Admissions FAQ
Preparing to Apply
The School of Computing offers high-quality graduate-level programs that include M.S. Thesis, M.S. Non-Thesis, MAC, MFA, and Ph.D. The basic requirement for admission to a computing advanced degree program is a bachelor’s degree from an accredited undergraduate program. Most of our students have a background in computer science, but the Master of Applied Computing (MAC) program is designed for students without the necessary computing background. An applicant with minimal deficiencies may be admitted with prerequisites, while one with several deficiencies may be required to satisfactorily complete prerequisite work as a non-degree student prior to admission as a graduate student.
The basic form of financial aid for graduate students in the School of Computing is the graduate assistantship. To maintain the graduate assistantship, students on assistantship must be enrolled full-time (minimum of 9 credits in fall and spring and 6 credits in the summer). This is a university policy and cannot be waived.
Graduate assistants pay significantly reduced tuition and receive a twice-monthly stipend. All qualified Ph.D. applicants are considered for assistantships when applications are processed. No separate applications are required.
Funding is reserved for Ph.D. study. While we maintain a database of external funding opportunities for applicants and current students studying in STEM-related fields, applicants admitted to the Computer Science M.S., BDSI M.S., and Master of Applied Computing programs should expect to pay full tuition.
Our Funding Database-
What is the application deadline?
We accept new graduate students in both the Fall and Spring semesters. For consideration for admission and financial support, students should have all application materials sent in by the following dates.
Application Materials Deadline for Ph.D.* Applications
Application Materials Deadline for PhD Applications Fall Semester Date for Consideration For priority consideration January 1 Final deadline for complete applications March 15 Spring Semester Date for Consideration For priority consideration and the final deadline for complete applications September 15 Application Materials Deadline for M.S.** and MAC*** Applications
Application Materials Deadline for M.S. and MAC Applications Fall Semester (M.S. and MAC) Date for Consideration For priority consideration, including official GRE and language scores January 15 Final deadline for complete applications, including official GRE and language scores March 15 Spring Semester (M.S. Only) Date for Consideration For priority consideration, including official GRE and language scores July 15 Final deadline for complete applications, including official GRE and language scores September 15 * The BDSI M.S., BDSI Ph.D., and DPA programs have separate deadlines, which can be found on the programs’ web pages.
** If you are interested in performance-based admission for the fully online M.S. program, you can find the enrollment deadline for the upcoming semester on the M.S. in Computer Science Coursera page.
*** Note the MAC program is Fall start only.
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What materials are required to apply?
To apply to the School of Computing at Clemson, please visit the Graduate School application page. All application materials should be sent to graduate admissions. Please visit the individual program page for specific application requirements (i.e., portfolio for DPA MFA) that may apply to that program. All supporting material will be submitted electronically.
Students admitted to Clemson and who decide to attend can submit official transcripts to Graduate Admissions upon arrival on campus.
Application Review Process
Please review the Supporting Materials page for helpful tips on writing your Personal Statement, CV and resume samples, recommendation requests and more.
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Is the GRE required?
The Computer Science M.S., MAC, and DPA M.S. programs require official GRE scores. These scores should be sent directly from the ETS offices. For details on how to request official scores, please visit the ETS website. Our institutional ETS code is 5111. No department code is necessary.
GRE scores are not required for application to our BDSI M.S. or DPA MFA programs. For application to our Ph.D. programs, GRE scores are recommended, but not required.
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Will I receive financial aid?
Clemson University offers a wide variety of financial aid and references to external funding resources for graduate-level students.
Computer Science M.S., MAC, and BDSI M.S. Programs: MSCS, MAC, and BDSI M.S. students are not considered for funding opportunities within the School of Computing since funding is reserved for Ph.D. students. MSCS students are eligible to apply for hourly TA positions in their second semester, and MAC students are eligible after completion of the MSCS Ready modules. MSCS, MAC, and BDSI M.S. students are encouraged to use ClemsonJobLink, the Stem Opportunities database, and other external resources to search for possible funding opportunities.
Graduate Assistantship: Financial aid is prioritized for Ph.D. students. Graduate assistantships within the School of Computing are highly competitive. All applicants are evaluated for available positions as teaching assistants; there is no need for a separate assistantship application.
Assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis to qualified students, both domestic and international. All qualified students are considered for assistantships when applications are processed. Award decisions are based on academic records, test scores, statements of purpose, letters of recommendation, and availability of funds.
Digital Production Arts M.S. and MFA Programs: All DPA MFA and M.S. graduate students are considered for merit-based tuition awards at the time of application and may pursue hourly-based employment from on-campus units if admitted. However, all assistantships for the DPA MFA and M.S. students must be approved through the DPA Director prior to accepting employment.
The Clemson University Office of Student Financial Aid has all the resources needed for securing financial aid. Please visit the Financial Aid website for more information.
Fellowships: Fellowships are monetary awards that require no service or work from the student. Typically, fellowships are awarded on merit.
The Graduate School maintains a list of available fellowships on its website that includes information on many external fellowships.
The School of Computing lists Ph.D. Fellowship opportunities. Additional eligibility requirements may apply
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Application decisions: before, during and after?
The average processing time for graduate applications is 4-6 weeks from the application due date. You can track the status of your application using the information provided in your application confirmation email from the Graduate School at Clemson University.
You will be notified by the Graduate School, not the School of Computing, as soon as a decision has been reached on your application. Due to federal privacy regulations, we cannot disclose admissions decisions over the phone.
Unofficial transcripts can be submitted. Once you have received acceptance to the program, you will be asked to submit official transcripts.
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Who do I contact in each program?
SoC Program Contacts Program Coordinators Program Name Email Biomedical Data Science and Informatics (M.S., Ph.D.) Dr. Aaron Masino 315 McAdams Hall
amasino@clemson.eduComputer Science (M.S.),
Master of Applied Computing (MAC)Carlos Cabrera 209 One Research Drive
cabrer3@clemson.eduComputer Science (Ph.D.) Dr. Federico Iuricich 305 McAdams Hal
fiurici@clemson.eduDigital Production Arts (M.S., MFA) Eric Patterson 307 McAdams Hal
ekp@clemson.eduHuman-Centered Computing (Ph.D.) Andrew Robb 122 McAdams Hall
arobb@clemson.eduSoC Division Contacts Graduate Student Services Coordinators Division Name Email All Ph.D., BDSI, and DPA Programs Adam Rollins rollin7@clemson.edu Computer Science M.S. (Clemson Main, Greenville, and Charleston) and Master of Applied Computing (MAC) Chip Lang mscs@clemson.edu Computer Science (M.S. Online) Becca Spilka Coursera Program
Graduate Program
Information on Computing Courses for Clemson University Graduate Programs can be found in the Graduate Course Catalog. For answers to commonly asked questions, please view the Graduate School FAQ page.
Potential applicants interested in graduate studies at Clemson University will electronically submit their application and supporting material to the Office of Graduate Admissions; applicants can check the status of their application via the online status check.
![Rolllins profile](http://www.clemson.edu/cecas/departments/computing/images/staff/adam_rollins.jpg)
Graduate Student Services Coordinator
All Ph.D., BDSI, and DPA Programs
Adam Rollins
rollin7@clemson.edu
Phone: 864-656-5853
![Lang profile](http://www.clemson.edu/cecas/departments/computing/images/staff/chip-lang.jpg)
Graduate Student Services Coordinator
Computer Science (M.S.), Master of Applied Computing (MAC)
Chip Lang
hclang@clemson.edu
![Spilka profile](http://www.clemson.edu/cecas/departments/computing/images/staff/becca_spilka.png)
Graduate Student Services Coordinator
Computer Science (M.S.) Online
Becca Spilka
rbspilk@clemson.edu
Phone: 864-656-7684