Florida State University

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Diverse FSU Degrees Online and at Nine Locations

Florida State University appears in our ranking of the 20 Best Online Bachelor’s in Computer Science. Florida State University has 15 colleges. It has 25:1 student/faculty ratio and a 93 percent retention rate.  It  is the Sunshine State’s eighth-largest institution, offering:
  •  107 bachelor’s programs
  • 126 master’s programs
  • 80 doctoral majors
These include including 28 online programs. The 120-credit BFA in Motion Picture Arts utilizes Director’s Prep Rooms  to produce films shown at Ruby Diamond Auditorium. The BA in Meteorology applies 120 credits, such as Atmospheric Dynamics and Climate Analysis, at the on-site Tallahassee National Weather Service Office. The MS in Law Enforcement Intelligence offers a 36-credit, three-semester online sequence with capstone internships at:
  • the Bay County Sheriff’s Department
  • Gadsden Correctional Facility
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation, and others.
The Ph.D. in Finance is a 108-credit, four-year curriculum for scholarly research practice in FSU’s Bank of America Center and Jim Moran Global Institute. Other opportunities include:
  • the BA in Public Relations
  • BS in Mechanical Engineering
  • BA in Slavic Russian
  • BS in Computer Science
  • MS in Exercise Physiology
  • MFA in Interior Design
  • MA in Religion
  • Ph.D. in Geography
  • Ph.D. in Political Science
  • Ph.D. in Nursing

About Florida State University

Florida State University originated on  1857. Governor James E. Broome signed the bill donating Tallahassee lands for the State Seminary. The next year, it acquired the Tallahassee Female Academy and admitted women. During the Civil War, it was renamed the Florida Military & Collegiate Institute. By 1891, it switched to modern-style Bachelor of Arts instruction as the Literary College of the University of Florida. Fourteen years later, the Buckman Act segregated the state school into three parts. It was not fully reversed until 1962. Florida State University adopted its current name in 1947. During the 1980s, a Panama City location was added to its 489-acre Tallahassee campus. In October, 2002, FSU opened a fully accredited College of Medicine with Sacred Heart Hospital. Budgeting $1.7 million, Florida State University now enrolls 41,867 students from 132 nations. It is an Insight into Diversity Award winner. It has over 750 clubs and organizations. The U.S. News & World Report ranked Florida State:
  • the 70th best university
  • 52nd top undergrad educator
  • 37th most innovative institution
  • 47th best law school
  • 46th top teachers college
Niche named it:
  • America’s 11th best information technology
  • 13th top criminal justice
  • 20th best finance,
  • 44th top music programs
The College of Motion Picture Arts ranked in The Hollywood Reporter’s 25 best. Times Higher Education placed Florida State University 266th overall. Forbes recognized FSU for the 85th most impactful research. Money magazine named FSU the 122nd top value with median mid-career pay of $97,000 on Payscale.  Florida State University was named 22nd in Military Times. Hispanic Business named the FSU College of Medicine eighth for Latinos. WalletHub also picked Florida State for the 125th most admission selectivity and 89th best education outcomes.

Florida State University Accreditation Details

Florida State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) This 11-state Lower Atlantic accreditor is authorized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and Florida Department of Education. Academic departments also hold the following specialized accreditations:
  •  Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
  •  Council on Social Work Education
  •  Association for Behavior Analysis International
  •  Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
  •  American Psychological Association
  •  National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
  •  American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
  •  Council on Rehabilitation Education
  •  Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs
  •  American Association for Family and Consumer Science
  •  American Library Association
  •  Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education
  •  American Bar Association
  •  Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy
  •  Liaison Committee on Medical Education
  •  National Association of Schools of Music
  •  Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
  •  Council for Interior Design Accreditation
  •  National Association of Schools of Theatre

Florida State University Application Requirements

Enrolling at Florida State University is classified “very difficult” by Peterson’s. It has a 49 percent acceptance rate. First-year students must reach the State University System’s required 16 core high school units or minimum 675 GED score. Freshmen typically rank in the top 25th percentile with AP credits and a median 3.91 GPA. Florida State uses super-scoring to calculate an average 1290 New SAT, 1800 Old SAT, and 27 ACT mark. The Honors Program admits a median 4.4 GPA, 1500 SAT, and 33 ACT grade. Transfer admission requires earning 12-90 regionally accredited credits for a minimum 3.0 GPA. The Graduate School has a two-fold evaluation process. Four-year bachelor’s majors with upper-division GPAs must have above 3.0. Department prerequisites vary. For example, the MS in Statistics seeks:
  • Calculus
  • Linear Algebra
  • Probability
  • Intermediate Analysis courses
The MS in Cybersecurity requires a minimum 142 Verbal and 150 Quantitative GRE score. Online MBA cohorts present a mean 565 GMAT mark. The College of Law admits a median 160 LSAT score and 3.63 GPA. Florida State University sets freshmen deadlines of November 1st for Early Action and February 7th for Regular Decision. Bachelor’s transfers have until:
  • November 1st for Spring starts
  • March 1st for Summer starts
  • June 1st for Fall starts
The Graduate School has wide-ranging deadlines to check, though. For instance, the Master of Music Education only considers entrants until March 1st. The Ph.D. in Communication enforces a December 15th cutoff. Interested students must submit the FSU Application, Coalition Application, or Common Application online for $30. Sealed official transcripts are sent to 282 Champions Way in Tallahassee, FL 32306. For testing results, FSU’s institutional code is 5219. Other documents include:
  • the residency form
  • 2-5 recommendations
  • committee letter of intent
  • professional résumé
  • Credential Assembly Service report
  • academic addendum
  • English proficiency proof
Contact (850) 644-6200 or admissions@fsu.edu for more.

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2018-19, Florida State University is billing in-state undergrads $3,258 per semester or $6,516 annually. Non-resident bachelor’s tuition is $10,841 by term or $21,683 each year. Living at the Tallahassee campus’ dorms adds $6,620 for housing. Standard meal plans  are $4,196. FSU budgets $1,000 for textbooks. Annual undergrad attendance equals $18,332 in-state and $33,499 out-of-state. Studying part-time incurs $215 to $721 per credit on-campus. Distance learning is cheaper at $180 to $686 per credit. The Graduate School currently charges Floridians $479 and non-residents $1,110 per credit. One exception is the Juris Doctor, which costs $20,643 to $40,655 each year. Doctor of Medicine candidates are another exception paying $21,293 to $55,844 yearly. The Office of Financial Aid helps 88 percent of FSU students. Median assistance of $5,164 each. University funds include:
  • the Cody Goodman Scholarship
  • Ethics in Business Scholarship
  • Hecht-Havenick-Amdur Scholarship
  • Russell Langstroth Scholarship
  • Beaumont Scholarship
  • Haydon Burns Scholarship
  • Mina Jo Powell Scholarship
  • Mack Tyner Jr. Scholarship
  • 100 Club of Broward County Scholarship
  • Delores Auzenne Fellowship
  • Nancy Casper Hillis Scholarship
  • Ferrell Marketing Scholarship
The Southwest Georgia Tuition Waiver deducts $14,444 yearly off full-time tuition. The $4,800 Presidential Scholars Program enforces a February 19th deadline for Honors undergrads meeting 3.8 GPAs. Need-based, rent-free Florida State housing is offered by the Southern Scholarship Foundation. The Graduate School confers the $10,000 Legacy Fellowship for doctoral and MFA candidates. Completing FAFSA forms coded 001489 unlocks:
  • Federal Pell Grant
  • SEOG Grant
  • Work-Study
  • Direct Loan coverage
In-state students also pursue:
  • the Access to Better Learning Grant
  • Bright Futures Scholarship
  • First Generation Matching Grant
  • Minority Teacher Scholarship, and more.
Search through top-ranked degrees at Florida State University on the Academic Affairs Office website.

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