Ph.D. Admissions

Minimum admission standards include a score of 302 on the Graduate Record Examination Verbal and Quantitative sections (a minimum score of at least 153 on the Verbal and 144 on the Quantitative is preferred), except under exceptional circumstances. Other Minimum admission standards include a GPA of at least 3.0 (i.e., “B”) in undergraduate work after the first 60 hours, as well as a 3.5 GPA in previous graduate work, and at least three letters of recommendation, preferably written by faculty who are familiar with the applicant’s academic ability. Professional experience is encouraged but not required for admission.

Applicants are also encouraged to submit a writing sample in addition to a personal statement outlining the reasons for pursuing a Ph.D. Occasional deviations from these standards are allowed for applicants who possess exceptional qualities that are not reflected in these criteria. Higher attainment on one measure may offset lower attainment on another. Academic attainment will receive primary emphasis in admission decisions. Because admission is competitive based on the applicant pool, no particular GRE score and/or grade point average guarantees acceptance. The average score of admitted students for every semester is higher than the minimum standard.

International applicants must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam. The following score is recommended: A minimum of 570 on the paper-based test, 230 on the computer-based test, or 88 on the Internet-based test. The average score of our admitted students is much higher than the minimum standard. These scores can also be used in funding decisions, so all international applicants are encouraged to take the exams.

Once admitted, it is the student’s responsibility to petition the Ph.D. Committee in writing if s/he wishes courses to be waived or transfer credits to be allowed. This must happen immediately upon matriculation. Under no circumstance should it occur later than the student’s first semester in the program. The petition should state the course name and number, the date the course was taken, and the institution where it was taken. A syllabus of the course from the institution where it was taken should be attached to the petition, along with any available supporting documents, such as course papers or exams. A waiver is an indication that the student has taken a similar course at another institution, but credit hours are not transferred. A transfer of credit hours from another institution or program requires that the credit hours were not applied to another degree obtained by the student.

No more than six credit hours may be transferred from another university.

Departmental assistantships are assigned at the discretion of the Askew School Director with recommendations from the Ph.D. Director and committee. Assignments will be based on the availability of funds, previous assistantship performance, and the progression of program milestones by the student. Desk space will be granted to funded students in the Bellamy Building. Space is extremely limited. Funded students that do not use their assigned desk space will not receive space in the following academic year. Guaranteed departmental funding is available for four years after the student is enrolled in the doctoral program provided the student is making good grades and progress in program milestones. Students enrolled in the program after year four may have the opportunity to teach undergraduate classes, but these positions do not provide a graduate tuition waiver..

In addition, students may apply through the School for Florida State’s very competitive University Fellowships. Applications must be submitted by January 5th for the following Fall semester. These fellowships include an out-of-state tuition waiver. Other fellowship opportunities are announced throughout the year. The Graduate School maintains current information about sources of financial aid on their website. Application forms for loans and financial assistance may be obtained from the Office of Financial Aid. Information on tuition and other costs for Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 can be found here.

• Statement of Purpose explaining career and educational goals
• Writing Sample
• Resume/CV
• Official and verified GRE Scores (Florida State University’s test code is 5219)
• Three letters of recommendation
• International applicants whose native language is not English will need to submit an English proficiency exam such as the TOEFL or IELTS directly to Admissions
• Official Transcript from each institution college credit was earned or attempted

Transcripts should be mailed directly (or sent electronically via your school) to FSU Admissions at:

Florida State University
Office of Graduate Admissions
314 Westcott Bldg.
Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410
USA

OR

Send electronic version to: graduateadmissions@fsu.edu

Please do not send official transcripts directly to our department. In order for them to be considered official, the main Admissions Office must receive them directly. Be sure to read the information above carefully.