Admitted Students Questions and Answers

Below are common questions that have been asked by Admitted Students. Please check this page before contacting Admissions to see if your question has already been answered. If you have a question, please contact the Admissions Office.

Thank you!

Question: When I should arrive in order to begin at IDCE this fall semester?

Answer: For IDSC, CDP and ES&P: The sooner you can arrive, the better—in terms of finding housing and getting settled before Graduate Orientation and well prior to the start of classes. Orientation information will be updated during the summer so please check back often. For GISDE students, you will want to plan to be here prior to the GISDE Special Workshop held August 17 through August 21. Students in the other three programs will want to arrive prior to the Clark University Graduate Student Orientation on August 26. Orientation dates and events will be posted on the Admitted Students page as dates are finalized. You may also wish to view the Clark Academic Calendar.

Question: How can I get accommodations/rooms at Clark? What type of rooms are available for people with family members?

Answer: Graduate housing is not available for married students. Clark University does own some apartments in the neighborhood. Students are responsible for finding their own housing prior to coming to IDCE. On the Admitted Students page, you will find Housing Question and Answer information.

You may also want to visit the Residential Life and Housing Office for graduate student housing options that are available to you. There is a new residence hall that will be open to graduate students. For information about Blackstone Hall units, please contact Kevin Forti in RLHO. Further, area landlords sometimes list local housing openings for Clark students here. It is updated every few weeks.

Question: Can I come directly to Clark if I arrive during the second week of August?

Answer: Please review the Arrival Information Sheet (listed under Important Information for IDCE Graduate Students on the Admitted Students page). IDCE department staff recommends that you plan to arrive during office hours (9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.). The Arrival Information Sheet provides information regarding the cost of IDCE temporary housing options. If it is not possible for you to arrive during IDCE office hours, students are responsible for setting up, in advance, their own temporary housing.

Question: Could you please provide me with names and contact info for incoming students that are from the same country as me?

Answer: Short bios of all new incoming students with their country and email contact information are being produced and will be sent to all incoming students in June. If you have not sent your bio to IDCE yet, please email it directly to the Marketing Office so that we may include you in this list. Many students share apartments and use this list to find roommates with similar backgrounds and interests. 

Question: Are there any suggested readings that I should complete before arriving in August?

Answer: Yes. After you send in your response form, you will then receive a welcome letter. In it you should receive a list of suggested readings directly from your program coordinator. You may download copies of the letters with suggested readings here: IDSC, ES&P, CDP, and GISDE.

Question: When and how do I register for classes?

Answer: Registration for incoming students will be open during the last week of August. Please note that you have to meet with your Academic Advisor prior to registration and you will likely do so during the week of IDCE’s Orientation.

Question: When will I be given the name of my Academic Advisor?

Answer: You will have an Academic Advisor assigned to you and will be notified of your Advisor by the IDCE Department toward the end of May. The Student and Academic Affairs Office will send you your Academic Advisor’s email address which you can use to communicate with him or her. However, please be aware that faculty are typically conducting research off campus during the summer months and may not always have access to email. Therefore we ask that you be patient in expecting your response.

Question: I am eager to start thinking about which courses I will take in the fall. When do graduate students begin selecting their courses?

Answer: Incoming graduate students need to meet with their advisor prior to registration. The advising assignments are determined shortly before students arrive. In the meantime, view the entire Academic Catalog. Advising sessions will be set during orientation week. Orientation week dates will be posted on our Admitted Students page as soon as it is determined.

Question: What if I already have health insurance?

Answer: Please visit the following links for health insurance information and review these pages carefully:

www.clarku.edu/offices/health/international.cfm (for international students)
www.universityhealthplans.com/secure/waiver.cgi?school_id=18

If you have difficulty accessing the waiver form, please email the IDCE Student and Academic Affairs Office.

Question: What should I know about local employment and on-campus jobs?

Answer: U.S. students can work off-campus. Visit WorcesterWorks for local postings.

International students are limited to on-campus jobs. For on-campus employment, you may view the Clark University on-campus job directory or the Clark University Office of Intercultural Affairs link on employment for international students to learn what the government regulations are for international students who wish to work on-campus. These jobs are limited and competitive.

You may also visit the Clark University Financial Aid Office. The website will direct international graduate students to the following link: www.isoa.org/list_scholarships.aspx.

Question: I have elementary school aged children. What can you tell me about the public schools in Worcester?

Answer: You may want to visit the Worcester Public Schools website for more information. You can also call the Parent Information Center at 508-799-3194 for grades Kindergarten through 6.

Question: When is the Fulbright Fellowship deadline?

IDCE alumni and current students have a strong track record of receiving prestigious awards and grants such as the Fulbright Fellowship. Complete program and application information is available online at www.us.fulbrightonline.org/home.html.

Question: Does IDCE provide assistance with job placement after graduation?

Answer: IDCE is dedicated to the professional success of each student and alumni. IDCE provides career services for current students and alumni in the form of an online Career Database and a Career Postings site that showcases advertisements for jobs, internships, funding, and conferences appropriate for our students. The job announcements we distribute originate from researching the web for jobs that interest our current students (done by a Careers Assistant),  and from current students, alumni, and IDCE faculty who pass along information they receive from other sources. The IDCE Career Database is a large and ever-growing collection of useful information for career development. 

Question: What is the estimated number of graduates who attain jobs immediately after graduation?

Answer: IDCE is in the early stages of collecting post-graduation information from students. You may want to visit the Alumni page to get an idea of the types of employment our graduates seek. Our alumni do have a strong record of applying for and receiving a wide-range of mid-career track and management positions all over the world. The specific field within which students find employment depends on their prior interests and their specialization while they are IDCE students.

Questions: What is the typical IDCE student like?

Answer: The average age of an IDCE student is approximately 28 years, though Clark University does have a fifth year program for qualified undergraduate students. This means, some students will be moving from their B.A. degree directly into a M.A. program. However, we encourage most of our applicants to have some experience in their field before starting a graduate program. Approximately 40% of our students are international students, which contributes to the diverse perspectives you will see in the classroom. The countries represented currently include Uganda, Nepal, Egypt, Yemen, Spain, Colombia, Albania, Haiti, Austria, India, Somaliland, Hungary, South Korea, China, France, Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Tonga, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bahamas, Canada, and Czech Republic. The programs includes students with field experience in several African, Asian, and Latin American countries, including China, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, India, Eritrea, and Japan. Among our current students are Peace Corps returnees who have served in Ecuador, Togo, Zambia, Jamaica, Botswana, Morocco, Latvia, and Guatemala. Read more.