Student Affairs

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HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT
• Encourage your student to make an
appointment with a career counselor
at the CCPD. They can assist with
advice, resume critiquing, cover letter
editing and job search tools.
• Encourage your student to discuss
career opportunities and plans with
faculty and advisers as well as any
professionals in the field. Networking
is the key to success.
• Encourage a professional online
identity. If you have a LinkedIn
profile, network with your student by
role modeling a professional online
identity. Hopefully, your student will
recognize the value of networking in
this digital environment.
Combined Bachelor’s and Graduate Degree Plan
Clemson adds educational value with combined bachelor’s to graduate “Fast-Track” degree
plans. A combined bachelor’s to graduate degree allows your student to engage in graduate
education while still completing a bachelor’s degree, and courses may count toward
requirements for both the bachelor’s and graduate degree. Many students complete the
master’s degree in as little as one extra year after receiving the bachelor’s degree. It also
spares students the cost and trouble of taking the GRE and applying to graduate schools. If
accepted into this program, your student automatically matriculates into the graduate degree
program upon receiving their bachelor’s degree. See
for a complete list of participating programs and encourage your student to
discuss the program with their adviser.
CREATIVE INQUIRY
Clemson is recognized as a top-ranked, research-intensive institution for its undergraduate
research programs. One of the very unique aspects of Clemson University’s research
initiatives compared to its peer institutions is Creative Inquiry (CI). CI is the imaginative
combination of engaged learning and undergraduate research and is available to any
undergraduate student.
In CIs students take on problems that spring from their own curiosity, a professor’s challenge
or the pressing needs of the world around them. Team-based investigations are led by a
faculty mentor and typically span two to four semesters. Students take ownership of their
projects and explore unique avenues to solve problems and get answers. Students often
find themselves presenting their work at national conferences and fielding questions
from professionals. This invaluable experience produces exceptional graduates. Our CI
participants develop critical thinking skills, learn to solve problems as a team and hone their
communication and presentation skills.
One of the best ways to start learning about CI projects happening in a student’s field of
study is simply by engaging with faculty members and asking what projects are happening.
Students and faculty members can team up to apply and submit ideas for new projects to
be created. Topics and opportunities are boundless. Learn more about CI or search current
projects by visiting
CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION
Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD)
Part of supporting a college student is letting them explore their career interests as well as
allowing them to learn discipline-specific content outside of the classroom setting. Providing
opportunities to learn through engagement and to develop professionally are highly valued
by students as well as by the university. Students may do this through cooperative education
assignments, on-campus internships, and off-campus and international internships. These
opportunities help students to start developing competencies that employers and graduate
and professional schools are seeking. For more information about these competencies, visit
Cooperative Education Program
The university’s Cooperative Education Program (Co-op Program) is an academic engaged-
learning program that provides students with opportunities to work and learn under mentors
in their fields of study. Students are employed full-time in these co-op assignments by
companies who partner with the program. Co-op assignments, which are robust experiences
that involve multiple rotations, provide a contextual dimension to the college curriculum.
Students add to their fund of knowledge in their field as they engage in project work at
the co-op site. The student’s experience is closely monitored by the program’s academic