Overview
Clemson University is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as Doctoral/Research University/Extensive, a category comprising less than 4 percent of all universities in America. The University's mission is to fulfill the covenant between its founder and the people of South Carolina to establish a "high seminary of learning" through its responsibilities of teaching, research, and extended public service. The University has identified eight areas of academic emphasis that create collaborations that, in turn, help fulfill the University's mission.

The program has approximately 30 students. Fifty percent are women, 84 percent attend on a full-time basis, and 9 percent are international students. Eighty percent of M.P.Acc. Program graduates accept positions with international, regional, and local public accounting firms. Other graduates take professional accounting positions in industry or education.

The Location and Community
Clemson is a small, beautiful college town near the Blue Ridge Mountains and Lake Hartwell. Plays, concerts, lectures, films, and sports events are sponsored by many University and community groups. Outdoor recreational activities abound. Seneca, Greenville, and Anderson are only a few minutes away and offer more extensive shopping and entertainment. Atlanta and Charlotte are each a 2-hour drive away.

Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The School of Accountancy and Legal Studies at Clemson University offers the Master of Professional Accountancy (M.P.Acc.) degree. The program is designed to prepare the student for a career in professional accounting. Most graduates take a position in public accounting upon graduation. There are two areas of concentration: assurance and management services and taxation. The M.P.Acc. Program is a one-year program for full-time students. Some students complete the program on a part-time basis. The program consists of 33 hours (15 hours in the core and 18 hours in one of the two areas of concentration) and a self-study class, the professional exam review class. The professional exam review class is designed to prepare students for their upcoming CPA, CMA, or CIA professional exam.

Facilities & Resources
M.P.Acc. students in the tax concentration have full access to two tax research databases: Commerce Clearing House Tax Research Network and the Research Institute of America's Checkpoint. M.P.Acc. students in the assurance and management services concentration have full access to the Financial Accounting Research System.

Expenses and Aid
Tuition is $6,643 per semester for in-state students and $11,255 per semester for nonresidents. Off-campus rates were $735 per hour for in-state students and $1,518 per hour for nonresidents. Graduate assistants paid a flat fee of $1,579 per semester and $498 per summer session. Graduate fellows paid South Carolina resident fees.

Financial Aid:
The School of Accountancy and Legal Studies currently offers eight graduate assistantships. Each assistantship pays the student $10 per hour for 10 hours of work a week providing grading and research assistance to professors. In addition, each assistantship provides for tuition and fee reduction. The School also offers two fellowships. The financial award for each fellowship varies, but it has been as much as $3,800 for a full-time students one year in the M.P.Acc. Program.

Housing/Living Expenses:
Graduate on-campus housing is available. Comfortable and economical housing, which includes two- and three-bedroom duplexes and town houses, is also available for families. Costs start at $485 per month ($655 per month for three-bedroom family housing). The cost of living in Clemson is quite low compared to the national average.

How to Apply / Application
Students must provide acceptable GPA and GMAT scores to enter the M.P.Acc. Program. Applications with a $50 nonrefundable fee should be received no later than five weeks prior to registration. Every required item in support of the application must be on file by that date. Students are advised to contact the department for the deadlines of the program of proposed study.

International Applicants
Applicants to the graduate programs at Clemson University must hold a four-year bachelor's degree (or equivalent) or a master's degree from an institution whose scholastic rating is satisfactory to the University. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores are required of all international applicants whose native language is not English and whose secondary education (and beyond) was not taught fully in English. Applicants who hope to receive a graduate assistantship are encouraged to submit scores from the Test of Written English (TWE) administered simultaneously with the TOEFL at most test locations.

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