How to apply to Clemson University for biology: the College of Science offers Biological Sciences (B.A. or B.S.), Microbiology, Genetics and Biochemistry, the B.A. adds a minor and more language study, 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), the biology-related undergraduate degrees are in the College of Science: the Department of Biological Sciences offers biological sciences and microbiology, and the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry offers genetics and biochemistry. Below is what the official pages say for U.S. students, international students and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Nursing, public health and health sciences, programs in the agriculture and life sciences college, biomedical engineering, pharmacy and medicine are outside this guide; see the university site. Chemistry is not covered here.

1. Degrees and options

• Biological Sciences, B.A. or B.S.: the site says the difference is that the B.A. requires four modern language courses and a minor. The B.A. emphasizes a liberal arts education and an interdisciplinary view, with example careers in health care, law, policy or secondary science teaching; the B.S. is “a more comprehensive science degree” preferred for scientific careers, professional school or graduate programs. Majors get classroom, laboratory and field training with an emphasis on chemistry, mathematics and physics as tools.
• B.S. focus areas: these are not degrees, only sets of coursework. The advising page lists conservation biology, environmental toxicology, marine biology, medical and pharmaceutical sales, neurobiology, pre-dental, pre-medicine, pre-pharmacy, pre-rehabilitation sciences and pre-veterinary. The department home page lists emphasis areas as entomology, prepharmacy, prerehabilitation, quantitative biology, toxicology, secondary education and biomedicine. The two lists differ, so check the department’s current list; worksheets are available from the advising center.
• Microbiology, B.S.: choose the general curriculum (one course each in biomedicine, environmental, and food and industrial microbiology) or the biomedicine concentration, which the site recommends for students planning postgraduate programs.
• B.S. in Biological Sciences plus M.S. in Bioengineering: a combined program in which a limited number of courses count toward both degrees and students are conditionally accepted to the graduate program during the B.S.
• Genetics B.S. and Biochemistry B.S.: offered by the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry. Core courses include general and organic chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics, leading to upper-level courses such as molecular and general genetics, comparative and population genetics (genetics) and biochemistry, metabolism, cell biology and bioinformatics (biochemistry); approved electives include human genetics, epigenetics, developmental biology, microbiology, immunology and medicinal chemistry. The department says about 85% of its undergraduates go directly into medical or allied health programs or graduate school. See the course catalog for the course lists.
• Professional experience: Biological Sciences and Microbiology offer internship courses (BIOL 4920 and MICR 4920; one credit per 45 hours of work, up to four credits a term, approved in advance) and Creative Inquiry team research projects; a senior seminar evaluates communication, information technology and mathematics skills.
• Health professions advising: the site points students interested in medicine, health care, pharmacy or physical therapy to Health Professions Advising, including a three-year path to medical school. Those professional programs are outside this guide.

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

• What you apply to: Clemson, listing two intended majors (section 4); biological sciences, microbiology, genetics and biochemistry are all in the College of Science. The site does not say whether these majors have their own admission line, space limit or post-entry GPA requirement. Not published; ask admissions or the department (Biological Sciences: biolsci@clemson.edu, 864-656-2328).
• Changing into Biological Sciences or Microbiology: the advising page says to book an “Explore Biological Sciences” or “Explore Microbiology” appointment in CU Navigate, learn the requirements, then submit a change-of-program request; you are notified by email once it is approved. Processing of change requests stops on the first day of class and resumes after the last day to drop without a W. Students leaving the major book an appointment with an adviser in the intended major.
• Advising: Biological Sciences has a dedicated undergraduate advising center on the first floor of Long Hall; Genetics and Biochemistry has an undergraduate advising coordinator.
• Research: the pages encourage every student to do research and say Creative Inquiry team projects run each semester; some professors lead field trips to India, Florida, Panama, Costa Rica and Dominica. Honors College and departmental honors 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 biology or chemistry requirements for these majors. Not published.
• College coursework: biological sciences emphasizes chemistry, mathematics and physics as tools; the genetics and biochemistry core includes general and organic chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics. See the course catalog for prerequisite chains.
• AP / IB / A Level credit: Clemson accepts AP scores of 3 or above for most courses and publishes AP, IB and Cambridge A Level charts. The AP Biology rows are hard to read in the page’s table layout, so we draw no conclusion; see the chart. Cambridge A Level biology: E or D earns BIOL 1200/1230; C or B earns BIOL 1030/1050; A or A* earns BIOL 1030/1050 and 1040/1060.
• Creative Inquiry and honors: students can join Creative Inquiry team research (BIOL 3940, 4940/MICR 4940); Honors College requirements were not on the pages we read.
• Competitions: the pages we read do not say how biology 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 biology 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 biology 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 biology-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 biology-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 Biological Sciences page says its degrees lead to academic and government work, health care careers (physicians, physician assistants, pharmacists, physical therapists, veterinarians), industry and graduate study; it names agencies such as the Savannah River Ecology Lab, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the CDC and the EPA, and zoos. It gives no placement rate or year.
• The Genetics and Biochemistry page says about 85% of its undergraduates go directly into medical or allied health programs or graduate school, and others work in teaching, medical product sales, distilling, agriculture, biotechnology, genetic testing and forensics; no year or counting basis is given.

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.
• Biology-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 Biology 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 biology-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 Biological Sciences; Biological Sciences undergraduate program; Biological Sciences undergraduate advising; Genetics and Biochemistry 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.