WELCOME!
The next admissions cycle for Clemson's M.Ed. Student Affairs program will be for the Fall 2025 cohort. Dates for CU-GARS 2025 will be February 13 - 15, 2025. After reading the brief overview of CU-GARS on this page) we highly recommend reviewing the different pages of this website and the "Frequently Asked Questions" page to learn more about the academic program and how our CU-GARS process works.
This year we have a new page for international applicants that contains specific information about applying to the program and assistantships. Before emailing us with questions, please review this information.
To support all potential applicants while everyone explores different institutions' programs,
determine if a degree in student affairs aligns with your goals
we will likely have around 25 assistantships for fall 2025 and you must have an assistantship to enroll
most of our assistantships require a start date before August 1 to ensure graduate assistants are trained and/or part of the assistantships is to serve and support students during summer orientation and summer classes - it means if you need an assistantship start date to be closer to the beginning of fall classes, there are a very limited number of assistantships available
save-the-dates for virtual info sessions to learn more about the program to determine if Clemson and our assistantships are a good fit for you
Direct any questions regarding the academic program or admissions, to Dr. Michelle Boettcher - mboettc@clemson.edu.
First Day of Classes - August 2024
First and Second Year Cohorts
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF CU-GARS
Clemson University Graduate Assistant Recruitment and Selection (CU-GARS) for M.Ed. in Student Affairs
Each February, CU-GARS is hosted specifically for applicants who have received a conditional offer of admission into the M.Ed. in Student Affairs in Clemson University's College of Education. Obtaining an approved assistantship through this process is required to enroll in the academic program. We will have approximately 25 assistantship opportunities for the fall 2025 cohort to support high quality experiences, teaching, and advising.
IMPORTANT NOTE - Students from or seeking admissions to other graduate programs cannot participate in CU-GARS and should consult with faculty or their program coordinator about graduate assistantship opportunities.
Our in-person interview weekend begins the afternoon of Thursday, February 13, 2025 and concludes at 12:00pm (noon) on Saturday, February 15, 2025. The purpose of the interview weekend is to engage with Clemson's campus, faculty, assistantship supervisors, current students, and others interviewing for assistantships - who could be your future cohort-mates! Candidates are expected to attend all CU-GARS events in person unless they are studying or living outside of the continental United States or have a documented medical reason that prohibits them from traveling (these individuals will have to receive approval from the academic department chair if requesting to attend virtually). More details are on our "Steps in the Process" page and our "Frequently Asked Questions" page.
A signature component of CU-GARS is our PAW Pal program. PAW stands for "Peer Assisted Welcome." After candidates accept an invitation to CU-GARS, we pair them with a current student to serve as a point of contact and support candidates before, during, and after the interview weekend. For accommodations during the interview weekend, we ask in the CU-GARS application if candidates would like to request housing with a current student, if they plan to stay in a hotel, or if they live in the area. For candidates interested in staying with a current student, we make every effort to accommodate these requests. If candidates prefer a hotel, candidates would incur the cost. We can offer recommendations on where to stay at a variety of price ranges. Regardless of where a candidate stays, everyone receive a PAW Pal to help them navigate CU-GARS and Clemson University.
If what we have described about the assistantship interview process has sparked your interest, we encourage you to review this website and read our FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - page to learn more about the academic program and our interview process to determine if Clemson is a good fit for your personal, professional, and educational goals.
SPECIAL NOTES
Deferment - Someone who was conditionally accepted and accepted an assistantship offer could be eligible for deferment for extenuating circumstances. If someone wants to inquire about the possibility to defer enrollment, the candidate must request and receive approval for such action from the program coordinator (Dr. Michelle Boettcher - mboettc@clemson.edu). While admission to the academic program may be deferred, prospective students must reapply through the CU-GARS process to secure an assistantship (assistantship positions are not held). Deferred students must: (1) put in writing to the program coordinator their intent to accept admission to the academic program, and (2) reapply with the CU-GARS application by the posted deadline and interview for assistantships available of the admission year. Admission for employees of Clemson University is subject to the same deadline requirements and department approval as all other applicants.
Rising 2nd year Students - The student affairs program expects students to serve in the same graduate assistantship (GA) positions for two years. While situations may arise that could cause for a possible change in assistantships, the expectation is two years of experience in one assistantship. The two year GA experience, along with practicum and internship experiences, give master’s students the necessary practical experience needed to be competitive in the job market. If a change in assistantship feels necessary, there is a process to follow before obtaining another assistantship:
1st step: A student would have a discussion with their academic advisor about reasons for leaving the assistantship. The conversation would include discussing how changing might affect personal, academic, and professional goals and potential financial implications if they cannot secure another assistantship.
2nd step: If approval is granted by the Program Coordinator and should the student decide to seek another assistantship, the student is required to do the following by Wednesday, January 29, 2025 by noon (eastern):
communicate intent to participate in CU-GARS to your academic advisor and current GA supervisor
sign up and complete the CU-GARS application
Please note, special considerations will not be given for rising 2nd year students in regards to the interview and selection process. Rising 2nd year students will go through CU-GARS with prospective master’s students.