Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management, Ph.D.

To receive the doctor of philosophy degree, the student must complete at least 15 semester hours of graduate credit including research credit (9910) on the Clemson University campus in a continuous 12-month period.

All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within eight (8) years from the date you first matriculate into a doctoral degree program at Clemson. This clock does not stop for leave of absence.

The student must pass a final dissertation defense at least three weeks prior to the commencement at which the student plans to graduate.

Applicants are responsible for finding a PRTM faculty member with an aligned research area who agrees to advise them in order to be accepted into the PRTM graduate program. Applicants should review bios and reach out to faculty members via email to discuss potential advising opportunities. Applicants can communicate with the PRTM Graduate Coordinator for recommendations on which faculty members to contact.

Click here for the PRTM Faculty Directory.

All graduate applications are reviewed at the same time by graduate program faculty and administrators.  Typically, applications are reviewed and an admission decision is made within 6-8 weeks of the application deadline.  Application deadlines for Fall semester (i.e., August) and Spring semester (i.e., January) are February 1 and October 1, respectively.  

Questions about applications may be directed to grdprtm@clemson.edu. 

The following requirements must be met to be considered for admission to the either the on campus or online Ph.D. in PRTM. 

Requirements include:

• A personal statement outlining the purpose for pursuing your Ph.D. and detailing your career goals, your research interests related to any PRTM concentration, as well as the name of your willing advisor (which will be verified), and your strengths and weaknesses as a learner (particularly if you’re pursuing the online program).
• Two letters of recommendation from persons familiar with your academic and/or job performance (one of each preferred).
• Unofficial transcripts of all previous academic work, both graduate and undergraduate. Official transcripts will be required once admission has been granted. A GPA of at least 3.0 in needed in all graduate course work.
• If English is your second language, you must also submit acceptable TOEFL or IELTS scores.
• A copy of your most recent resume/curriculum vitae. Please give a clear indication of your related experience, including your job title, names of your supervisor(s) and your duties or responsibilities. 
• A writing sample, preferably in a technical or scientific style. May be a previously written paper, report or thesis. 
• Other information related to your professional and academic qualifications should be included at your discretion.

Applicants are responsible for finding a PRTM faculty member with an aligned research area who agrees to advise them in order to be accepted into the PRTM graduate program. Applicants should review bios and reach out to faculty members via email to discuss potential advising opportunities. Applicants can communicate with the PRTM Graduate Coordinator for recommendations on which faculty members to contact.

Click here for the PRTM Faculty Directory.

Visit Clemson University Graduate School Admissions to learn more about admission requirements, how to apply and important dates.

Applications wanting to be considered for fall admission to the online or on campus programs should be submitted with all required materials by February 1.

Application materials for spring admission are due by October 1.

Application materials for spring admission are due by October 1. Before you apply, however, it’s important to note that students who start their doctoral program in the spring are not eligible for assistantship funding.

Click here for the Course Registration Form.

Graduate study at the Ph.D. level must maintain flexibility, so your specific study program will be directed by your advisory committee. It is anticipated that a program of study would approximate the following example: 

Minimum Course Requirements (60 hours)

• PRTM 8010 – Philosophical Foundations (3 credits)
• PRTM 8080 – Behavioral Aspects of PRTM (3 credits)
• PRTM 8110 – Research Methods in PRTM (3 credits)
• PRTM 8130 – Qualitative Research Methods in PRTM
• PRTM 9100 – Research Seminar (2 credits) or PRTM 9300 - 9320 Residency 1, 2, 3 (3 credits)
• PRTM 9110 – Professional Issues in PRTM (1 credit, for a total of 3 credits) or PRTM 9330 Higher Education in PRTM
• YDP 8080 – Grant Writing
• Research or Statistical Methods (15 credits)
• Teaching, Collateral or Industry area [focused study area selected in consultation with student's committee] (12 credits)
• PRTM 9910 – Doctoral Dissertation Research (18 credits)

All Ph.D. students must present at least twice in PRTM 9100 (dissertation proposal AND results) prior to graduation. Students must obtain Chair’s permission to schedule presentations.

Tuition and Fees

Explore information on tuition and fees using the Student Financial Services’ tuition and fee calculator. If you’re considering:

• On campus study, choose the “Graduate” tab at the top of the calculator.

Financial Aid

For information regarding Financial Aid, please contact the office of Student Financial Aid.

All on-campus program applicants are considered for an assistantship position within our department. General departmental graduate assistantships include a full tuition waiver and an annual stipend of $18,000 per academic year (9-months), and require students to work 20 hours a week for the department doing a variety of duties including grading, guest lecturing, teaching full classes, and supporting faculty research.

These assistantships are limited and competitive. Research assistantships are specific to faculty who have been awarded grants and are seeking to hire a graduate student to assist them with those duties. Research assistantships are also 20 hours a week but may include summer work. They also generally include a tuition waiver, as well as a stipend that may be a different amount than the department stipend.

Faculty below are recruiting general graduate assistants and research assistants. If you have skills and expertise in these areas, please review their bios and contact them directly.

Departmental Graduate Assistants 

Theresa Melton, Ph.D., Youth Development Leadership

Čedomir Stanojević, Ph.D., Recreational Therapy

Em Adams, Ph.D., Recreational Therapy

Felipe Tobar, Ph.D., Tourism and Event Management 

Departmental Research Assistants 

Edmond P Bowers, Ph.D., Youth Development Leadership, click here.

Robert Powell, Ph.D, Enviornmental Education, click here. 

Matt Brownlee, Ph.D, Fish and Wildlife, click here. 

Please contact the coordinator of graduate studies at GRDprtm@clemson.edu for more information.

A formal Graduate School application must also be submitted. Please click this link for information.