Each year, we enroll approximately 3,000 transfer students. The majority of our students come to us from the Florida College System and most will have completed their Associate in Arts degree. However, we accept transfer students from all nationally accredited institutions at all levels. To be eligible to apply for transfer admission, students must complete 12 or more hours of transferable college credit after high school graduation.
Transfer admission is a holistic and selective process, and no single criterion guarantees admission. Rather, we consider all the documentation you submit, and we carefully review your academic record to ensure you are prepared for the academic rigor you will encounter at Florida State University.
In addition to meeting the University requirements, transfer applicants must meet the specific requirements established for their desired major. Students should review the Academic Program Guide for detailed information about program deadlines, required prerequisite courses, audition dates, portfolio requirements, etc. prior to applying.
A high school student earning both the standard high school diploma and an Associate in Arts (AA) degree through dual enrollment from the Florida College System or the State University System of Florida must apply to FSU as a first-year student. Applicants must adhere to the first-year admission deadlines. In addition, applicants may be subject to additional major deadlines/requirements. Carefully review all major requirements at Academic Program Guide.
High school students who are receiving an AA degree but do not meet the admissions requirements under the Florida Board of Governors Admission Regulation 6.002, may be considered for admission under Florida Board of Governors Admission Regulation 6.005. Students admitted under this regulation are first-time-in-college (FTIC) students although they are not required to submit ACT, CLT, or SAT scores. However, they should meet the requirements for their selected major as listed in FSU's Academic Program Guide. If admitted, they must submit a $200 enrollment deposit, attend a first-year orientation session, and are eligible to apply for on-campus housing. Admitted students without a test score are not eligible to be considered for first-year merit scholarships from the Office of Admissions. Students considered for admission under FL BOG regulation 6.005 will be required to submit a final official college transcript displaying the AA degree before enrolling at FSU. Any FTIC student admitted under this regulation must immediately notify the Office of Admissions if they will not receive their AA degree. All first-year students admitted under this regulation who do not receive the Associate in Arts degree will have their offer of admission revoked.
All transfer applicants must demonstrate college-level proficiency in English and mathematics by having successfully completed (with a grade of C or higher) a minimum of three semester hours of approved college-level English composition AND a minimum of three semester hours of approved college-level mathematics.
Note: Many majors will require that you complete six credit hours in each of these areas. Please refer to the Academic Program Guide for major specific requirements.
All transfer applicants must have satisfied the State of Florida's world language admission requirement by having earned two sequential units in one world language or American Sign Language in high school (e.g. Spanish I and Spanish II) OR having completed through the second elementary/beginning course in one world language in college (or documented equivalent proficiency).
Junior and senior applicants (60+ semester hours of transferable credit as determined by the Office of Admissions) must:
Applicants who have received an Associate in Arts (AA) degree from a Florida public institution immediately prior to transferring receive priority consideration for admission provided the application and all supporting documents are received in the Office of Admissions by the deadline.
Note: Students who graduate from high school and receive an AA degree at the same time must apply for first-year admission. Applicants must adhere to the first-year admission deadlines and may be subject to additional major deadlines/requirements.
Freshman and sophomore applicants (12-59 semester hours of transferable credit as determined by the Office of Admissions) must:
Other factors taken into consideration include the number of hours taken each semester (we prefer 15 each fall and spring semester), the types of college classes taken each term, and the grades earned in those classes.
All transfer applicants must have demonstrated satisfactory academic progress to be eligible for admission. Applicants who will have attempted 90 or more semester hours of college credit (including withdrawals and repeated courses) before enrolling at Florida State University must upload a personal statement to be considered by the Office of Admissions. The statement should include the following information:
Typically, in accordance with Florida law, students will be charged double the tuition rate for each credit hour beyond 132 hours for a normal 120-semester hour degree program. More information on excess credit-hour surcharge can be found at https://registrar.fsu.edu/records/excess-hours-faq.
All transfer applicants must select a major. In addition to meeting the University requirements described above, students must fulfill the admission criteria established for their desired major. The Academic Program Guide provides a detailed program description, an academic map, and a link to your department of interest. The Major Comparison Tool can also help you decide between similar majors.
A specialized admission program utilizes selective admission to limit program enrollment. This status is justified when student demand exceeds available resources (student/faculty ratios, instructional facilities, equipment, or specific accrediting requirements). The criteria for specialized admission includes indicators of talent, performance, creativity, or ability to complete the program's required work. Admission to such programs is governed by the Articulation Agreement and the State Board of Education administrative rules.
For some degree programs, access is limited at the upper-division level to those students meeting certain additional criteria. These additional criteria are applied equally to students that will have earned 52+ credit hours at the time of enrollment in FSU, AA degree transfers from Florida public institutions, and rising juniors at Florida State University. Students should refer to the Academic Program Guide for information regarding the specific deadlines and admission requirements for specialized admission programs.
In 2009, the Florida Legislature implemented a new law (Section 1009.286, FS) to encourage students who enroll in a state university to complete their bachelor’s degree program as efficiently as possible. It established what is commonly referred to as an "Excess Credit Hour Surcharge" by charging an additional student payment to those students who do not complete the bachelor’s degree in a timely fashion. Accelerated coursework (AICE, AP, IB, CLEP, and dual enrollment) taken while in high school are not calculated in this hour count. For more information on the excess credit-hour surcharge, please refer to the Registrar's Office.
