Master's Degree in Demography
» MS in Demography Poster
» Graduate Student Handbook
Program Overview
The Center for Demography and Population Health offers a one-year program of study leading to the Master of Science degree in Demography. This multidisciplinary program has been designed for students seeking to develop proficiency in the use of demographic concepts, data, and techniques. The curriculum therefore emphasizes demographic practice and the development of intellectual and analytical skills useful in a research or data-intensive setting.
The typical applicant to our program:
- Enjoys the challenge of working with numbers and statistical software
- Seeks to develop proficiency in the use of demographic data, methods, and concepts
- Plans a career in mid-level research/data-intensive positions in the public or private sectors.
Recent CDPH graduates are employed by:
- Federal government agencies, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics
- Non-profit advocacy groups, such as the Population Reference Bureau and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
- State government agencies, including the Alaska Department of Labor and the Florida Department of Elder Affairs
- Local government agencies, including the New York City Planning Department
- Private companies, including Geoscape (Miami) and Lapkoff & Gobalet Consulting (Berkeley)
Curriculum
A minimum of 33 semester hours are required to earn the MS degree in Demography. Candidates for the degree complete at least 27 semester hours of course work and a Master’s Research Paper (6 semester hours). Required course work includes 18 hours of statistics and data analysis courses, six hours of graduate-level seminars in demographic core courses, and three hours of electives. Students also participate in a Professional Development Seminar during their first semester, which provides professional guidance in résumé and portfolio development, interviewing, and professional networking. Many of our students benefit from practical training acquired through summer internships with federal or state agencies.
The program is designed to be completed in one calendar year. Students begin the program in the Fall semester and graduate the following summer. Coursework may be completed over three semesters (Fall, Spring, and Summer), although students planning a summer internship typically complete course requirements in two semesters. During the Summer semester, students enroll in a Master’s Research course, which guides them through the process of completing a demographic research project on a topic of their choosing. The course has been designed to accommodate students who are in residence and students who are doing summer internships away from Tallahassee.
Courses
Required courses are offered through departments in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy (CoSS); electives are offered through CoSS departments and through various departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education.
Required courses:
- Three semester hours, Fall (choose one):
- Population Data (ECP 5936) OR Population Data (SYA 6933)
- Three semester hours, Spring (choose one):
- Techniques of Population Analysis (SYD 5135) OR Mathematical Demography (ECP 5117)
- Three semester hours, Spring: Forecasting (URP 5261)
- Three semester hours, Fall or Spring (choose one):
- Urban and Regional Information Systems (URP 5272) OR Geographic Information Systems (GIS 5101 + GIS 5101L)
- Six semester hours:
Choose one in Fall:
- Introduction to Quantitative Data Analysis (SYA 5305)
- Basic Econometrics (ECO 5420)
- Planning Statistics (URP 5201)
Choose one in Spring:
- Multivariate Analysis (SYA 5406) OR approved alternative
- Six semester hours (choose two):
- Health and Survival (SYD 5215)
- Fertility (SYD 5225)
- Mobility (SYD 5235)
- Economics of Population (ECP 5115)
- Introduction to Demography (SYD 5045)
- Changing Families (SYO 5117)
- International Population Dynamics (SYA 6933)
- Population Theory (SYD 5105)
- Population Geography (GEO 5934)
- Six semester hours, Summer: Master’s Research for Demographers (DEM 5972)
- Fall: Professional Development Seminar (SYA 5625)
Approved Electives:
ECO 5417 SAS Programming
ECO 5616 Econometrics I
ECO 5423 Econometrics II
ECO 5427 Limited Dependent Variables
ECP 5205 Labor Markets
ECP 5536 Seminar in Health Economics
ECS 5015 Economic Development: Theory and Problems
ECS 5028 Economies in Transition
EDF 5401 General Linear Model
GEO 5472 Political Geography
GEO 5545 Advanced Economic Geography
SYA 5407 Advanced Quantitative Methods
SYD 5136 Life Course Epidemiology
SYD 5137 Fundamentals of Epidemiology
SYO 6407 Race, Ethnicity, and Health
URP 5530 Policy and Planning for the Aging
URP 5544 Gender and Development
URP 5610 Developing Areas
URP 5614 Population and Development Planning
STA 5066 Data Management in SAS
Course offerings vary by semester and academic year. Course descriptions are provided in the University’s Graduate Bulletin, available on-line at http://registrar.fsu.edu/bulletin/grad/depts/demography.htm. Course substitutions may be made with the Director’s permission.
ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM
Application to the one-year program leading to the Master of Science degree in Demography must be made online, through the Office of Graduate Admissions (http://admissions.fsu.edu/graduate/).
Admission requirements:
Admission to Graduate Studies at the Florida State University requires the following:
- A completed undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or a comparable degree from an international institution
- A minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) in upper-division undergraduate courses
- Applicants who have not earned at least one degree from an English-speaking university must also take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and score a minimum of 100.
For more information on University requirements, click here (link to http://admissions.fsu.edu/graduate/admissions/requirements.cfm)
Program application requirements:
In addition to meeting the University general requirements for graduate study, applicants must submit:
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) test scores
- A personal statement describing the applicant’s motivation for pursuing the MS in Demography and career goals.
- A writing sample that describes a contemporary social, economic, political, or health issue of interest to the applicant and explains its demographic relevance
- Two letters of recommendation, from faculty and/or employers, attesting to the applicant’s suitability for graduate study.
Evaluation of applications:
Application materials are evaluated by members of the CDPH Executive Committee and the Center Director. Admission decisions are based on our evaluation of the applicant’s suitability for the program, based on the writing sample and personal statement, and the likelihood that the applicant will complete the program successfully, as indicated by the applicant’s academic record, GRE scores, and recommendation letters. Applicants are notified by email at two points in the application process: (1) when CDPH has received all of the application material, and (2) when the admission decision has been made (typically 4-6 weeks after the application is complete).
Admission deadlines
The MS-Demography program admits students in the Fall semester only. Prospective students may file an application at any time from July 2nd of the year prior to anticipated admission up through June 1st. We strongly urge prospective students to complete their applications prior to March 15th. Space in the program is limited and the federal financial aid window typically closes on or about June 1st.
Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid
Information on tuition and fees is available at the Student Financial Services web site (link this to http://controller.vpfa.fsu.edu/Student-Financial-Services/SFS-For-Students/Tuition-Rates/Main-Campus).
Non-Florida residents may be eligible for in-state tuition and fees if they are residents of states participating in the Academic Common Market. International applicants may be eligible for Florida Linkage Institute Out-of-State Tuition Exemption. In order to qualify, the applicants must be from one of the countries where a Florida Linkage Institute has been established.
CDPH does not offer graduate assistantships. Students in the MS program may be eligible for financial aid in the form of federal loans, work-study funding, or institutional grants. Information on these and other forms of financial aid is available from the FSU Office of Financial Aid (link to http://www.finaid.fsu.edu). Students are also strongly encouraged to visit the web site of the Graduate School’s Funding and Awards page for information on sources of external fellowships (link to http://gradschool.fsu.edu/Funding-Awards).
