Non Degree Applicants


Admission in this category is for students who do not want to gain a degree.  For example: teaching certificate or recertification.   If you wish to obtain a degree at a later date, then you will have to re-apply to the appropriate Degree program. In general, the only supportive material required for non-degree admission is an official transcript showing an appropriate background and confirming the awarding of a bachelor's degree or higher.  Be sure to check with the department to ensure you have the appropriate materials. International Students are not eligible for Non Degree Status.

Non Degree students are not eligible for financial assistance or graduate assistantships. Students enrolled in a non-degree status are subject to the same academic regulations. Should you subsequently be admitted to a degree program, a maximum of 12 semester hours of graduate credit taken at any campus (non-degree and/or transfer) may be applied toward future degree. This classification is not open to international students.

Admission for Faculty, Staff, & Employees of Clemson University are subject to the same requirements and department approval and must follow all academic regulation. No member of the faculty or staff who has a rank higher than instructor or its equivalent may be considered as a candidate for an advanced degree in the academic department where employed.

If you have been enrolled at Clemson in the area you wish to take classes during the past 6 (SIX) years, an application is not required.  The application for Re-Entrance is required and is subject to departmental approval.

Transient Graduate Students
A student who has been admitted to a degree program at another institution and who wishes to take courses for transfer to their institution may be permitted to enroll as a non-degree transient student in graduate courses on receipt of Form GS8-Transient Graduate Student Status, which may be obtained from the Graduate School at Clemson University. This form, an abbreviated application to the Graduate School, must be signed by the applicant’s current institution and should be completed and sent to graduate admission two weeks prior to registration. A student may earn no more than a total of 12 semester hours while in transient status.  The credits will ultimately return to their institution to count towards credit.


General Information

  • Clemson’s application is hosted by CollegeNet and you will be entering your information on their secure server. You will be asked to create a user ID and password. You do not need to complete the entire application at one sitting. You may begin the application, save it, and return to it at a later time using your user id and password.
  • The Clemson University Graduate Admission Office uses an Online Imaging System for departmental review of all applications and support materials. Materials are viewable by department as they are updated on our Student Database and scanned into our system.

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Technical Difficulties
If you have technical difficulties while completing your application or letters of recommendation, you should send an e-mail to help@applyweb.com and include your User ID in the e-mail. The technicians at CollegeNet will be able to look at your application or letters of recommendation and help clear the problem.


Relevant Student Numbers

Domestic & Permanent Resident:   If you are currently or have previously been a student at Clemson then you will have a CUID number, which you will be asked to provide. If you are unsure of your number, please leave it blank.


Select a Degree/Major and a Term

Any application submitted for graduate study at Clemson must be for a specific non degree area with the specialty area.   You will also be asked to select a specialization area within the non degree area you choose. 

You must also select a term for which you intend to begin your non degree course work. This can be the Fall, Spring, Summer I/Maymester, Summer II. If you are uncertain as to which term to select, you should contact the program to which you intend to apply.


Applying To More Than One Program
Clemson allows you to apply to more than one program. However, you must use two separate applications. All applications at Clemson are customized to meet the needs of each specific program and are, not interchangeable between programs. After you have submitted and paid for your first application, you can go back in with the same userid and password and change your major. You will have to submit the second application and pay another application fee. 

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Paying Your Application Fee & Submitting Your Application
After you are satisfied that ALL information in your application is correct, you may SUBMIT your application. You will be asked to provide accurate credit card information in order to pay your application fee of $55. This application fee must be paid online and is non-refundable. Clemson will not receive your application until the fee is paid online. Do not mail checks, money orders, or other forms of payment to Clemson. They will be returned and we will not receive your application from CollegeNet. If you have technical difficulty with your payment to CollegeNet, please send an e-mail to help@applyweb.com giving them your user ID and describing your problem. They will be able to assist you with your problem. Persons with a U.S. bank account can also choose the e-check method of payment. REMEMBER – once you SUBMIT, you cannot change or edit your application in any way. After you successfully submit your application, a page will appear on your screen acknowledging that your application has been successfully submitted. It will contain your CollegeNet Transaction ID. You should print this page; it is your receipt to save for your personal use.

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Data Validation
DO NOT CLICK ON “SAVE, PAY, SEND” UNTIL YOU HAVE RECHECKED YOUR DATA THROUGH THE VALIDATION PROCESS. Once you have completed the online application, you will be asked to validate the data you have entered. You should carefully review your answers and make certain ALL entries are correct . Once you use the “Save, Pay, Send” option, you cannot make changes to your application.


Application Processing
After you have completed the online application, validated your data, and paid your application fee, your application will be forwarded to Clemson. Applications received from CollegeNet during normal business hours (Monday through Friday – Pacific Time Zone) are entered into the applicant database the next day. Applications submitted on Saturday or Sunday (Pacific Time Zone) will be received by Clemson the following Monday.

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