This pathway allows academically talented FSU undergraduates to complete a Bachelor’s degree in any major and the Master of Science degree in Demography in a faster-than-normal time- frame.*
- The combined pathway allows eligible students to:
- Count up to 12 graduate-level credit hours toward both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
- Apply undergraduate tuition assistance (e.g., Bright Futures; Florida Pre-Paid) to graduate courses; and
- Explore graduate coursework as an undergraduate student, easing the transition to graduate school.
* Students accepted into the Master’s degree program who completed 12 credit hours of required coursework as undergraduates may finish the degree with just 15 hours of additional coursework and satisfactory completion of a 6 credit hour Master’s Research Paper.
Admission to a combined pathways program at Florida State University and/or in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy allows students to share, or double-count, up to 12 graduate credit hours between a bachelor’s and master’s degree, both earned 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).
Eligibility
Graduate coursework in the MS-Demography program is open to qualified students from any undergraduate major. Qualified students will have:
- 90 credit hours of completed coursework*
- An earned grade-point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher or a GPA of 3.00 and scores of at least 152 on the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).**
- 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
* Honors Program students need just 60 credit hours. Transfer students must have completed at least 24 credit hours at FSU.
** The GRE is required for admission into the MS-Demography program, but students with a qualifying GPA may defer the GRE until applying for graduate admission.
How to Apply
Interested students should meet with an Advisor in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy to determine their eligibility for graduate coursework as an undergraduate.
Once eligibility has been confirmed, students should:
- Obtain a Request to take Graduate Courses as an Undergraduate form from the Registrar’s Office
- Meet with the MS-Demography Program Director to determine appropriate courses
- Obtain all required signatures to complete the form
- Return the form to the Registrar’s Office to be placed in the course(s) during the proper registration window.
Students should make formal application for admission to the MS-Demography program in the fall or spring semester of their senior year.
Available Courses
Students in the combined degree program may select up to 12 credit hours in Quantitive Skills Courses and Seminars. While course offerings vary each semester, courses that have been offered in the past include:
- Population Data (ECP 5118)
- Introduction to Research Methods (SYA 5305)
- Urban and Regional Information Systems (URP 5272)
- Health and Survival (SYD 5215)
Course offerings address topics in population, health, sociology, planning, and more.
Retention requirements
Students must earn a grade of “B-” or better in required courses in order to accrue credit toward the MS degree in Demography. Although lower grades are acceptable in elective courses, students must maintain an overall graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.