Colleges Florida State University

Florida State University www.fsu.edu

Florida State University is a public institution that was founded in 1851. It’s set on a sprawling 488-acre campus in the city of Tallahassee. Being a major university campus, the Florida State campus is also home to Heritage Grove located a short walk up the St. Mark’s Trail. Florida State is recognized for its outstanding academic environment, championship athletics, prime location in the heart of the state capital, and a service-learning mission that is a model for the nation. The University also has international centers in Florence, London, Panama City, and Valencia, and offers students other study abroad programs. Florida State is home to Florida’s only national laboratory, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, and is the birthplace of the anti-cancer drug Taxol. The University also operates the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art and the State Art Museum of Florida, one of the nation’s largest museum-university complexes.

Academics

Florida State University comprises 17 separate colleges and more than 110 centers, facilities, labs, and institutes that offer more than 283 degree programs: bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, specialist, professional. FSU’s wide variety of graduate schools includes College of Business, College of Law, and College of Medicine, as well as a joint College of Engineering with Florida A&M University. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and is classified as R1 Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activities. The student-faculty ratio at Florida State University is 17:1, and the school has 66% of its classes with fewer than 20 students. Popular majors include Psychology, Finance, and Criminal Justice.

Special Highlights

Activities & Entertainment. Florida State University has more than 750 Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) for students to join. They range from cultural and athletic to philanthropic, and are funded through the Student Government Association, which puts on many events throughout the year. Students may also create their own RSO. The Askew Student Life Center is home to the Student Life Cinema, a large movie theater run primarily by the student body. Films played are free to students and generally fall into one of four categories: midnights, classics, new releases, and co-sponsorships. Florida State’s Reservation is a 73-acre lakeside recreational area located off campus. The University is one of two collegiate schools in the country that has a circus, known as the FSU Flying High Circus.

National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) or “Mag Lab” at Florida State develops and operates high magnetic field facilities that scientists use for research in physics, biology, bioengineering, chemistry, geochemistry, biochemistry, materials science, and engineering. It is the only facility of its kind in the United States and one of only nine in the world. Numerous world records have been set at the Mag Lab to date. This facility is the world’s largest and highest powered laboratory and produces the highest continuous magnetic fields.

School Mission & Unique Qualities

One of the nation’s elite research universities, Florida State University preserves, expands, and disseminates knowledge in the sciences, technology, arts, humanities, and professions, while embracing a philosophy of learning strongly rooted in the traditions of the liberal arts and critical thinking. About 25 percent of FSU undergraduate students conduct out-of-class research with research mentors, with hundreds of FSU undergraduates co-authoring research publications and presentations with faculty members and graduate students every year. The university’s signature undergraduate research program, the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), helps students from any major participate in undergraduate research by serving as research assistants to faculty members and others across campus.

Student Reviews…

“FSU has a beautiful campus and outstanding athletics. The student body is very diverse and is known as one of the friendliest campuses in the country. The academics are very challenging, but help is available. The sciences need more course offerings and professors. Dorms are typical dorms. There are plenty of activities and clubs to join. Overall, I feel I made the right choice.”