Graduate Student Life

Let’s Innovate

You’re looking toward the future. In doing so, you seek a community where you can grow, fuel your career, expand your knowledge and contribute to advancements in your field.

Clarkson University is just the place you’re picturing. Our graduate student body is composed of many types of students — including career-strivers, working parents and professionals returning to school — who are researchers at the forefront of knowledge. From business to healthcare, science and technology to engineering, our graduate programs center around the possibilities of innovation and impact. And, our campus sets the stage for making new discoveries and forging new connections that take your career to the next level.

What to Expect

Maybe you’re here to explore new ideas. Or, you see yourself making a global impact. From classroom to laboratories to clinical assignments, three factors define Clarkson graduate education — world-class instructors teaching hands-on curricula that equip everyone for career success.

Our Faculty

Learn from Fulbright and National Science Foundation scholars, as well as top-tier professionals who weave in their experiences. Small classes and a close-knit community help you build connections, whether you attend on campus or online.

Clarkson University Graduate Student Association (CUGSA)

Graduate students have a collective voice at Clarkson. CUGSA steers the conversation toward change that improves school policy and student experience and creates a setting for peer bonding.

Get Involved

Grow your résumé and connect with other master’s and PhD students in graduate student-centric organizations, including academic honor societies, SPEED teams, Society of Women Engineers, Doctors Without Borders, cultural and religious organizations and more.

Research

Our graduate students shape our progress, whether through our labs and centers or via their theses projects. Their work receives support from our external network of over 380 active partners in industry, government and research, including the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation, the Trudeau Institute, the National Institutes of Health and Mt. Sinai Hospital.

Our Goal

We see discoveries not as novelties but as society-shifting innovations. In turn, our research makes a positive impact on society around the world.

Focus Areas

Clarkson’s research focuses on Healthy Global Solutions, Advanced Materials Development, Next Generation Medicine and Healthcare and Computational and Data-Enabled Discovery.

In Clarkson's interdisciplinary learning environment, I have been able to excel in my research and critical thinking. I have also improved in my time management and soft skills. This has really helped me prepare for when I present my research at conferences and department seminars.

Reem Khan, PhD in Chemistry

Residence Life for Graduate Students

Whether you live on or off campus in Potsdam, keep in mind the following while attending Clarkson for graduate school:

Housing and Dining

Clarkson’s Potsdam campus has a limited number of apartment-style housing units available for graduate students and offers a flexible meal plan option. Graduate students typically search for an off-campus apartment from which to commute.

Vehicles

All vehicles you use to commute must be registered with the campus.

ID Cards

Potsdam and Capital Region Campus locations require graduate students to have school ID cards, which will work at both locations. Request an ID through your PeopleSoft account to get started.

Health Insurance

Clarkson requires all non-distance graduate candidates to have health insurance or to use school-provided UnitedHealthcare coverage.

Our Regions

Up for some hiking or skiing? Or, maybe the lakes of the nearby Adirondack Park are calling for some kayaking. Our students embrace the sights and possibilities of both our rural and urban locations and occasionally make the trip up to Ottawa or Montreal from Potsdam, or take the train to New York City from Schenectady.

Local Attractions

Our Campuses

Learn more about all Clarkson campuses overseeing our in-person and online graduate programs:

Potsdam

Get the traditional college-town feel, just miles away from the Adirondack Mountains. Our Potsdam location is home to a wide range of master’s and doctoral programs, including online and in-person offerings.