CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
Clemson, South Carolina
The University
One of the country's most selective public research universities, Clemson was founded in 1889 with a mission to be a high seminary of learning dedicated to teaching, research, and service. Today, these three concepts remain at the heart of the University and provide the framework for an exceptional educational experience.
At Clemson University, professors take the time to get to know students and to explore innovative ways of teaching. Exceptional teaching is one reason Clemson's retention and graduation rates rank among the highest in the country among public universities.
Exceptional teaching is also why Clemson continues to attract an increasingly talented student body. In 2004, 41 percent of entering freshmen were ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school classes, and the freshman class averaged 1204 on the SAT one of the highest averages among the nation's public research universities.
Clemson is committed to world-class research. With more than $104 million in sponsored research support annually, Clemson is one of the National Science Foundation's top-100 research universities. Undergraduates have the opportunity to work closely with faculty members on exciting and challenging research projects.
The University also encourages faculty members to engage their classes through service-learning. One example of this is the Clemson Elementary Outdoors project, in which more than 750 Clemson students from a broad range of disciplines helped research and design outdoor learning areas for the city's new elementary school. Clemson has received national recognition for its innovative Communication-Across-the-Curriculum (CAC) program, in which professors focus on providing students with real-life challenges that require them to think and communicate effectively. At Clemson, CAC has become a standard teaching method used in nearly every department.
From cheering the Tigers at a football game to socializing at the Hendrix Student Center, Clemson students can participate in a wide variety of activities outside the classroom. The more than 275 campus clubs and organizations include fraternities and sororities, honoraries, international, military, performing arts, political, professional, religious, service, social interest, special interest, sports and fitness, student media, and union programs and activities.
With 19 intercollegiate sports, Clemson offers exciting spectator sports all year long. Clemson is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and is an NCAA Division I school. Admission to regular-season events played at Clemson is included in University fees for full-time students.
Clemson University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097; telephone: 404-679-4501) to award bachelor's, master's, specialist, and doctoral degrees.
Location
Approximately midway between Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia, Clemson University is located on 1,400 acres of beautiful rolling hills within the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and along the shores of Lake Hartwell. Great weather and proximity to natural wonders and large cities offer year-round recreational opportunities.
The University's enrollment of about 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students makes it a defining presence in Clemson, South Carolina, a town of 12,000. Most students live on campus in one of the twenty-two residence halls and four apartment complexes, which are within a 10-minute walk to class or downtown.
Majors and Degrees
Clemson offers more than eighty undergraduate and 100 graduate degree programs through five academic colleges: Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences; Architecture, Arts, and Humanities; Business and Behavioral Science; Engineering and Science; and Health, Education, and Human Development. Students can earn Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or preprofessional degrees in accounting; agricultural and applied economics; agricultural education; agricultural mechanization and business; animal and veterinary sciences; aquaculture, fisheries, and wildlife biology; architecture; biochemistry; biological sciences; biosystems engineering; ceramic and materials engineering; chemical engineering; chemistry; civil engineering; communication studies; computer engineering; computer information systems; computer science; construction science and management; early childhood education; economics; electrical engineering; elementary education; English; environmental and natural resources; financial management; fine arts; food science; forest resource management; genetics; geology; graphic communications; health science; history; horticulture; industrial engineering; industrial management; landscape architecture; language and international trade; management; marketing; mathematical sciences; mathematics teaching; mechanical engineering; microbiology; modern languages; nursing; packaging science; parks, recreation and tourism management; philosophy; physics; political science; polymer and textile chemistry; prepharmacy; preprofessional health studies; prerehabilitation sciences; preveterinary medicine; production studies in performing arts; psychology; science teaching; secondary education; sociology; special education; technology and human resource development; textile management; and turfgrass.
Academic Programs
Clemson's academic year is divided into two semesters. The fall semester begins in mid-August, the spring semester in early January. Two summer sessions and one Maymester are also available. Students average 16 credit hours per semester. Clemson requires all students to complete 41 hours of general education classes specified by the University before graduation. The number of completed credit hours required for graduation ranges from 127 to 167, depending on the major.
Calhoun Honors College is a University-wide program with more than 1,000 students, including approximately 300 freshmen each year. Calhoun Scholars work to complete two academic programs: General Honors and Departmental Honors. The advantages of membership are priority registration, extended library loan privileges, honors research grants, and honors housing.
The Dixon Fellows Program is a highly selective program for exceptional students who strive to meet their highest intellectual potential. One of its goals is to develop the interests and talents students need to compete for Rhodes, Marshall, and Truman scholarships; Fulbright Grants; National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships; and other prestigious international fellowships.
Clemson's nationally recognized Programs for Educational Enrichment and Retention (PEER) is committed to improving academic performance of underrepresented students in engineering and science. Today, thanks in large part to PEER, the six-year graduation rate for black first-time freshmen is 44 percent above the national average.
The Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program focuses on recruiting women into science and engineering and helping them succeed in college and their careers. WISE offers support activities such as mentoring programs, career planning, and study groups.
Tutoring, supplemental instruction, academic skills workshops, and academic counseling are also available free to all Clemson students through the Academic Support Center.
Off-Campus Programs
Clemson's study-abroad and off-campus programs give students the opportunity to study almost anywhere in the world. The International Student Exchange Program and the Clemson Exchange Program allow students to enroll for a summer, semester or full academic year at one of more than 100 universities throughout the world. In addition, many departments sponsor their own programs, including architecture in Italy and engineering in Germany.
Clemson undergraduates have worked at more than 360 companies through Cooperative Education. Participating students alternate periods of academic study with periods of related work in a business, industry, agency, or organization.
Academic Facilities
The Clemson campus is home to a blend of historic buildings and advanced research facilities surrounded by stately trees and lush greenery.
The Libraries and the Division of Computing and Information Technology are committed to providing students and faculty members with the latest ways to access information. Clemson's main library, the Robert M. Cooper Library, is located at the center of campus and provides students with a variety of services and up-to-date collections. The University's wireless networking capability lets students communicate with professors and classmates, read online course materials, check e-mail, and conduct research, all from their own laptops.
The campus offers an array of facilities and programs designed to enhance a student's entire educational experience. These include the Pearce Center for Professional Communication, Class of 1941 Studio for Student Communication, Rutland Center for Ethics, and Academic Support Center.
Clemson real estate holdings also include more than 32,000 acres of forestry and agricultural lands throughout the state, the majority of which are dedicated to the University's research and service missions.
Costs
For the 200405 academic year, undergraduate tuition and fees were $8040 for South Carolina residents and $16,604 for out-of-state residents. Room and board costs were approximately $5292, and books and supplies were about $800. The one-time laptop computer cost was $2000.
Financial Aid
Financial aid is usually awarded on the basis of need to supplement the amount students and their parents can contribute to college expenses. The University also awards some scholarships based entirely on academic merit. Clemson offers financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships, loans, and part-time employment.
Entering freshmen are evaluated on a competitive basis for scholarships using the admission application. There is no separate scholarship application. For Academic Recruiting Scholarships, students are ranked based on test scores, high school rank-in-class, and other academic factors. In past years, students offered one of these merit scholarships normally had an SAT score of at least 1300 (ACT of at least 30) and ranked in the top 10 percent of their senior class. Stipends for in-state residents range from $500 per year to the full cost of attendance. Merit scholarships for out-of-state students range from $2500 per year to the full cost of attendance. Academic Recruiting Scholarships are available only to entering freshmen and are renewable for three additional years provided that the minimum standards are maintained.
General University Scholarships are awarded to both entering freshmen and upperclassmen. To be considered for scholarships, upperclassmen must have a minimum cumulative GPR of at least 2.5. These scholarships may have special criteria set up by the donor, such as a certain residency, major, or career interest. Because of the restrictions on some of these scholarships, it is impossible to predict the recipients. However, the scholarship selection process is very competitive. Stipends range from $250 to $7500.
Faculty
Clemson has 1,243 full-time faculty members, of whom 88 percent hold a Ph.D. or terminal degree in their fields. In addition, the University has 159 part-time faculty members. Faculty honors include the Fulbright Scholarship, Guggenheim Fellowship, National Science Foundation CAREER Award, National Institutes of Health Senior Scientist Award, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences membership. The average class size is 29, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1.
Admission Requirements
Each year, the University receives about 12,000 applications for a fall freshman class of about 2,800. Transfer applications are received from about 1,600 students, of whom Clemson enrolls 700. Undergraduate applications are available online at http://www.clemson.edu/admission.
For freshman applicants, the following factors are considered: class standing, standardized test scores (SAT or ACT), high school curriculum, grades, and choice of major. All entering freshmen must have completed 4 credits of English; 3 credits of mathematics, 3 credits of laboratory science, 3 credits of a foreign language, 3 credits of social sciences, 2 credits in other areas, and 1 credit of physical education.
To be considered for transfer admission, candidates should have completed a year of college study (30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of transferable work), earned a cumulative grade point average of approximately 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (3.0 preferred), and completed all freshman-level courses in English, science, and mathematics for their intended major at Clemson.
Applicatioqn and Information
Application deadlines for freshman admissions are December1 (fall priority deadline), May1 (fall final deadline), and December15 (spring). For transfer admissions, the application deadlines are July1 (fall) and December15 (spring).
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