource is provided as a service to Clemson students, the University makes no representations about the conditions of any property found through this site, has no role in any transactions involving these properties, and in no way endorses any of the properties found through use of this information.

Please be aware that with any transaction, especially those that occur over the web, there is the potential for fraud. Always check sources, confirm identities, and establish credibility with anyone you interact with in the property search process.

The Student Financial Aid office has posted an informative Estimated Cost of Attendance table that shows standard figures for budgeting purposes and eligibility for need-based financial aid.

If you have been offered a Graduate Assistantship, the steps below serve as a basic guideline for getting on board. This is not an exhaustive list, and does not supersede your department’s guidelines. Always check with the department that is offering you the position to find out what your next steps will be.

Step 1If you intend to accept: Contact the department when you are ready to accept the offer. Vacant positions fill quickly.

Step 2Review and sign contract: Understand the contract/offer letter. Understand the job responsibilities and the department’s expectations. Return signed contract to your hiring department by the due date.

Step 3Paperwork: International students must possess a U.S. Social Security card before beginning job duties. Your hiring department will assist you with the process.

Step 4Orientation/training: Get information from your hiring pertaining to any training sessions being offered.

Step 5Human Resources: Your hiring department will navigate the process of getting you hired and added to payroll.

Transit access: The easiest way to get around campus and the surrounding areas is by riding the Clemson Area Transit bus (CATbus). Always free of charge, the CATbus has several on-campus routes to help you get to your destination, as well as routes through the city of Clemson and to the nearby cities of Anderson, Pendleton, Seneca and Central. For more information, call 864-656-4789.

Tiger Commute: The Clemson–Greenville Connection. This offers a weekday commuter service to connect the main campus with Clemson’s instructional and research sites in Greenville and other Greenlink stops. For more information and to view the schedule, visit the Student Affairs Tiger Commute web page.

On the Parking and Transportation Transit Services web page you can also access information about airport shuttle service, nighttime transportation, holiday bus schedules, Zipcar and bikeshare programs, and more.

Parking permits: Parking on campus is restricted to permit or metered parking. You may purchase a parking permit (optional; price varies) for your residential area or for a campus commuter lot prior to or after your arrival.

Shuttle services: To arrange transportation to or from Greenville–Spartanburg airport or Charlotte–Douglas International airport, visit this Airport Shuttles page.

+ Once You Get Here

 

Review the meal plan options offered by Clemson University Dining Services and enroll in a meal plan. The Dining Services web page hosts information about the wide variety of food-service options around campus.