Graduate Advising

Planning and Registration

Preparation for course registration: The Department of Mechanical Engineering conducts a virtual information session for newly admitted students prior to the first day of registration. New students should plan to attend the session as it covers initial registration recommendations, instructions, and many helpful tips for newly arriving students. We recommend that you register for courses early in the Registration Period as some classes will fill up. See registration dates in the academic calendar.

Initial course selection: New students will receive initial guidance on selecting their first semester classes at the virtual information session for newly admitted students. Students who have identified a thesis or dissertation advisor should also consult with their faculty advisor about their registration plan. Please review the ME core courses chart below based on the subject area.

NOTE: ¹ Students must take one of the above listed three courses. Only one of these courses can be used to satisfy the fifth core course requirement.

Registration instructions: Graduate students do not need a PIN code to register for classes. To browse the schedule and register for classes, go to iRoar >- Student Self-Service > - Student Registration > - Add/Drop Classes, Plan Ahead and View Schedule. iRoar Student Training Materials page provides access to video tutorials for students on how to register, drop the course, request an audit, waitlist a course, adjust variable credits, and more. Please note that some of the tutorials such as Academic Forgiveness, Undergraduate Change of Program, Course Substitution, Degree Works, and CU Navigate do not apply to graduate students.

Have an issue?

Full sections: If a course you are interested in is full, please reach out to the instructor of the course via email and request an extra seat in their class. It is up to the faculty members to decide whether they can accept extra students while still maintaining a high level of student engagement. The permission from the instructor should be forwarded to the Graduate Student Services Coordinator who will register the student for the desired section manually.

Undergraduate-level prerequisites: Many graduate students have completed undergraduate-level prerequisites in their previously attended institutions. If the system does not allow your registration due to a prerequisite course or its equivalent that you have completed during your bachelor’s program, please email the Graduate Student Services Coordinator to request a manual override. In your email, please specify your C number, the course you are trying to attend (CRN if possible, course code, and section number), and the undergraduate course you have previously taken.

Late Arrivals: International students experiencing visa processing delays or outstanding circumstances can enter the country within 30 days after the classes start. To receive permission for late arrival, students should email their faculty mentor to request to join the classes late. Often students will be able to complete some part of their coursework remotely. If students forward communication with all faculty approvals for late arrival to the Graduate Student Services Coordinator, the Coordinator may issue a Late Arrival Support Letter if needed to accompany students’ travel.

Add/Drop Period and Financial Adjustments: There are three deadlines for dropping classes. The last day to drop without any financial responsibility (for students dropping below full-time), the last day to drop without any grade or record of enrollment, and the last day to drop with a W grade. To check on the last day to drop at no charge, students should refer to the Financial Adjustments page for deadlines related to tuition refunds. A deadline to drop without a record of enrollment in the class occurs at the end of the add/drop period and can be found in the academic calendar. The third deadline occurs about ten weeks into the semester and is the last day to drop with a grade of "W". Students should be fully aware of the consequences of adding and dropping classes on their financial aid and academic progress. The decision to drop a course should be discussed with an academic advisor and/or financial aid advisor as needed.

GS2 Committee Selection: The GS2 Committee Selection form allows students to create an Advisory Committee consisting of three or four faculty members (for M.S. thesis and Ph.D. committees, respectively). The majority of faculty members must be chosen from within the ME Department. The GS2 committee selection form should be completed by the middle of the second semester for M.S. and by the beginning of the fourth semester for Ph.D.

GS2 Plan of Study: The GS2 Plan of Study lists classes that a student plans to complete throughout their program. For M.S. Thesis and Ph.D. students, this list should be created in cooperation with a student’s faculty advisor. M.S. non-thesis students will compose the list after reviewing the Graduate Student Manual. Students should update them on a regular basis, as some courses might not be offered as planned.

Master en route to Ph.D.: GS2-14 Form. Ph.D. students who have completed or plan to complete ME master’s degree requirements in addition to Ph.D. requirements may submit the GS2-14 form to apply for a master’s en route. The form is due prior to the semester in which this degree is to be conferred. Students should refer to the Graduate Policies and Procedures Manual for more information.

GS-14 Request for Change of Degree and/or Major: GS-14 Request for Change of Program/Major allows students to convert from M.S. to Ph.D. and from Ph.D. to M.S. within the department, as well as transfer to another department at Clemson University. Ph.D. students intending to convert to the M.S. program must complete the GS 14 form before the last day to add classes for the semester in which they are planning to convert. For the purposes of timely qualifying examination, M.S. students can only convert to Ph.D. prior to their 5th semester in the program.

GS-Research Approval: The GS-Research Approval form is required when students conduct their dissertation proposal. Students need to coordinate the time with their advisory committee and reserve the room for their research proposal. Successful completion of the proposal is documented in the GS-Research Approval form submission to Enrolled Student Services indicating that the committee has approved the proposed research topic.

GS5D for Ph.D. Proposal: The GS5 form documenting the successful completion of the comprehensive examination is submitted at the same time as the GS-Research Approval form since the comprehensive exam at the Department of Mechanical Engineering is conducted in conjunction with the proposal defense. Once the student’s dissertation proposal is approved and the comprehensive exam is completed, a doctoral student becomes a doctoral candidate.

GS7D Dissertation Defense for Ph.D.: The GS7D, or Dissertation defense and approval form, can be completed at the time of the doctoral student’s dissertation defense. This form provides the results of the oral defense (pass/fail) and includes recommendations for the second defense if needed. The GS7D should be signed by the student’s advisory committee and submitted to Enrolled Student Services.

GS7M Thesis Approval for M.S.: The GS7M, Final Exam and Thesis approval form can be completed at the time of the master student’s thesis defense. This form provides the results of the oral examination (pass/fail) and includes recommendations for the second defense if needed. GS7M should be signed by the student’s advisory committee and submitted to the Enrolled Student Services.

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International Forms

OPT Form: The Optional Practical Training form is required by the federal regulations for international students planning to start their employment upon graduation. The students need to start the OPT approval process early, typically at the beginning of their final semester. Students will initially consult with International Services regarding the OPT application process, obtain the IS 140 form, and submit the form here for departmental approval. The Program Coordinator will be signing the form on behalf of the student’s faculty advisor (if any).

CPT Form: The Curricular Practical Training Form is required for international students planning to begin their internship. Students will need to consult with the international services on the CPT approval procedure, obtain the IS 130 form, and submit it for departmental approval here. To complete all necessary steps, please allow about 3 weeks for CPT request processing.

RCL Form: RCL stands for Reduced Course Load. Since international students are required to maintain a full-time load, this form should be completed by students who need to complete just a few remaining graduation requirements that do not comprise a full-time load. For example, an international student may have to complete one or two courses or thesis defense, but all of their other graduation requirements are completed. RCL form can be obtained from the International Services Office and should be submitted for departmental approval here.

I-20 Extension: The Certificate of Eligibility for the F-1 Visa Extension form is required for international students who need to delay their graduation due to incomplete graduation requirements. This form can be requested from the International Services Office and submitted to the departmental approval here.