Clemson University

Located in Clemson, South Carolina, Clemson University is a large public college with a good reputation. Founded in 1889 by Thomas Green Clemson as the Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina, it originally offered a combination of mechanical and agricultural classes. Its founder wanted to help residents of the state learn skills that would improve their lives and give them access to more jobs. The college functioned as a military academy early on and limited admissions to only whites and males. It wasn't until its later years that it opened its doors to both women and minority students. As its curriculum changed, the college changed its name to Clemson University.

Clemson is a highly selective college that accepts fewer than 55% of those who apply. Its incoming freshmen class typically features students who took advanced placement courses in high school, have a weighted GPA of at least 3.99 and scored 1220 or higher on the SAT. Though its graduate programs are even more selective, its online graduate programs offer opportunities for students who received poorer grades in college but have more work or professional experience. Clemson ranks on both a national and global scale. U.S. News & World Report ranked Clemson as the 61st best college in the country, but it also appeared on the lists put out by Forbes, ARWU and Washington Monthly. ARWU, Times Higher Education, QS and U.S. News & World Report also ranked Clemson among the world's best colleges.

Clemson University Accreditation Details

Those attending or interested in applying to Clemson University will find that the college has accreditation for both its online and offline degree programs. Regional accreditation, which some call institutional accreditation, allows the college to give its graduates degrees based on their work and education level. That type of accreditation comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). SACS performs an audit or inspection every 10 years to ensure the university should retain its accreditation.

Fourteen professional organizations also awarded the university accreditation for its degree programs, including accreditation from the Society of American Foresters for its program in forest resource management and accreditation from the Planning Accreditation Board for its city and regional planning program. Clemson University also has accreditation from other groups like the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, American Psychological Association and Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Clemson University Application Requirements

Each department on the Clemson University campus has the right to establish its own rules and regulations for prospective students. It's important that you check with that department to ensure that you meet its admissions requirements. The university itself asks that you complete the online application for its graduate school. Once you create an account, you can access the application system at any hour of the day or night. You can also manage your account, find out if the university requires any more information from you and see the status of your application. Clemson also allows prospective students to apply to more than one program at the same time, but you'll need to complete separate steps for each program.

When entering one of the online programs, you must submit your official score from the GRE. Clemson will waive this requirement for applicants who have a minimum of five years professional experience before they apply. You also need to show that you have at least three years of work experience in the field you want to study, but you can include any experience you gained while in college as well as experience you gained after graduation. Clemson also asks that you have a bachelor's degree and that you maintained a grade point average of at least 3.0. The application packet that you submit online asks for a resume, an official college transcript and at least two letters of recommendation.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Clemson divides its graduate programs into five different tiers. The costs that you face each year depend on the tier associated with your program. Part-time students pay a fee that ranges between $387 and $697 per credit hour, and part-time students are those who take less than nine credit hours a semester. Students from outside of South Carolina pay between $770 and $1,392 per credit hour each semester. If you are a full-time student taking nine or more credit hours each semester, the university will charge you a flat rate of around $3,000 to just over $5,000 a semester as a South Carolina. The cost for out of state residents rises to around $6,500 to more than $10,000 a semester.

The university offers a number of fellowships that award students $1,000 or more each year. These fellowships also reduce tuition rates for students from other states and gives them in-state tuition rates. Some of the fellowships have awards worth as much as $25,000. Even those who do not qualify for a fellowship program can get financial aid at Clemson. The university requires that students submit the FAFSA and go through a short counseling program to obtain government loans. Clemson can also help students get alternative or private loans too.

Master of Human Resource Development

Clemson now offers a Master of Human Resource Development (MHRD) degree online. Designed for those who currently work in the HR field, it allows those students to develop practical skills, but it's also suitable for those who want to change careers. Unlike similar programs that require students take one or more classes on-campus, Clemson offers this HR program entirely online to better meet the needs of professional students. Students must start classes in the fall semester and agree to take two classes each semester. As the program consists of 12 courses that are worth a total of 36 credit hours, students will complete their studies in just two years.

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These classes focus on the skills that management professionals need in the field, including employment laws and fostering talent in workers. Courses include human performance improvement, applied research and development, consulting for education and industry and instructional materials development. Students also take classes that teach them how to improve the performance of an entire organization and how to evaluate the training programs used by those organizations. Clemson University also requires that MHRD students take a course on the instruments and tools that human resource professionals use.