How to apply to Clemson University for chemistry: the Department of Chemistry in the College of Science offers a B.A. and a B.S., the B.S. requires two semesters of research, and applicants list two intended majors, with admission routes and prerequisites for U.S., international (including Chinese) and transfer students

At Clemson University (Clemson, South Carolina), undergraduate chemistry is offered by the Department of Chemistry in the College of Science. Below is what the official pages say for U.S. students, international students and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. The BS in Biochemistry belongs to the college’s Department of Genetics and Biochemistry and is not covered here; chemical engineering and materials science and engineering sit in other colleges and are outside this guide.

1. Degrees and options

• Two degrees: the department offers a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry and a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. The site says both are “equally acceptable” for medical school, dental school or graduate school, and both offer chances to do research with faculty. The pages we read do not describe American Chemical Society (ACS) approval; the department’s student group is the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society.
• B.A.: gives more room to explore other areas; it requires a minor of 15 or more hours outside chemistry and two more semesters of a foreign language, and research happens through two chemistry elective courses. The department page also mentions a materials science and engineering minor for B.A. students.
• B.S.: prepares students for professional careers in chemistry; it requires two semesters of research alongside a faculty member, three more labs within the major, and an additional math and physics class.
• Areas: the department page names analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry plus materials, polymer, solid-state and computational chemistry; it describes careers in chemical manufacturing, electronics, textiles, biotechnology, petroleum, plastics, agriculture and food industries, and graduate study.
• Course details: the full curriculum is in the university catalog (Acalog), which is not summarized here; see it for credits and required courses. Courses named on the pages we read include General Chemistry (CH 1010 and 1020) and Organic Chemistry Part 1 (CH 2230).
• BS in Biochemistry: offered by the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry; not covered here.

2. How admission works: you apply to Clemson; no chemistry-specific line is published

• What you apply to: Clemson, listing two intended majors (section 4); chemistry is in the College of Science. The site does not say whether chemistry has its own admission line, space limit or post-entry GPA requirement. Not published; ask admissions or the department (chemistry@clemson.edu, 864-656-3065).
• Changing into chemistry later: the chemistry pages we read do not give a change-of-major procedure. Not published for chemistry.
• Advising model: the department says the College of Science uses split advising: professional advisers work with first-year students to make sure they are in the right major and progressing, and continuing chemistry students are assigned faculty advisers.
• Research: the pages mention undergraduate research with faculty, and the B.S. requires two semesters. Creative Inquiry and Honors College requirements were not on the pages we read.

3. Prerequisites

• High school courses: the university-wide recommended curriculum is in section 4 (3 credits of laboratory science, 3 of math, and so on); the pages do not set extra high school chemistry or physics requirements for the major. Not published.
• Prerequisites for the first college courses: CH 1010 (General Chemistry Part 1) has no prerequisite or corequisite, but the department “highly encourages” a C or better in MATH 1010, 1020 or 1030, or concurrent enrollment in MATH 1040, 1060, 1080, 2060, 2080 or STAT 2300. CH 1020 requires CH 1010 with a C or better; CH 2230 requires CH 1020 with a D or better.
• AP Chemistry: Clemson accepts AP scores of 3 or above for most courses, with one to four hours of transfer credit and no grade points. The department’s placement guide: scores of 1 or 2 give no credit and start in CH 1010; 3 gives CH 1010 credit and placement in CH 1020; 4 gives CH 1010 credit and placement in CH 1020; 5 gives CH 1010 and CH 1020 credit and placement in CH 2230. The department adds that about half of chemistry majors who earned CH 1010 exemption retook it as a refresher and the other half moved to CH 1020, and both groups did equally well; you can move up or down during the first two weeks.
• IB and A Level: the university publishes credit charts. For Cambridge A Level chemistry: E or D earns CH 1010; C or B earns CH 1010 and 1020; A or A* earns CH 1010, 1020, 2230 and 2240. The IB Higher Level chemistry mapping is unclear in the page’s table layout; see the chart.
• Lab exemption: students entitled to exemption still pay the lab fee to receive four credit hours; the prior grade must be 75% or higher.
• Competitions: the pages we read do not say how chemistry olympiads are viewed in admission.

4. How and when to apply (first-years)

• Application: the Clemson Application, the Coalition Application (Scoir) or the Common App; no preference is given to any. The application fee is $70, nonrefundable; applicants with financial hardship can fill in the financial sections for a fee waiver review.
• Transcript: first-year applicants self-report high school courses and grades in the STARS system instead of sending a transcript; admitted students send official transcripts before enrollment. A personal statement, recommendations and a résumé are optional uploads after you apply, and the site says Clemson does not require them. The site does not mention an extra chemistry essay.
• Testing: SAT/ACT optional; scores sent must come electronically from the testing agency, and both tests are superscored; SAT code 5111, ACT code 3842.
• Dates (fall and summer entry): the application opens 1 August; Early Action application 15 October, required materials 1 November, decisions mid-December; Regular Decision application 1 January, required materials 10 January, decisions mid-February; final date to apply 1 May. For scholarship consideration, apply by 1 January and complete the file by 10 January. Spring entry: 1 December. The pages do not state the year, so confirm for fall 2027.
• Choice of major and review: the site says choice of major and residency both play an important part in evaluation; some majors attract many applicants or have limited classroom space, so requirements can vary, and as a public university Clemson gives South Carolina residents priority. Applicants are encouraged to list two different intended majors; if you are not admissible to the first, the second is considered automatically. The site does not publish a separate chemistry admission line or space limit.
• High school curriculum: the recommended courses are 4 credits of English, 3 of mathematics, 3 of laboratory science, 2 of a foreign language (all in the same language), 3 of social sciences, 2 of other, 1 of physical education/ROTC and 1 of fine arts. The site says high school performance (GPA, class rank and course rigor) is the most important factor. This is advice for all majors; the pages list no extra chemistry-specific high school requirement.
• Past profile: the statistics page gives the 2025 first-year profile: middle 50% SAT 1250–1400 and ACT 28–32; 64,805 applied, 27,498 were accepted (42%) and 5,084 enrolled; 53% of in-state applicants were accepted for fall (Class of 2029). These are university-wide figures, not chemistry-specific.

5. U.S. students: costs and scholarships

• 2026-2027 costs (the site says figures may change): South Carolina residents pay $15,870 in tuition and fees, $14,880 for housing and food and about $1,576 for books, for $32,326; non-residents pay $42,852 in tuition and fees, $14,880 for housing and food and about $1,576 for books, for $60,308. Other estimates: personal/transportation $5,804 and a laptop $2,524. The note says fees include mandatory fees and average lab fees, and that major enrichment fees apply to some majors, up to $2,500; whether chemistry or biology carry one is not stated on the pages we read, so ask admissions or use the university’s tuition calculator.
• Residency: Clemson verifies residency independently under South Carolina law; applicants who have lived in the state less than four years, list an out-of-state address or school, or are not U.S. citizens go through the residency process.
• Scholarships: the admissions office reviews every applicant for scholarships with no extra application, considering high school performance, optional test scores and financial need; applicants without test scores are still considered. First-years must apply by 1 January and complete the file by 10 January. South Carolina state scholarships: the LIFE Scholarship needs no separate application; Palmetto Fellows applications go through South Carolina high schools.
• Need-based aid: file the FAFSA by 1 January for need-based scholarship consideration; Federal Work-Study, part-time jobs and the UPIC program (over 900 paid on-campus internships, per the site) are also listed.
• Department scholarships: none are listed on the department pages we read. Not published; ask the department or student financial aid (finaid@clemson.edu).

6. International students

• Application: the same three application systems, with the $70 fee. The international page says the last day to apply and have all credentials in for fall entry is 1 May, with the I-20 or DS-2019 due by 1 June; for spring entry it is 1 October, with the I-20 due by 1 November. The application opens 1 August.
• Transcript: first-year applicants self-report grades in STARS and send official transcripts after admission; the page names high school performance (GPA, class rank, rigor) as the most important factor. SAT/ACT optional.
• English: through Duolingo, TOEFL or IELTS; the page lists TOEFL iBT 80 or higher, IELTS 6.5 or higher (at least 6.0 in each sub-score), Duolingo 105 or higher, or English Composition I and II at an accredited U.S. college with a B or better. The test can be waived where English is the primary or an official language.
• Funds: after admission, International Services works with students to verify funds for the entire period of study. The site states plainly that there are no scholarships for international undergraduates at Clemson; costs are due at the start of each term (August, January and May) with no deferred payment. It also says U.S. immigration rules generally prohibit international students from working during study, though undergraduates may take part in Cooperative Education if their program requires it, and sets a health insurance minimum of $50,000 including medical evacuation and repatriation.
• Cost: the international page does not list a separate international tuition; the undergraduate cost page lists only South Carolina residents and non-residents, and the site says applicants who are not U.S. citizens go through the residency process. The non-resident 2026-2027 figures are above. Citizens of three German states, Queensland (Australia) and the Province of Taiwan can receive in-state tuition under Sister-State agreements, shown with a passport.
• Space: as a public university, Clemson gives South Carolina residents priority in review.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the site does not say whether or how gaokao results are used. Not published; ask undergraduate admissions.
• Transcripts: the pages we read have no China-specific page on school records or exam certificates; first-year applicants self-report courses and grades in STARS and send official transcripts after admission. No credential evaluator is named for first-year applicants (transfer applicants need WES or Josef Silny & Associates).
• English: the site waives the test only where English is the primary or an official language and has no separate note for Chinese applicants; without a waiver, submit TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS 6.5 (6.0 in each part) or Duolingo 105; the site does not say gaokao English can substitute.
• International curricula: Clemson publishes credit charts for AP, IB and Cambridge International A Level (AP scores of 3 or above earn credit for most courses).
• Scholarships: the site says there are none for international undergraduates.
• Science preparation: see section 3; no specific prerequisites are published.

8. Outcomes

• The department page says the undergraduate degrees prepare students for careers in chemical manufacturing, electronics, textiles, biotechnology, petroleum, plastics, and agriculture and food industries, and for graduate study; it gives no placement rate or year.
• No chemistry-specific graduate statistics were on the pages we read. Not published.

9. Transfer students

• Requirements: a year of college study after high school with 30 semester hours (45 quarter hours) of transferable credit, not counting AP, IB or dual-enrollment credit; a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale (3.0 preferred); freshman-level English, science and mathematics for your intended major; and good standing at your last institution.
• Dates: spring entry by 1 December (the application opens 1 August); fall entry by 1 July (opens 1 February). Rolling review; admission closes when classroom space is committed, and the site calls transfer admission increasingly competitive.
• Materials: the Clemson application with the $70 fee; official transcripts from every college attended, even if you expect no credit; with fewer than 30 credits, an official high school transcript too, with SAT/ACT optional; FAFSA by 1 March for need-based scholarships.
• Chemistry-specific requirements: the transfer page’s space-restricted and GPA-restricted major lists do not include chemistry or the biological sciences (check the original lists); no separate condition for transferring into Chemistry is published. The general requirement is freshman-level English, science and math for the intended major, and the Transfer Course Equivalency List (TCEL) shows how other colleges’ courses have transferred.
• International transfers: transcripts or mark sheets from every college must be verified by a U.S. credential evaluation (the site accepts World Education Services and Josef Silny & Associates), with translated course descriptions. Applicants who passed English Composition I and II at a U.S. institution with a B or better are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement.
• Transfer scholarships: not described on the pages we read; the site says international undergraduates receive no scholarships.

Checklist

U.S. students:

• Early Action 15 October (materials 1 November) or Regular Decision 1 January (materials 10 January), confirming fall 2027 dates; $70 fee; list two intended majors
• Self-reported courses and grades (STARS); SAT/ACT optional; ask admissions about any chemistry-specific line

International students (including applicants from China):

• Apply with all credentials by 1 May for fall entry, I-20 by 1 June; TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS 6.5 (6.0 each) or Duolingo 105
• The site says there are no scholarships for international undergraduates; how gaokao is used is not published, so ask admissions

Transfer students:

• 30 transferable credits and a 2.5 GPA; 1 July (fall) or 1 December (spring); official transcripts from every college

Sources: Clemson University, Department of Chemistry; Chemistry undergraduate program; Colleges, schools and departments; First-year application; College preparation; Admissions statistics; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Credit transfer charts; Cost and scholarships. Costs are for 2026-2027; confirm that undated deadlines apply to 2027 entry. Check Clemson for the latest details.