Graduate Studies Overview

To find out more about these programs, contact graduate coordinators:

• BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES — Chris Parkinson: biolgrad@clemson.edu
• ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY — Peter van den Hurk: entoxgrad@clemson.edu 
• MICROBIOLOGY — Zhicheng Dou: micrograd@clemson.edu
• ONLINE M.S. IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES FOR SCIENCE EDUCATORS — Robert Ballard: biologyonline@clemson.edu

The 2023–2024 Graduate Advisory Committee members are:

• Graduate program coordinator for biological sciences: Chris Parkinson
• Graduate program coordinator for microbiology: Zhicheng Dou
• Graduate program coordinator for environmental toxicology: Peter van den Hurk
• Biological sciences faculty representatives: Susan Chapman and Norm Wickett
• Microbiology faculty representatives: Emily Rosowski and Vince Richards
• Environmental toxicology faculty representative: Lisa Bain

Graduate Student Guides for the Department of Biological Sciences for the last several years can be found below as viewable/downloadable PDFs. For the most up-to-date information, please consult the most recent one. For older guides, contact the Department of Biological Sciences directly.

• Graduate Student Guide 2024–2025
• Graduate Student Guide 2023–2024
• Graduate Student Guide 2022–2023
• Graduate Student Guide 2021–2022
• Graduate Student Guide 2020–2021
• Graduate Student Guide 2019–2020
• Graduate Student Guide 2018–2019
• Graduate Student Guide 2017–2018
• Graduate Student Guide 2016–2017

The following forms are available as viewable/downloadable PDFs:

• How GTAs are evaluated 

• Proposal Defense Verification — M.S. and Ph.D.

• Rubric for Assessing Student Learning Outcomes: Biological Sciences — M.S. Defense
• Rubric for Assessing Student Learning Outcomes: Microbiology — M.S. Defense
• Rubric for Assessing Student Learning Outcomes: Environmental Toxicology — M.S. Defense

• Rubric for Assessing Student Learning Outcomes: Biological Sciences — Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam
• Rubric for Assessing Student Learning Outcomes: Microbiology — Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam
• Rubric for Assessing Student Learning Outcomes: Environmental Toxicology — Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam

• Rubric for Assessing Student Learning Outcomes: Biological Sciences — Ph.D. Dissertation and Defense
• Rubric for Assessing Student Learning Outcomes: Microbiology — Ph.D. Dissertation and Defense
• Rubric for Assessing Student Learning Outcomes: Environmental Toxicology — Ph.D. Dissertation and Defense

Scheduling a Proposal or Final Defense

Proposals and final theses/dissertations must be provided to committee members at least 14 days in advance of the defense. All proposal defenses should be advertised at least 10 days beforehand by sending a flyer to your advisor, committee members and the graduate student services program coordinator. The program coordinator will then forward it to the faculty and graduate students. All final defenses should be announced at least 10 days beforehand by filling out the Submit Defense Form and sending an email to your advisor, committee members and the graduate student services program coordinator. The program coordinator will then forward it to the faculty and graduate students. Further instructions are in the most recent Graduate Student Guide in sections VII and VIII.

Binding Thesis/Dissertation

In addition to the electronic copy of your thesis/dissertation document required by the Graduate School, the microbiology and biological sciences graduate degree programs require one bound copy of your thesis/dissertation paid for by the department for the departmental library collection of theses/dissertations located in 229 Long Hall. A signature page from your advisory committee (not available in the electronic copy) can be included in the bound copy, and there is an option to print your figures in color. The department will pay for up to two copies (one for the program, one for the student) to be bound. Please contact the graduate student services program coordinator, for instructions.

Current graduate students may find the following links containing University policies helpful:

• “Clemson University Graduate School Policies & Procedures” handbook
• The Graduate School
• Graduation deadlines
• Graduate School forms

For general information about the Clemson University Graduate School, as well as the most current degree requirements and course listings, visit the Records and Registration page.

Study under faculty dedicated to excellence. Learn as part of a close-knit graduate community. Your time in graduate school will be a time of intense professional development, and it will be a life phase that you will never forget. This section provides information on important issues that relate to your Clemson biological sciences graduate student experience. Of course, it’s impossible to anticipate all of the issues that might arise, so contact the department if you have questions.

Housing

Most graduate students select off-campus housing, for which a variety of options in many cost ranges are available within a short walk or drive from campus. Clemson has an excellent free local bus system that provides frequent service to most local apartment complexes and campus buildings. Information about housing is also available on the Clemson Home website.

Insurance and Health Services

Clemson University requires all full-time (nine hours or more), on-campus graduate students to have health insurance coverage. All international graduate students are required to have health insurance. This policy is administered by Redfern Health Center as a “hard-waiver program.” All full-time, on-campus students are enrolled in the University plan unless they present evidence of acceptable alternative coverage to RHC’s Office of Student Insurance before the semester begins. One waiver is valid for a year. To partially offset some of the health insurance premium costs associated with this requirement, Clemson provides all graduate assistants who purchase health insurance from Clemson with an annual, nonrefundable, non-transferable health insurance subsidy.

Find out more on the Redfern Health Center website.

Local and Regional Resources

For additional information on Clemson and Upstate South Carolina, follow these links:

• City of Clemson
• Clemson Tourism 
• City of Greenville

Graduate Student Organizations

Clemson has several campus organizations that cater specifically to graduate students. You may find information on many of these organizations on the Division of Student Affairs website.

Graduate Student Government serves as a liaison between graduate students and the rest of the University community, and many International Student Organizations are focal points for the international student communities and cultures on campus. GSG also supports a travel grant program for graduate students and encourages graduate students to participate in many campus activities.

The goal of the Biological Sciences Graduate Student Association is to provide a means of transmitting important information to members, promote scientific thought and communication skills among members, and to represent the interests of the biology, microbiology and environmental toxicology graduate students. The organization meets monthly and organizes several social events, travel awards and fundraisers for biology graduate students.

The Environmental Toxicology Graduate Student Association is dedicated to supporting graduate students in pursuit of their advanced degrees, giving back to the community and performing outreach, and to raising funds for national and international conferences. The graduate group meets throughout the spring and fall academic semesters to provide a social outlet and serve as a resource for professional/academic information and opportunities.