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How to Apply to the Planning-Law Joint Degree Program

Applicants for the Urban Planning and Law joint degree program must be admitted by each degree program. Beginning in March, 2008 Florida State University moved to an electronic, paperless application process that is accessed through the University's Online Graduate Admissions website. However, the College of Law admissions process is entirely separate from that of the Department of Urban & Regional Planning. Students interested in the Joint Planning and Law degree program need to separately seek admission to these different programs.

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 Graduation Admissions site.
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 these 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.
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 Urban & Regional Planning Department's Supplemental Form for MSP Applications. 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

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.

The minimum university criterion to be considered for admission to graduate school is a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher for previous undergraduate study, or a combined verbal and quantitative score for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) of 1000. Average GPAs and GRE scores for master's degree students in this department substantially exceed these minima. In making admissions decisions, the department carefully considers other credentials including the analytic writing GRE score, letters of recommendation from faculty, work experience, and extracurricular and civic activities. Applicants whose native language is not English and who have not received a degree from a college or university in an English-speaking nation, also must submit an official transcript of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum TOEFL score of 213 (computer-based), 550 (paper-based), or 80 (internet-based) is required for an applicant to be considered for admission. Ultimately admission is based on judgment that the applicant is capable of successful graduate work and that the applicant will become a planner who will contribute meaningfully to the profession and society.

Application Deadlines (see also: Summary Table of 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 January 15 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.