The Graduate School
Undergraduate
Dean: Mark Riley; Associate Deans: Debora Fadool, Brian Barton, Adrienne Stephenson
The University's first graduate degree was a Master of Science (MS) degree in psychology that was awarded to Barbara Elizabeth James in 1903. Boris Gutbezahl, a student in the Department of Chemistry, was awarded the University's first Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 1952. The mission of the Graduate School is to advance the quality and integrity of graduate education. The Dean of the Graduate School is responsible for the broad oversight of all graduate programs. Florida State University offers an extensive range of graduate and professional programs through the fifteen colleges. Graduate education at FSU includes 112 master's degrees, 11 specialist and advanced master's degrees, and 70 doctoral degrees. Professional degrees are also offered in Law, Nursing, and Medicine. In addition, a variety of opportunities are available for students interested in advanced degrees, including interdisciplinary degree programs, joint graduate pathways, dual degrees, and combined bachelor's/master's degree pathways. Florida State University also offers several online academic degree programs and graduate certificate programs. Details about these programs can be found in the appropriate department chapter of the Graduate Bulletin, and online at The Graduate School Website https://gradschool.fsu.edu.
Offices, Centers, and Special Programs
The Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards (OGFA), a unit of The Graduate School, assists current graduate students in identifying and applying for external fellowships, grants, and awards. The office provides a variety of workshops and events to introduce national funding opportunities, teach strategies for preparing competitive award applications, and discuss relevant campus policies and procedures. Additionally, students may seek one-on-one support as they polish their proposals. Currently enrolled graduate students may learn more about getting started with external funding opportunities at The Graduate School's New Graduate Student Orientation. For more information, call (850) 645-0850, e-mail ogfa-info@fsu.edu or visit the website at https://ogfa.fsu.edu.
Current undergraduate students can obtain similar support services from the Office of National Fellowships (ONF) as they begin their graduate planning. For further details, please visit their website at https://onf.fsu.edu.
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. CIES also offers a seven-week Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language for FSU students, or any in the community, who wish to go abroad to teach English. For further information, call (850) 644-4797 or visit the website at https://cies.fsu.edu.
The Fellows Society is an interdisciplinary scholarly community consisting of graduate students who hold competitive national fellowships and university-wide fellowships administered by The Graduate School. The mission of the Fellows Society is to have Fellows participate in regular events, including the Fellows Forum, the Annual Induction and Networking Session, President's Social, monthly research sharing luncheon series, and other special events designed to expand the intellectual horizons of its members through interdisciplinary engagement and leadership development. For more information, visit https://fellowssociety.fsu.edu.
Fellowships, Assistantships, and Awards
The Graduate School administers several internal University-wide fellowship and award programs to support or recognize the achievements of new and returning graduate students. Many graduate students receive financial support (stipend and tuition waivers) as Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants, or Graduate Assistants. Interested students should contact departments and administrative units directly for more details and information. For assistance with external fellowships and awards, contact the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards at (850) 645-0850, e-mail ogfa-info@fsu.edu, or visit the website at https://ogfa.fsu.edu.
Details of the internal University-wide fellowship and award programs, with updated deadlines and due dates, are provided each year on the Graduate School website at https://gradschool.fsu.edu/funding-awards/graduate-school-fellowships-and-grants.