How to Apply to the Master's Program

The materials that must be submitted to apply for the MSP Program include:

• University Graduate Application Form. All students must submit an application online by starting at the University's Online Graduate Admissions website.
• Official Transcripts of all Prior University Course Work. All applicants should have these mailed directly to the University Office of Admissions. International applicants may be required to provide certified translations of their transcripts and degree certificates with certified translations.
• Official GRE scores (including the analytic writing score). All applicants should have transcripts mailed directly to the University Office of Admissions.
• Official TOEFL scores (required only of international applicants whose native language is not English and who have not received a degree from a college or university in an English-speaking nation). These should be sent directly to the University Office of Admissions.
• Two Letters of Recommendation. Please return to the University Application, select "Recommendations" and follow the instructions. Ideally these recommendations should come from instructors who can speak to your performance as a student and your ability to complete graduate-level coursework.
• The Department's Supplemental Form for MSP Applications including all joint programs. This is a WORD document that should be saved to your computer, completed, and then submitted online via the University's Online Graduate Admissions website. To submit this document, go to the "Supporting Documents" section of the University’s Graduate Admissions website and upload your completed form under "Document 1" in this section.

Overview of Application Process

The purpose of the admissions process is to judge the applicant's basic intellectual resources, motivations for seeking the degree, probability of successfully completing the program, and the appropriateness of the Department's faculty and course offerings to the student's program and career interests.

Applications for admission to the MSP program are welcome from persons holding a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States, or the equivalent from an institution abroad. No specific major is required. Our students come from a wide diversity of majors in the social sciences, design professions, sciences, business, and humanities. Application for admission is usually made for the Fall term, but a limited number of applications are considered for the Spring term.

The minimum university criterion to be considered for admission to graduate school is an upper division grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher for previous undergraduate study. The university also requires all applicants for admission to graduate programs to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). In the past typical students entering the department’s graduate programs have scored at or above the 64th percentile on the GRE Verbal test (510 old exam, 154 new exam), at or above the 45th percentile on the GRE Quantitative test (590 old exam, 148 new exam), and at or above the 41st percentile on the GRE Analytic Writing Exam (4.0 score on both exams). Please note that the GRE scores form only part of your application and the department views your entire application holistically in making a determination of admission. In making admissions decisions, the department also carefully considers other credentials including letters of recommendation from faculty, work experience, and extracurricular and civic activities.

Official English Language Proficiency results are required of all international applicants whose native language is not English. The following are the minimum scores required for admission to the University:
• Internet based TOEFL (IBTOEFL): 80
• Paper based TOEFL (TOEFL): 550
• Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB): 77
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS): 6.5
In addition, international graduate applicants seeking teaching assistantships are required to pass a test of spoken English.

Ultimately admission is based on judgment that the applicant is capable of successful graduate work.

Application Deadlines

Students in the MSP program usually begin their studies in the fall term in late August. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis. For fall admission, all required application materials from U.S. students must be received no later than July 1 of the year in which the student wishes to enroll. Applicants who wish to be considered for department financial aid must submit all required application materials by February 15 of the prior spring. Students who wish to apply for a ­University Fellowship must submit all required application materials by early January of the prior spring. Application materials for fall admission from international applicants must be received by November 15 of the year prior to which the student wishes to enroll.

We admit a few highly qualified applicants on a space-available-basis to begin MSP studies in the spring term, which begins in January. To be considered for spring admission, all required application materials from U.S. students should be received no later than November 1 of the preceding year. Materials from international applicants must be received by September 1. Ordinarily no financial aid is available to students beginning studies in the spring term.

Joint Degree Program Applicants

Joint Degree program applicants will note the joint degree program they intend to pursue on the Supplemental Form for MSP Admissions.

Master's International Program Applicants

To apply for the Peace Corps Master's International Program in Urban and Regional Planning (MIP), follow the same admissions procedures as for the MSP program. You should apply to the U.S. Peace Corps at the same time you apply to the FSU MIP, or as soon as you have been accepted by FSU. Be sure to inform your recruiter you are applying to the MI Program in Urban Planning at Florida State University. The Peace Corps recruiter in the Atlanta Office is Victoria Sturdivant. She can be reached via e-mail at vsturdivant@peacecorps.gov or by phone at (800) 424-8580: press 1, then ext. 23478, or direct dial (404) 562-3478. Or you can contact Lauryne Alexis-Boyd, University Programs Director, in the Washington Peace Corps Office. She can be reached by e-mail at lalexis-boyd@peacecorps.gov or by phone at (202) 692-1887.