International Education

International Commitment

Florida State University recognizes that a great university builds and extends its service, its potential for research, and its scholarly standing, and enhances its contribution to the education of students and citizens of the state by providing an international dimension to its educational programs. This is true in the professions, the sciences, the arts, and the humanities.

The University recognizes that in an interdependent world, the welfare of the state and the well-being of its citizens are linked to the welfare of all peoples. Thus, it is vital that the teaching, research, and service of Florida State University support the economic and social development of the state, the nation, and other countries; protect the world environment; lead individuals and groups to better understanding of themselves and others; and contribute toward international understanding, world peace, and community self-awareness.

In serving the community, the University recognizes that its major responsibility is to educate students in a manner that provides them with the necessary understanding, skills, and knowledge to become creative and useful citizens of both the state and the world. In this process of education, students from other countries who study at our campus, and FSU students who have studied overseas, play an important role.

In service to our committment, the University seeks students—in both number of persons and from diverse geographic locations abroad—for undergraduate, graduate, and professional colleges, schools, and programs such that we positively impact achievement of the University's overall educational goals. We also provide study abroad opportunities for FSU students, and we guide and assist them in integrating these experiences with regular university study. Finally, we encourage the development of an international dimension in teaching, research, and service through the exchange of persons, ideas, and materials with other countries.

Florida State University realizes its international commitment through active evaluation of existing and proposed international programs and services and by short- and long-range planning for ongoing improvement and innovation, furthering the University's goals for international education. Consistent with these objectives, the University ensures its facilities and resources are available so that diversified international educational programs of quality and usefulness are open to all its students. The financial support needed to accomplish these goals will be provided by University resources, and these are actively sought from state, federal, and foreign governments, as well as from international organizations, foundations, private organizations, and individual donors.

Center for Global Engagement

Director: Cynthia Green

Associate Director,
International Student & Scholar Services: Tanya Schaad

The mission of the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) is to facilitate international diversity and foster global understanding and awareness within the FSU community. The CGE is committed to enhancing FSU's internationalization initiatives by offering academic classes and several certificate programs designed to help develop a more intercultural and competent campus community. The Global Citizenship Certificate Program helps prepare undergraduate students for today's global society through a combination of curricular and co-curricular programs. The Global Partner Certificate Program provides training and workshops to increase intercultural competence for faculty and staff. The CGE also offers many enriching co-curricular opportunities for all FSU students to explore other cultures and current global issues through intercultural programs, the Engage Your World Intercultural Dialogue Series, International Coffee Hour, and Global Café. The CGE manages the FSU Global Exchange Program with 45 international partners in over 20 countries. In addition, the CGE ensures FSU's compliance with federal immigration law and provides immigration advising and ongoing support to over 2,600 international students in F-1 and J-1 status and to over 100 international Visiting Scholars each year.

The Center for Global Engagement is located in the Global and Multicultural Engagement building (The Globe) at 110 S. Woodward Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4216. For more information, visit https://cge.fsu.edu, call (850) 644-1702, or e-mail cge@fsu.edu.

The Frederick L. Jenks Center for Intensive English Studies

Program Director: Patrick Kennell

The Frederick L. Jenks Center for Intensive English Studies (CIES) provides intensive instruction in the English language to non-English speakers. Its primary target audience is international scholars who are preparing to pursue degree work in American colleges and universities.

In addition, CIES evaluates the English speaking proficiency of FSU's international Teaching Assistants (TAs) through its administration and scoring of the SPEAK test. Along with this assessment, the Center provides credit-bearing classes for those prospective international TAs who need further development of their speaking proficiency in English.

The center also provides English-as-a-second-language services for the spouses of regular students at Florida State University, as well as for some already admitted international students who are experiencing difficulty in mastering the English language. CIES has an average of fifty to sixty students per session, representing approximately twenty different countries. Through its well-developed Conversation Partner program, CIES also serves as an integral part of FSU's Global Pathways Certificate in providing many valuable and interesting opportunities for FSU students to meet, interact, and develop friendships with students from around the world. CIES truly is the place at Florida State “where the world comes to learn English”. For further information, please call us at (850) 644-4797 or visit our website at https://cies.fsu.edu.

International Programs

Director: James E. Pitts Associate Director: Louisa Blenman

Florida State University offers a wide variety of opportunities for students to study overseas. Students learn not only from their exposure to the cultural resources of the host countries but also through firsthand observations and participation in the political, economic, and social changes taking place outside the United States.

The University has operated international study centers in Panama City, Republic of Panama since 1957; in Florence, Italy since 1966; in London, England since 1971; and in Spain since 1997 (originating in Torremolinos and moving to its permanent home in Valencia in 2000). At each of these locations, courses are offered during the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. In addition to FSU students, the centers are open to students from other U.S. institutions and throughout the world.

Each of these study centers offers a broad curriculum, which includes courses that ideally lend themselves to their international location. In Florence, the courses focus on the areas of art history, classics, writing, history, humanities, Italian language, and business. The London center offers courses in the areas of art history, English literature and writing, history, mathematics, music, politics, science, social sciences, and theatre. In addition, the London Study Center serves as a base of operations for a number of curriculum-focused programs. Students may pursue specific topics such as British history, English literature, communications, international affairs, choral and instrumental music education, global sport management, multi-media, and theatre. In Valencia, courses are offered in Spanish language, literature, and civilization as well as art, business, literature, humanities, global sport management, music, mathematics, and science. In the Republic of Panama, the FSU-Panama campus offers courses in a variety of liberal arts disciplines including mathematics and the sciences. FSU-Panama also functions as a two- or four-year degree institution serving a large population of native Panamanians. Each study center offers an extensive internship program within a variety of disciplines.

In addition to the four Study Centers, International Programs offers programs in many other locations with sites varying from year to year. Programs are currently planned in locations including Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Grenada, Kosovo, and Switzerland. These locations host a variety of faculty-led study abroad opportunities, which are either broad curriculum offerings or programs focusing on a particular area or major. Internship opportunities are available at the four study centers. Additionally, the First Year Abroad program, created especially for high-achieving, global-thinking students, allows students to complete the first two semesters of their Florida State career studying abroad with International Programs at any of the four study center locations. International Programs is constantly adding to and updating the program offerings and locations. For the latest information, visit our website at https://www.international.fsu.edu or contact us at: International Programs, A5500 University Center Tallahassee, FL 32306-2420; (850) 644-3272; IP-info@fsu.edu.

Florida-Costa Rica Institute

Co-Director: Lacey Moret

The Florida-Costa Rica Linkage Institute, known as FLORICA, was created in 1986, authorized by the Florida Legislature in 1987, and formalized by an agreement signed by the State University System of Florida, the Florida Community College System and the Council of Rectors of Costa Rican Universities (CONARE). Since its beginning, FLORICA has been administered for Costa Rica by CONARE and on behalf of the State of Florida by The Florida State University and Valencia College, with co-directors appointed from each institution.

FLORICA has strong credibility both in Florida and Costa Rica as a stimulus and a catalyst. The Institute has interfaced broadly in Costa Rica with public and private institutions and agencies including all of the public universities.

Costa Rican citizens who have applied and have been accepted into a Florida public university or community college may apply for out-of-state tuition waivers through the Florida-Costa Rica Institute Non-Resident Tuition Exemption Program.

For more information, visit https://flcrlinkage-fsu-sm.smapply.us, call (850) 644-3272, or e-mail at cge@fsu.edu.

Law Program at The University of Oxford

Florida State University conducts an international law program in the prestigious academic atmosphere of the University of Oxford. The program utilizes its unique setting to enhance the study of international and comparative law and the history of common law. ABA-approved law courses are taught by a combination of Florida State University College of Law faculty and approved professors from the University of Oxford. The program is available to students in good standing at an ABA-approved law school who have completed at least one year of study. Visit our Website at https://www.law.fsu.edu/academics/academic-programs/study-abroad/oxford.