About the College

Our Mission

The Florida State University College of Social Sciences and Public Policy is dedicated to excellence in creating and communicating social science and public policy knowledge through leading edge research, interdisciplinary programs, and teaching. We inspire and create opportunities for our diverse student body to become the next generation of leaders, citizens, and innovators to advance scholarship, engage communities, and serve society.

Our Vision

The college offers an inclusive and collaborative culture, welcoming all into a robust and free exchange of ideas. The college recruits and retains exceptional and diverse faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and staff to advance our mission and undertake core disciplinary and interdisciplinary research, teaching, and service activities.

Students are supported in the classroom and on campus to become critical thinkers and are prepared through teaching, mentoring, advising, and service to successfully contribute and serve as leaders, citizens, and innovators. The college’s reputation for excellence in creating and applying knowledge is reflected in units and programs that are the best in Florida and highly ranked among all public universities.

Our Core Values

The college is dedicated to achieving our mission by advancing the collective core values that inform and shape the COSSPP culture and programmatic areas.

We:

  • Foster a diverse and inclusive college culture, welcoming all into a robust and free exchange of ideas;
  • Recruit and retain diverse faculty, students, and staff of the highest quality;
  • Promote and clearly communicate evidence‐based social science research and teaching to:
    • Inform and shape public policy,
    • Empower and engage communities, and
    • Contribute to the advancement of social and economic mobility, equal opportunity, and a sustainable world;
  • Empower students through innovative teaching, mentoring, and advising; and
  • Facilitate critical thinking through a collaborative interdisciplinary approach to solving problems that confront society.