Applying to the Graduate Program

The following should be included with your graduate application:

• Transcripts.
• Personal statement.
• At least two recommendation letters.
• TOEFL (or alternative accepted English Proficiency Exam) for non-native speakers of English.

Application FAQs

Please review these frequently-asked questions carefully to see if your question is addressed here before contacting someone in the Department. If you have a question that is not addressed below, you may contact the Graduate Student Services Coordinator, Amanda Ellenburg, at aellenb@clemson.edu.

How do I request an application fee waiver?

There is no fee to apply for admission to our graduate programs.

I’m not sure whether I am qualified to apply for admission to your program. Is there someone I can email to check?

We do not pre-screen applicants. You must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an approved institution whose scholastic rating is satisfactory to the University or an equivalent degree from an institution outside the U.S. in order to apply for admission to Clemson’s Graduate School. You must also complete the application fully and submit all required materials in order to receive admission consideration. There is no fee to apply to our graduate program, so we will not respond to inquiries asking us to evaluate your credentials to determine whether you should apply.

Is the GRE or physics GRE required to apply for admission?

No, the Department of Physics and Astronomy does not require the general GRE or the physics GRE for admission consideration.

Do I need to contact faculty members in the department to secure a research advisor before applying?

No, you do not need to select a research advisor prior to applying for admission.

Do I need to submit my TOEFL, IELTS, DuoLingo (or other) test scores with my application?

International students must submit English proficiency exam scores in order for the application to be considered complete. Acceptable English proficiency exams (and their minimum score requirements) are:

• TOEFL iBT:
  • Minimum score of 80.
  • Clemson’s institution code is 5111.
  • TOEFL iBT scores are valid for two years.
• TOEFL Essentials:
  • Minimum score of 8.5
  • Clemson’s institution code is 5111.
  • TOEFL Essential scores are valid for two years.
• DuoLingo English Test:
  • Minimum score of 115.
  • DuoLingo English Test scores are valid for two years.
• IELTS:
  • Minimum score of 6.5.
  • IELTS scores are valid for two years.
• PTE Academic:
  • Minimum score of 54.
  • PTE Academic scores are valid for two years.

International students who earned an undergraduate degree from institution whose medium of instruction was English, as well as students from certain countries, may have the English proficiency exam requirement waived. For a full list of exempt countries and institutions, as well as the procedure for requesting a waiver, visit Clemson’s Graduate School website. 

What is the application deadline?

The application deadline for Fall admission is January 1 of the year for which you are applying for admission. We do not typically admit students in Spring semesters.

I submitted all of my application materials by the deadline. When should I expect to hear from the admissions committee?

The admissions committee will begin reviewing applications following Clemson’s winter break. If you are on the short-list for admission, you should expect to hear from someone in the department by mid-February. We strive to enter all decisions (i.e. Accept, Reject, or Waitlist) into each application portal by mid-March.

When I check my application, it says it is incomplete. I thought I submitted all the required materials. What should I do?

If your application is marked as incomplete, but you believe you have submitted the required materials, you need to contact Graduate Admissions at grdapp@clemson.edu to inquire about the incomplete status. Please note that Graduate Admissions answers inquiries from students applying to each graduate program at Clemson, so you may not get a response right away. Please do not contact anyone in the Physics & Astronomy Department about an incomplete application. We do not have the ability to determine why your application is marked as incomplete.

I contacted Professor John Doe, who said he is interested in having me join his lab; however, my application has been rejected. Why has this happened?

All admission decisions are made by the department’s Graduate Admissions Committee, not individual faculty members. A positive response from a faculty member does not constitute an offer of admission.

I am graduating at the end of this academic year, so I do not have my final transcript yet. Can I apply without submitting my final transcript?

Yes, you may use your current, unofficial transcript to submit your application. If selected for admission, your final, official transcript must be submitted to the Graduate School by the end of your first semester of enrollment. Please note that official transcripts are submitted to Clemson’s Graduate School, not to the department. Please read the Graduate School’s policy regarding transcripts here.

I am having a technical problem with the application process. Whom should I contact?

If you experience any technical problems with the application process, please contact the graduate admissions team at grdapp@clemson.edu.

How do I apply for financial support?

There is no separate application for financial support. All of our applicants are considered for teaching assistantships, which provide a tuition waiver and stipend. While a TA is not guaranteed, we strive to offer a TA to each student selected for admission. The availability of TAs is dependent on available funding and the number of positions available.

How can I find out why I was not accepted?

We receive approximately 300 applications each year to fill an average of 12-15 available positions. While we understand a rejection is disappointing, it is not possible for us to respond to each applicant to explain why he/she/they were not selected for admission.

Application Deadlines for Fall Admission

Jan. 1: Applications receive full consideration for assistantship and fellowship opportunities. Applications completed after January 1 will be reviewed only at the discretion of the department and might not be reviewed at all. Application fees are nonrefundable.

Early to mid-March: Acceptance letters are mailed out.

April 15: Response deadline for accepted candidates.

Application Deadlines for Spring Admission

The Department of Physics and Astronomy currently anticipates no openings for new graduate students in the spring.