The purpose of the program is to better prepare students for careers in the overlapping professions of Planning and Demography. It is expected that demographic coursework and training will be an important complement to the existing MSP, and that planning coursework and training will provide important professional options to students in the existing MSD. The efficiencies that come from a joint curriculum as well as joint advising by faculty in both units will deepen the professional preparation and maximize the professional prospects of joint MSP-MSD graduates.
Admission Criteria
Both programs will adhere to the university minimum requirements for admission to graduate study, including:
Either (a) earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or a comparable degree from an international institution, with a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) in all work attempted while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student, or (b) a graduate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a comparable degree from an international institution. The university requires all applicants to graduate programs to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Applicants whose native language is not English are required to have a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based or 80 on the Internet-based TOEFL examination, 6.5 on the IELTS examination, or 77 on the MELAB examination. These indicators are considered along with other evidence of preparation including letters of recommendation and a personal statement. The Demography Program also requires a writing sample.
To be considered for the joint degree program, students must be evaluated and admitted by the Admissions Committees of each of the two participating units.
Requirements for the Joint Pathway
The student will complete all requirements for the MSP and the MSD except as noted below. The program will consist of a total minimum of 66 hours. This course of study allows students to engage in cross-disciplinary study, emphasizing the overlap between the disciplines.
The general breakdown of requirements is listed below. Courses that meet these requirements vary by semester and year.
- Planning Core (9 hours)
- Planning Methods for Policy and Planning Decisions (3 hours)
- Planning Collaborative and Participatory Methods (3 hours)
- Citizen Participation Planning Specialization Courses (9 hours)
- Planning Internship (0 hours) – At least 400 hours in a planning-related internship.
- Planning Electives (9 hours)
- Dynamics Demography Core (21 hours)
- Demography Seminars (3 hours)
- Demography Electives (3-6 hours)
- Planning Courses that Can Count Towards Demography (9-12 hours)
- Required Capstone (3-6 hours)
Students may take additional courses in Demography and Planning to meet the 66 credit hour requirement.
For further information and applications, contact:
Admissions Coordinator
Department of Urban and Regional Planning
Florida State University
P.O. Box 3062280
Tallahassee, FL 32306-2280
(850) 644-4510
E-mail: sataylor2@fsu.edu
www.coss.fsu.edu/durp/
MSD Program Director
Center for Demography and Population Health
Florida State University
P. O. Box 3062240
Tallahassee, FL 32306-2240
(850) 644-1762
E-mail: popctr@fsu.edu