Overview
Clemson 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.

Graduate enrollment for fall 2006 was 2,735 students, of which 1,828 were classified as full-time and 907 as part-time. The graduate student population was made up of 1,617 men and 1,161 women.

The University's career center offers assistance to students in identifying career interests through counseling, interest inventories, and computerized guidance systems. Graduate Student Career Workshops focus on career planning, preparing job-search and interview materials, and honing job-search and interviewing skills. The career library has information on employers, job outlooks, and salaries. An online recruiting system connects to employers through resume books, on-campus interviewing, and job postings.

The masters programs ha 28 students. Twenty-five percent are women, 89 percent are full-time, and 4 percent are international students.

Graduates of the M.S. and M.F.R. programs most often work for state and federal natural resources management agencies or the forest industry or in the private sector. Those graduates who pursue Ph.D. studies usually do so at other land-grant universities such as Clemson, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State University, or the University of Georgia.

Many Ph.D. graduates are employed in academia, with others working in research capacities for state and federal agencies or the forest industry.

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 Department of Forestry and Natural Resources offers an M.S. degree in forest resources. A nonthesis Master of Forest Resources (M.F.R.) professional degree is also offered. Areas of concentration for the degree programs in forest resources include forest ecology, silviculture, water quality and wetlands, forest economics, urban forestry, and forest wildlife management. M.S. and M.F.R. programs generally last two to three years. Students must complete at least one continuous year in residence and are required to work closely with their major professor and graduate committee members. Most research results have applied management applications, and students are expected to present and publish these results in appropriate technical and popular outlets. Most graduates of the M.S. and M.F.R. programs are employed by state and federal agencies, the forest industry, and environmental consulting firms, or they work as private consultants or resource managers.

The Department of Forestry and Natural Resources offers a Ph.D. degree in forest resources. Areas of concentration for the degree program in forest resources include forest ecology, silviculture, water quality and wetlands, forest economics, urban forestry, and forest wildlife management. The program generally lasts three to four years. In addition to the final oral exams, Ph.D. students must pass a comprehensive exam at the end of their second year. Students must complete at least one continuous year in residence and are required to work closely with their major professor and graduate committee members. Most research results have applied management applications, and students are expected to present and publish these results in appropriate technical and popular outlets. Many Ph.D. graduates are employed in academia, with others working in research capacities for state and federal agencies or the forest industry.

Facilities & Resources
Excellent GIS, computer, chemical analysis, and biotechnology facilities are available to graduate students in the Department of Forest Resources. The 17,500-acre Clemson Experimental Forest surrounds the campus and offers opportunities for field research. In addition, students may work with 7 faculty members located at the Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science at Georgetown, South Carolina. At Baruch Institute, opportunities exist for research at the Hobcaw Barony, a 17,000-acre undisturbed ecological reserve of forests, high-salinity marsh estuaries, and brackish and freshwater marshes. Research opportunities for graduate students are enhanced by cooperative programs with the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station, USGS Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit at Clemson, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Waddell Mariculture Center, and the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement Eastern Wildlife Program.

Expenses and Aid
Tuition for 2006/07 was $4,643 per semester for in-state students and $9,255 per semester for nonresidents. Off-campus rates were $535 per hour for in-state students and $918 per hour for nonresidents. Graduate assistants paid a flat fee of $1044 per semester and $348 per summer session. Graduate fellows paid South Carolina resident fees.

Financial Aid:
Graduate research assistantships are available through research grants and contracts administered by individual faculty members. Minimum assistantship levels are normally $15,000 for M.S. students. Limited appointments are available for work-study programs. There are no allowances for dependents or hiring of spouses.

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 $385 per month ($455 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
Graduate applicants are selected based on demonstrated scholarship (GRE scores, GPA, undergraduate institution), references, field experience, stated interests, and professional goals. Computer and communication skills and ability to work with others are also important considerations. Individual faculty members generally require personal interviews with applicants to determine their interests and compatibility with specific research projects.

Applicants may apply on the Web at http://www.grad.clemson.edu/p_apply.html. 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.

Who to Contact
David Guynn
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina 29634-0317

864-656-4830

E-mail: dguynn@clemson.edu

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