New Student Information

Accept your admission offer: This step is required for students to be able to create a Clemson username and email address. Please note that all communication from the Graduate School will be sent via a Clemson email address. For step-by-step instructions on how to activate your Clemson account, please check the New Student To-Do List.

International students - Request for Certificate of Eligibility (I-20): Please note that all questions related to visas and I-20 forms for international students should be directed to the International Services Office.

Complete student immunization form: All required immunization forms should be submitted prior to July 1 for summer/fall enrollment and December 1 for spring enrollment. Please work with a medical professional prior to leaving your home country to submit your immunization form online early and receive feedback from the Medical Center regarding any immunizations you might be missing. If your immunization forms are not submitted by the deadline, you may experience registration holds.

Submit official transcripts: Once admitted to the program, students should plan to provide official transcripts to the Office of Graduate Admissions by the end of their first semester at Clemson University. Official transcripts can be mailed by the previous institutions directly or delivered by the students in person in a sealed envelope. Transcripts in a foreign language should be accompanied by an official translation.

Health insurance & waiver form: Health insurance is required for all full-time graduate students. Students may enroll in the health insurance plan offered through Clemson or may request a waiver if they plan to maintain alternate insurance. Students will automatically be enrolled and must activate their insurance. Students who have alternate insurance may submit a Request for Waiver online (under Waiver Requirements and Forms). All health insurance-related questions should be directed to Redfern Medical Center Insurance and Billing Office.

Housing: Graduate students live off-campus. Clemson University contracts with Off Campus Partners, LLC to create the Clemson Off-Campus Housing Portal. 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 the use of this information.

Transportation, Parking, and Transit Services: The easiest, free-of-charge way to get around campus and the surrounding areas (Anderson, Pendleton, Seneca, and Central) is by riding the Clemson Area Transit bus (CATbus). For more information, you can explore the CAT website and call 864-656-4789 with any additional questions. In addition, Clemson is providing Tiger Commute, connecting the main campus with Clemson’s instructional and research sites in Greenville and other Greenlink stops.  Greenlink bus routes will allow you to explore the city of Greenville. For more information on Tiger Commute and to view its’ 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 bike share programs, and more.

Parking on campus is restricted to permit or metered parking. You can purchase a commuter parking permit online before or after your arrival. Graduate students serving as Graduate Assistants will continue to park in the student parking areas and not in full-time employee parking areas.

Graduate School Onboarding: The Graduate School will email information about Mandatory Graduate Virtual Orientation and dates for the optional Graduate School in-person orientation. In-person orientation will allow you to meet current graduate students, tour the campus, discover graduate student resources and have lunch with your peers! Please check the dates and register for Graduate Student Orientation.

ECE Departmental Orientation: The Departmental Orientation will introduce you to the key staff members at ECE, current graduate students, the ECE Graduate Programs Coordinator, and the Graduate Student Services Coordinator. You will learn about graduation requirements, the milestones in the program, building regulations, and more! ECE Departmental in-person orientation invitation will be sent via email.

International Orientation: There are a few sessions and tours that International services set up. Register for one of the orientations, as this will provide helpful information for your transition to Clemson University.

Planning your arrival at Clemson

After you have arrived and gotten all the urgent matters taken care of, please stop by the ECE department to check in. You can check in with Jennifer Gooch, the Graduate Student Services Coordinator, in 102A Riggs Hall. If she is away from her office, you may also check in at 102C Riggs Hall.

Please begin checking your Clemson University email address, or have your Clemson email forwarded to an email you check regularly. All correspondence will be sent ONLY to your Clemson email.

Employment

You must be on campus on the first day of classes. At least 9 credit hours (full-time status) minimum for employment eligibility.

U.S. Students with Assistantships

If you have an assistantship commitment, you will need to complete payroll paperwork before you can work or be paid. Allison Konareski will process your I-9 paperwork to begin your employment; please come to 104 Riggs Hall to complete this document.

International Students

Please plan to arrive in the US at least 10 business days prior to the start of classes, especially if you have an assistantship commitment. This will allow for the necessary time to pass before you are able to apply for a Social Security Number and for you to participate in orientation sessions for new international students.

The Office of International Affairs can be reached by phone (656-3614) or email.

Please review the information in the International Student Arrival Guide & Student Orientation.

Payment Deadlines: Payment deadlines apply to all students, including those receiving Graduate Assistantships who will need to pay Graduate Assistant Fees. Students will receive email notifications with payment deadline reminders and can review the deadlines on the Billing Services Paying Your Bill Page.

International Students Payment Instructions: Clemson University has partnered with Flywire and PayMyTuition to offer an innovative and streamlined way to make a payment from your home country. Either method will provide you with a fast and easy way to pay your bill in iRoar. You also will be able to track where your payment is in the transfer process and be notified via email when it is deposited into our account. Please find detailed instructions on the International Students Payment Instructions page.

Financial Adjustments Calendar: Students dropping below full-time may become responsible for a partial cost of the course they are trying to drop. Please consult carefully about the dates for timely drops using the financial adjustment calendar.  If you are planning to change your schedule, please add the new courses first and drop the old courses afterward in order to avoid any late registration fee or financial adjustments that may occur when students drop below full-time load (9 credit hours or more). All additional questions regarding billing should be addressed at studentbillquestions@clemson.edu

All new students should register for courses as soon as possible. Registration becomes available the semester prior to the term start, and it will close near the end of the first month of the semester. Academic calendars can be found on the Registrar's site.
We recommend that all students contact their initial advisor before registering for courses.  Course registration is on the university’s iROAR system.

You should refer to Appendix A of the ECE Graduate Student Handbook for a list of courses that fall in your focus area. (Note that the lists in Appendix A are focus area requirements for M.S. students; Ph.D. students do not have to meet focus area requirements, but the lists are often helpful to them.)   

Nine (9) credit hours are considered full-time. 

After you have registered for classes, your bill will be created through iROAR, and that bill will need to be paid by the deadline set forth by the Bursar’s Office. You can view the University’s Tuition Calculator to get an estimate on the cost of attendance.

If you have problems logging into your registration account, please contact Clemson University’s Computer Help Desk. 

If you have problems registering for ECE courses, please contact ECE Registration Coordinator, (Alyssa Accuosti).

Deficiencies:

It is common for a student to be admitted into our program with undergraduate prerequisite deficiencies. You do NOT have to complete deficiencies in the first semester, and you may register for graduate-level courses before you satisfy your deficiency requirements. However, you cannot graduate until all deficiencies are satisfied, so failure to resolve your deficiencies in a timely manner may unnecessarily delay your graduation. Please work with your academic advisor on a plan to satisfy all deficiencies as early in your program of study as possible.

There are several ways to satisfy or remove your deficiencies: