Applying to SIDES (International Students)

Thank you for your interest in the Sociocultural and International Development Education Studies Program at Florida State University. For more information about the program itself, please visit the main SIDES website.

Applicants to the SIDES program must submit separate materials to the FSU Office of Admissions and the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies for consideration. All materials must be received by the appropriate Office or Department before the semester admissions deadline (May 1 for Fall admission; November 1 for Spring admission; March 1 for Summer admission).

Materials to be sent to the University Office of Admissions:

1) An international graduate application. Application instructions for international students may be found here.
On the application you will be asked to enter a major code. The major code for SIDES is 220609.

2) Official TOEFL results are required of all international applicants whose native language is not English and who have not studied in an English-speaking country for at least one academic year. A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test, 213 on the computer-based test, or 80 on the internet-based test is required for admission to the University. In addition, international graduate applicants seeking teaching assistantships are required to pass a test of spoken English. The TOEFL institutional code for Florida State University is 5219. Visit the TOEFL website for more information.

3) Official Transcripts (two from each college or university attended, in original university-sealed envelopes, in the native language, accompanied by certified English translations if applicable) and Official GRE Scores (one set, in an original ETS-sealed envelope) must be sent to:

The Florida State University
Graduate Admissions Office
A2500 University Center
282 Champions Way
PO Box 3062400
Tallahassee, FL 32306-2400

You may request copies of GRE scores be sent directly to the institutions of your choice at the time you take the exam, or these may be requested after the exam. Visit the ETS website to request that your scores be sent to FSU. ETS will ask you to provide an institution code in order to send GRE scores directly to FSU admissions. The institution code for Florida State University is 5219.

4) A $30 application fee [check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank] must also be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office address above.

For any questions regarding university admissions requirements, the Office of Admissions may be contacted by e-mail at admissions@admin.fsu.edu or by phone at (850) 644-3420.

Materials to be sent to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies:

Applicants to the SIDES program will need to submit the following materials directly to the department:

1) The international student Financial Responsability Form
2) A Personal/Professional Resume
3) A Statement of Purpose, one to three pages in length, explaining the basis of your pursuit of the degree, and
4) Three Letters of Recommendation. These are ideally from recent professors who can speak to your academic potential, but may in exceptional cases be written by professional contacts in a SIDES-relevant field.

These application materials should be sent to:

The Florida State University
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
113 Stone Building
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4452
Attn: Graduate Admissions Committee

For any questions regarding departmental admissions requirements, please contact the SIDES administrator at sides@coe.fsu.edu or by phone at (850) 644-2791.

International Center
Additional information for prospective and current international students can be found at the FSU International Center website, including application information and a flowchart depicting the application process.