College of Applied Studies

Undergraduate

Dean: Randall Hanna Associate Deans: Amy Polick, Irvin Clark Assistant Dean: Banyon Pelham

Established in 2010, the College of Applied Studies is one of the newest colleges at the University. The administrative offices of the College of Applied Studies are located on the Panama City campus, which is about one hundred miles southwest of Tallahassee, on beautiful North Bay.

General Information

All students must meet the University-wide baccalaureate degree requirements summarized in the “Undergraduate Degree Requirements” chapter of this General Bulletin. To enroll in the College of Applied Studies, an undergraduate must be certified by the Division of Undergraduate Studies or be a transfer student with fifty-two or more semester hours of accepted credit. Admission to the College of Applied Studies requires at least a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) in prior academic work and that the student is in good standing within the University. Since individual departments within the College of Applied Studies may stipulate higher admission standards, students should consult the appropriate chapters of this General Bulletin for specific requirements. Students applying for admission to one of the College of Applied Studies degree granting departments or to one of the non-degree programs must apply through Florida State University's Panama City Office of Admissions and Records online at https://pc.fsu.edu/Admissions.

Advising

Florida State University Panama City provides academic course advising to students through the Chapman Family Foundation Center for Academic Advising and Student Success Center, located in room C117 of the Holley Academic Center. For more information, students may email advising@pc.fsu.edu or call (850) 770-2288. Distance Learning students should contact Dana Smith for advising at dsmith@pc.fsu.edu or 850-770-2266. Students are also encouraged to meet often with their respective faculty for guidance on curriculum, research, and professional/career development.

Programs Offered

The College of Applied Studies offers several Bachelor of Science (BS) degree programs. Students pursuing a baccalaureate degree in the College of Applied Studies may choose from the following degree programs:

  • BS degree in Professional Communication
  • BS degree in Financial Planning
  • BS degree in Public Safety and Security with a major in Law Enforcement Operations
  • BS degree in Public Safety and Security with a major in Law Enforcement Intelligence
  • BS degree in Public Safety and Security with a major in Crime Scene Investigation
  • BS to MS degree in Professional Communication with a major in Corporate and Public Communication or Organizational Management & Communication (Combined Bachelor's/Master's Pathway)

Undergraduate Certificates

In addition to its bachelor's degree programs, the College of Applied studies offers the Undergraduate Certificate in Underwater Crime Scene Investigation. This program comprises 16 academic credits, and its completion allows a student to obtain a specialized certificate as part of the degree, or as nondegree seeking student. Participants learn through enhanced courses in underwater investigation and science diving. Further information regarding the certificate programs may be found at https://pc.fsu.edu/certificate-programs.

Institutes and Centers

The College of Applied Studies works directly with the FSU Panama City Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Institute, which promotes educational excellence by providing educators with professional skills and research-based practices that foster exemplary teaching and inspire meaningful learning in STEM disciplines. The FSU Panama City STEM Institute is the Florida Engineering Affiliate for Project Lead the Way (PLTW). For more information, please visit https://pc.fsu.edu/stem.

Facilities

The FSU College of Applied Studies is housed in the Technology, Holley, and Bayside buildings at the FSU Panama City campus. The entire FSU Panama City campus occupies just over twenty-five acres and is located directly on the blue waters of the North Bay. Within the FSU Panama City campus, the College of Applied Studies has state-of-the-art science and computer laboratories, as well as classrooms with enhanced technology for distance learning. The Holley Academic Center is the largest and most central building on campus. The Holley Center is a three-story facility in excess of 100,000 square feet and it houses twenty-one general purpose classrooms, a digital design studio, student success center, veteran's ready room, advising center, student seminar rooms, study and meeting rooms, a library and learning center, a 500-seat multi-purpose lecture hall/community room, and ten academic/computer laboratories in support of programs in public safety and security, civil and environmental engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, advanced scientific diving, and underwater crime scene investigation. The Holley Academic Center was named in recognition of Russell C. Holley's naming gift in honor and memory of his parents.

Scholarships

Students enrolled at FSU Panama City in the College of Applied Studies are eligible to apply for endowed scholarships. For more information on how you can apply or an application, please visit the Website of the FSU Panama City Foundation at https://pc.fsu.edu/finances/scholarships.

University Honors and Honor Societies

The College of Applied Studies encourages eligible students to participate in university honors and “honors in the major” programs. The honors-in-the-major program is offered to all eligible Public Safety & Security students. For more information on participating, please visit: https://honors.fsu.edu/honors-major or contact Dr. Mark Feulner at mfeulner@pc.fsu.edu. For a list of university-wide honor societies officially recognized by Florida State University, requirements, and other information, see the “University Honors Office and Honor Societies” chapter of this General Bulletin. College-wide honor societies officially recognized by the College of Applied Studies are listed below, followed by discipline-specific societies. For complete details of activities and membership requirements, contact the individual organizations.

Delta Alpha Pi International Honors Society recognizes high-achieving undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities. The organization strives to celebrate and support academic achievements while encouraging leadership and advocacy for the advancement of students with disabilities. For more information, please contact Dr. Laurie Lawrence at llawrence@fsu.edu.

Delta Delta Epsilon Forensic Honor Society The mission of the Delta Delta Epsilon is to function as an honor society for students of the forensic sciences. The activities of the Society are designed to stimulate academic achievement, promote community understanding, and advance the fields of forensic science. Colleges and universities which grant baccalaureate or advanced degrees in the forensic sciences and related fields that support this mission may establish chapters.

Students invited to join the Alpha Kappa Chapter must major in Crime Scene Investigation or other forensic science related field, have maintained a minimum of a 3.3 grade point average throughout their college studies and completed at least 22 credit hours within their major. Students inducted will be required to organize and complete a service project. For more information, please contact Charla Perdue at cperdue@fsu.edu.

Lambda Pi Eta is the official Communication Studies honor society of the National Communication Association (NCA) and a member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS). Lambda Pi Eta honor society recognizes the achievements of both undergraduate and graduate students, promotes scholarly activities, and rewards outstanding scholastic performance. The organization works to stimulate interest in the communication discipline. For more information, please contact Dr. Laurie Lawrence at llawrence@fsu.edu.

Leadership/Scholastic Societies

Garnet Key Honor Society of the Panama City campus, founded in 1986, recognizes students primarily for service and scholarship, but also for spirit and leadership. Activities are generally service projects and functions for the Panama City campus. Applicants must have completed fifteen semester hours at that campus with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. For more information, contact Dr. Jason Martin at jmartin@pc.fsu.edu.

Student Activities

The Communication Club is affiliated with the FSU Panama City Communication Department and assists students in professional development and social networking. To become a member, students must complete the organization's member application, maintain a 2.0 GPA, be in good standing with the University, and pay the $15/semester (fall and spring) membership dues within one month of becoming a member. No University student may be denied membership on the basis of race, creed, sex, age, national origin, handicap, or religion. Membership is open to any college student currently enrolled at FSU Panama City. Members may also be from other schools. Members are not required to be Communications majors. For more information, contact Dr. Laurie Lawrence at llawrence@fsu.edu.

The Pre-Law Club is an RSO focused on exposing students to a myriad of opportunities in the legal profession. Pre-Law Club members are students from a wide variety of majors, interests, and backgrounds curious to explore the field of law. The Club provides valuable resources and guidance through discussions, guest speakers, and hands-on experiences like LSAT Prep and field trips. Our field trips have included meetings with Florida Supreme Court Justices in Tallahassee, Judges with the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee, and a tour of the FSU Law School in Tallahassee. Please come and join us to expand your knowledge and skills, meet like-minded individuals sharing an interest in law, and explore the many career paths open to one with a law degree. For more information, please feel free to contact the Pre-Law Club Faculty Advisor: Professor Lucy Ann Hoover, lahoover@pc.fsu.edu.

The Scuba, Hyperbaric, and Recreational Club (SHARC) is a dive club established to coordinate and facilitate SCUBA training due to FSU Panama City student interest in scientific and recreational diving. Membership is open to all regardless of certification status. Certified divers that are members have access to club resources such as regulators, dive lights, and buoyancy compensators. For more information, contact Dr. Mark Feulner at mfuelner@fsu.edu.