Admissions

Admissions to Civil Engineering

Applying to the Graduate Program at Clemson University

Potential applicants interested in graduate studies at Clemson University will submit their application and all supporting material to the Office of Graduate Admissions.   All material for the review process will be submitted electronically, and applicants can check the status of their application by using the online status check.

Application decisions are made by the Civil Engineering faculty, and the review process will begin when all supporting material has been received by Graduate Admissions.  General inquiries about the Civil Engineering graduate program should be emailed to the Graduate Student Services Office; Questions related to specific areas of study within Civil Engineering should be directed to the appropriate faculty area coordinator.

Degrees Offered

The Glenn Department of Civil Engineering offers the following degree options:

Doctor of Philosophy
Master of Science – Thesis option
Master of Science – Coursework option

Specialty Areas

Students applying to the graduate program will select from one of six concentration areas when they submit their application:

Deadlines

The Civil Engineering Department reviews applications on a rolling basis; however, it is recommended that applications be completed (including all supporting materials submitted) by April 1 for August enrollment and November 1 for January enrollment.  International applicants must also take into consideration any Office of International Services deadlines that relate to I-20 issuance.

Required Application Material

All supporting material will be submitted electronically.  Students who are admitted to Clemson and decide to attend can submit official transcripts to Graduate Admissions upon arrival on campus.

  • Personal Statement
    • Why do you want to pursue a graduate degree in civil engineering?
    • Why do you want to pursue a graduate degree at Clemson University?
  • Letters of Recommendation
    • Ph.D. – 3 recommendations
    • M.S. – 2 recommendations
  • Transcripts from each college or university attended
  • GRE scores (all applicants)
  • *TOEFL/IELTS/PTE Academic scores (international applicants whose native language is not English)
  • Resume/CV (optional, but encouraged)
  • Application fee: Domestic fees – $80, International fees – $90

*Please note the following minimum score requirements for admissions:

TOEFL – 80
IELTS – 6.5
PTE Academic – 54

Application Review Process

The application review process for Spring admission begins in early September, and in early January for Fall admission.  Applications are reviewed by faculty based on the specialty area indicated by the applicant.  Thus, structures faculty only reviews structures applicants; geotechnical faculty only review geotechnical applications, etc.  The decision process may take up to four weeks to finalize once an application is complete, thus, students are encouraged to apply early.

Transfer Students

Graduate students who are interested in transferring to Clemson from another U.S. institution are expected to go through the same review process as any other applicant to the program.  See the Graduate School Policy and Procedures Handbook for specific information related to transferring credit.  The faculty area coordinator will make a decision about accepting courses from another institution during the application process.

Graduate Assistantship Offers

The Glenn Department of Civil Engineering offers a number of teaching and research assistantships to M.S. and Ph.D. students.  Funding by assistantship is competitive in nature and awarded based on academic excellence, needs of the Department, available funding, and compatibility of research interests.  It is helpful if personal statements include information related to research interests, particularly how those relate to current research   within the Department.

Students who have been selected to receive an assistantship will be contacted by email with an official assistantship contract.  We offer two types of assistantships:

Teaching assistantships:

  • May involve grading homework/assignments or teaching undergraduate labs;
  • Awarded by the Department based on the recommendation of the faculty.

Research assistantships:

  • Awarded by individual faculty members;
  • May be given at any point during a student’s program of study.

Graduate assistants pay significantly reduced tuition and receive a twice-monthly stipend.  Students on assistantship must be enrolled full-time (minimum of 9 credits in fall and spring and 6 credits in the summer) in order to be eligible for funding.  This is a university policy and cannot be waived.

Tuition and Fees

Check the Financial/Tuition section of the Graduate School website for information on tuition and fees for graduate students.  Civil Engineering is considered a “Tier Two” program in the fee structure.  Questions related to tuition, bill payment, etc. should be addressed to Student Financial Services.

New Student Orientation

The CE Department generally holds new student orientation on the Tuesday before classes begin. A confirmation email with the exact date/time/location will be sent to incoming students.  New graduate students are expected to attend all relevant orientation sessions at the beginning of their first semester at Clemson.

Information for Accepted Students

Following are some resources that will be helpful for you as you prepare to begin your graduate career at Clemson University:

New Student To-Do List (Graduate School)
New Student Arrival Guide ( Office International Services)
Graduate School Policies & Procedures (2017-18)
Academic Calendar
CE Faculty Area Representatives
Graduate Student Insurance
Student Financial Services
Clemson Computing & Information Technology – CCIT

Frequently Asked Questions