For undergraduate students looking to enhance their undergraduate experience or to get a jumpstart on graduate school, the College of Social Sciences & Public Policy offers six combined pathways opportunities.
What are Combined Pathways?
Combined bachelor’s/master’s pathways allow academically talented undergraduate students – typically admitted to the program in their junior or senior year – the opportunity to take coursework that will count towards completion of both their bachelor’s degree and a master’s program. The College of Social Sciences & Public Policy has combined pathways programs open to students in any undergraduate major on campus to pursue coursework towards one of the following master’s degrees:
- Applied American Politics and Policy (Political Science)
- Demography
- Geographic Information Science (Geography)
- Public Administration
- Public Health
- Urban & Regional Planning
Once admitted to a combined pathways program, up to 12 graduate hours may be shared with (or double-counted toward) an undergraduate degree program and a graduate program. The student earns a bachelor’s degree upon completing the undergraduate program and a master’s degree upon completing the graduate program. This allows a student to earn two degrees for fewer total credit hours than would normally be required if both degree programs were completed separately.
Admissions to a Combined Pathway program
Students must submit a completed application by the deadline listed below for the semester in which they intend to begin enrollment in graduate coursework for a combined pathway program. Applications are submitted by filling out the Combined Pathway Application Survey.
Students may review information needed for any of the combined pathway programs in which they are interested on the next page, prior to moving forward into the application for a specific program. They are encouraged to gather information and any application elements (resume, personal statement, etc.) required for the program to which they intend to apply prior to moving forward into the application.
Dates and Deadlines
| To begin combined pathway coursework beginning in a ____ semester | Application opens | Application deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Second week of Spring classes | July 1 |
| Spring | Second week of Fall classes | November 1 |
| Summer | Second week of Spring classes | March 15 |
Other Considerations
- Graduate coursework taken prior to admission to a combined pathway program may only be counted towards a single degree program. It may not be counted towards both undergraduate and master’s degree requirements.
- Admission to a combined pathway program does not guarantee admission to the graduate program. Students still need to complete the graduate application process and be admitted to the graduate program through regular review processes.
- Graduate credit earned in a combined pathways program can only be transferred to the matching graduate program at FSU.
- Students who choose to pursue a degree at another institution are not guaranteed the ability to transfer graduate coursework earned as part of a combined pathways program at FSU to count in that other institution’s program(s).
- Admission to a combined pathway program forgoes any opportunity to apply or enroll in a Joint Pathway program.
Combined Pathways in the College of Social Sciences & Public Policy
| Department/Program | Pathways Tracks | Application Requirements |
| Demography | BA or BS MS in Demography | – 90 credit hours of completed coursework (60 hours if Honor student) – 3.5 or higher GPA – Completed SYA 4400 or STA 2122 with grade of 3.0 (“B”) or higher – Completed SYD 3020 or ECP 3113 with grade of 3.0 (“B”) or higher |
| Geography | BS or BA MS in Geographic Information Science (GIS) | – GPA of 3.0 or higher. – Completed GIS4043/L – Intro to GIS & Lab with a grade of C- or higher. |
| Political Science | BA or BS degree MS in Applied American Politics and Policy | – 3.50 or higher GPA overall and in upper-division coursework OR Minimum 3.00 GPA and a minimum score of 149 on both the Quantitative and Verbal sections of the GRE. A weighted score of 151 on the LSAT will be accepted in lieu of the GRE. – Completion of a minimum of 75 credit hours to include POS3713 (Political Science Research), and no fewer than 24 credit hours taken at Florida State University. – Stated intention to complete the MS degree in Applied American Politics and Policy. |
| Public Administration | BA or BS MPA in Public Administration | – 3.2 or higher FSU GPA – Completed 24 hours at FSU |
| Public Health | BA or BS MPH in Public Health | – 3.5 FSU GPA – 90 credit hours of completed coursework (60 credit hours if Honors student) – Minimum two semesters and 24 credit hours completed at FSU |
| Urban and Regional Planning | BA or BS MSP in Urban and Regional Planning | – 3.0 or higher GPA – 90 credit hours of completed coursework (60 credit hours if Honors student, 24 credits hours at FSU for transfer students) – Completed URP 3000 Introduction to Urban Planning and Development OR URP4022 Collective Decision Making with a grade of B or higher |