How to Apply to Public Health (BSPH) at Florida State University: A Non-Limited-Access Major in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, Entered After 52 Credit Hours and a 2.00 GPA, With a Required Minor or Second Major, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Florida State University (FSU) is in Tallahassee, Florida. The undergraduate public health degree (Bachelor of Science in Public Health, BSPH) is offered by the Department of Public Health in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy (COSSPP). The program guide lists the degree as BS in Public Health with “Specialized Admission: No” and “Prerequisite Coursework: None.” The department’s BSPH overview says it is a CEPH-accredited program. Below, the content for fall 2027 entry is split into U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China. Where the website says nothing, we say so and point to where to ask.

1. Degree and program

• Degree and campuses: BS in Public Health, COSSPP. The program guide says in-person instruction is available at both the Tallahassee main campus and the Panama City campus, and the program is not available online. Program director: Dr. Ladanya Ramirez Surmeier (LRamirez2@fsu.edu). The cost page we read covers the Tallahassee main campus figures.
• Content: training in the five fundamental areas of public health: epidemiology, environmental health sciences, health policy and management, social and behavioral sciences, and biostatistics. The program guide says the core is complemented by 12 credit hours of public health electives from at least two departments, preparing students for entry-level jobs in non-profits, government agencies, health corporations and health care facilities.
• Concentrations: none are listed on the pages we read; electives must come from at least two departments, and a minor or second major is required.
• Minor: the major requires a minor or a second major (stated on both the academic map and the department’s requirements page); minor courses may not overlap with major courses or count as public health electives.
• Honors in the Major (HITM): a junior/senior independent research thesis. Requirements: a current FSU student already accepted into the major, at least a 3.20 for both FSU and cumulative GPA, at least 60 college credits and 12 graded FSU hours by the end of the application semester, at least two semesters left before graduation, a Public Health faculty chair, and approval from the Public Health Honors Liaison and the department director. Completion earns “With Honors” on the transcript. The page’s deadline text reads “Application to start HITM in Spring 2027 Deadline is November 20, 2027”; the year looks inconsistent with the term, so confirm with the department.
• BS-MPH Combined Pathway: open to any undergraduate major. Criteria: a 3.0 FSU GPA (3.5 or higher preferred); 90 completed credit hours (60 for Honors students); at least two semesters and 24 credit hours completed at FSU. Deadlines: spring November 1, fall July 1. Up to 12 graduate credits count toward both degrees; any grade lower than B cannot transfer for MPH credit. Admission to the pathway does not admit the student to the MPH, who must still apply by the deadlines. The page does not say whether international students are eligible; the website does not say.
• STEM status: not on the pages we read; the website does not say.
• Internship/practicum: the department offers the BSPH Internship course PHC 4944 (3 credits), taken together with an approved internship that the student secures personally. Requirements: a Public Health major, PHC 4101 with a C or higher, and a 3.00 FSU major and cumulative GPA; the intern works at least 120 hours in the semester; offered in fall, spring and summer C. The course counts as a public health elective and meets FSU CORE’s “Formative Experiences” requirement. The website says the course meets an elective requirement, and the pages we read do not list it as required; internships that are mostly clinical (such as taking vitals) are not approved. Enrollment goes through a third-party portal (SM Apply), which we did not visit.

2. How you get into the major and its requirements

• Not limited access: the program guide says Specialized Admission: No. FSU’s first-year and international first-year pages do not describe seats for direct admission to public health, and whether a first-year applicant can list public health as an intended major on the application is not stated on the pages we read; ask FSU Admissions (admissions@fsu.edu).
• Requirements to progress to the upper-division major (program guide): at least 52 credit hours with a minimum FSU GPA of 2.00 and most General Education requirements met, including freshman English composition and mathematics, or an A.A. degree.
• Milestones (academic map, effective summer 2026): the map is a term-by-term four-year sample. Term 1: ENC1101 (C-minus or higher) and a 2.00 GPA; term 2: ENC2135 and the first General Education math course (C-minus or higher, MAC 1105 recommended); term 3: the second math or statistics course (C-minus or higher; a 2000-level or higher statistics course is strongly recommended); term 4: General Education complete, with oral communication (SPC1017 or SPC2608) and a digital literacy course (CGS2060 or CGS2100) recommended. Missed milestones first bring a “Degree Map Off-track” registration stop; two consecutive semesters (excluding summers) of missed milestones bring a “Major Change Required” stop.
• Seats and internal transfer into the major: no seat count and no separate GPA cut-off for internal entry are given; internal entry follows the progression criteria and milestones above. For procedures, the website does not say; the mapping office email is COSSPP-Admissions-Mapping@fsu.edu.

3. Prerequisites and curriculum

• Prerequisites: the program guide says “None,” but strongly recommends STA 2122 Applied Statistics or an equivalent (the department says to pass STA 2122 before PHC 4069). Any extra high school math or biology requirement is not stated on the pages we read, and we did not read FSU’s university-level high school course requirements; check admissions.fsu.edu.
• Major: 34 credit hours, a C or better in every course, at least 21 at the 3000/4000 level. The program guide says the core is 21 hours; the department’s requirements page says 22 core hours including the 1-credit capstone PHC 4913 (required for students who declare, add or change majors into Public Health from fall 2026; graded S/U and an S is needed). Both come to 34 with the 12 elective credits.
• Core courses: PHC 4101 Introduction to Public Health (the website notes the number is anticipated to change to PHC 3101), PHC 4470 Health Behavior and Health Promotion, PHC 4030 Introduction to Epidemiology, PHC 4320 Environmental Health Science (formerly PHC 4047; credit for only one), PHC 4069 Biostatistics, PHC 4157 Health Policy and Society.
• Methods core (choose one): PHC 4721 Qualitative Methods in Public Health, GIS 4421 GIS and Health, GIS 4330 Florida GIS Applications, or GIS 4043 with its lab (4 credits).
• 12 elective credits: from an approved list, drawn from at least two separate departments; core courses cannot count as electives and neither can courses used for the minor; PHC courses count toward elective hours but not toward the two-department rule. The list includes courses in economics (health economics), geography (medical geography), sociology (medical sociology, population and society), public administration, urban planning, psychology, nutrition and others. A course taken elsewhere with no FSU equivalent can be evaluated by the program director on submission of a syllabus.
• Other requirements: digital literacy 3 hours (CGS 2060/2100, GIS 4043, STA 3024 or another approved course); oral communication 0–3 hours; General Education 36; minor 12–18 hours; 120 hours in total. Also: at least 45 hours at the 3000 level or above, 30 of them at FSU; half of the major hours in residence; the final 30 hours in residence.
• AP/IB credit: FSU says up to 45 semester hours of credit can be awarded through AICE, AP, IB or CLEP examinations (scores and equivalent courses are on the admissions “accelerated credit” page, reviewed annually and subject to change). How this credit maps onto public health major courses is not stated.

4. Rounds, fees and materials (first-year, university level)

• First-year dates (the page prints no year; check that they are for fall 2027): Early Decision (binding, domestic students only, international applicants are not eligible) application October 15, materials October 22; Early Action (Florida residents only) October 15 and October 22; Regular Decision application December 1, materials December 8, decisions February 18; Rolling application March 1, materials March 8, decisions on a rolling basis in April; deposit due May 1 (January 15 for Early Decision). FSU says merit scholarship funds are limited and Early Decision and Early Action applicants get priority.
• Application and fee: the Common App or FSU’s own application (Early Decision must use the Common App); the first-year application fee is $30, waived for those with an ACT, College Board or NACAC fee waiver.
• Testing: under Florida rules, first-year applicants must submit at least one ACT, CLT or SAT score; FSU does not accept self-reported scores from the Common App, which must be self-reported in the Admissions Portal; February scores are the last that can be used; the ACT Science section is no longer required (from the 2025–26 cycle).
• Essay and recommendations: an essay and a resume/list of activities are required; letters of recommendation are not required and are not used in decisions.
• Honors: answer Yes to the University Honors Program interest question to get the Honors supplement, due December 1.

5. U.S. applicants

• Preference for in-state applicants: Early Action is for Florida residents only; whether public health gives in-state applicants a preference is not stated.
• 2026–27 estimates (13 credits a term, two terms): tuition $5,604 in-state and $22,232 out-of-state; fees $50; on-campus housing $8,420; food $5,740; books and supplies $1,380; transportation $2,320 in-state and $3,590 out-of-state; personal $2,504. Totals living on campus: $26,018 in-state and $43,916 out-of-state; living off campus: $26,438 in-state and $44,336 out-of-state. These are Tallahassee undergraduate estimates for all majors; any public health program fee is not on the pages we read.
• The program guide and academic map do not list program fees or textbook costs; we did not read the Panama City campus cost table.

6. International applicants

• Application: there is no separate international application; international students use the same FSU application or Common App, then complete the International School Form, self-report all test scores and upload an essay and resume in the Admissions Portal. International applicants cannot apply Early Decision.
• Transcripts: applicants who attended a secondary school outside the U.S. have official records sent directly by the school or exam board and submit a Secondary School Evaluation (degree equivalency and U.S.-equivalent GPA, a NACES member recommended); records not in English need a certified translation. The IB Diploma (1–7 scale), among others, can waive the evaluation.
• Testing: an ACT, CLT or SAT score is required for first-year applicants.
• English: required if the native language is not English (self-report first, official scores after admission, valid for two years). Minimums: TOEFL iBT 80 (tests taken before January 21, 2026) or 4.0 (tests taken on or after January 21, 2026); Academic IELTS 6.5; PTE 55; Michigan Language Assessment 55; Duolingo 125; Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 180. Whether public health requires a higher score is not stated.
• Proof of funds: after admission students receive an email to complete the online Certification of Financial Responsibility; FSU must verify resources before issuing the I-20, with proof for the first year and confirmation that funds will be available for the length of the program. The dollar amount is not on the pages we read.
• Scholarships for international students: all admitted first-year applicants are automatically considered for admissions scholarships; non-Florida students can receive the out-of-state tuition waiver (section 8). The pages list no international-specific scholarship.
• Seats for international students in public health, internship or work restrictions: not stated on the pages we read; ask FSU international admissions or the department.

7. Applicants from China

• Is the gaokao considered: not stated on the FSU pages we read; the international first-year page asks for an ACT, CLT or SAT score. Ask FSU Admissions (admissions@fsu.edu).
• Transcripts and the school-leaving exam: the website says only that applicants from non-U.S. schools need official records, a secondary school evaluation (NACES recommended) and certified English translations; how academic proficiency (huikao) results are submitted is not stated.
• Special notes for Chinese applicants: none on the pages we read.
• The rest (International School Form, tests, English scores, CFR) is the same as in section 6.

8. Costs and scholarships

• Costs are in section 5.
• Admissions scholarships for first-years (automatic, no separate application): FSU says recipients have typically earned no grades below B, and funds are limited. They include the National Merit awards (Benacquisto for Florida residents and an out-of-state package), Presidential Scholars (Honors application, invitation only), Stamps Scholars, Vires (Florida residents, $16,000 over eight semesters), Mores ($12,000), the IB Diploma Scholarship ($8,000) and the Sunshine Award ($4,000).
• Out-of-state tuition waiver: given to a limited number of admitted non-Florida first-year students, considered automatically on academic performance and test scores. Value about $609 per semester hour (about $18,452 for 30 hours in an academic year, about $73,808 over four years). Renewal: 15 credit hours each semester, a cumulative FSU GPA of 3.0 or higher and steady progress. It applies to tuition only, not other fees or study-abroad programs.
• Scholarships specific to the Public Health department are not on the pages we read.

9. Transfer

• Transferring into public health: the transfer page says applicants need 12 or more transferable credits earned after high school. The program guide says transfer students must meet the “mapping” guidelines to be accepted into the major, and the progression criteria above apply (52 hours, FSU GPA 2.00, General Education with English composition and math, or an A.A.). Half of the major hours and the final 30 hours must be completed in residence at FSU. A course elsewhere without an FSU equivalent can be evaluated by the program director with a syllabus.
• FSU transfer basics: 12 or more credits; a GPA of at least 2.0 on all attempted college courses (FSU says very few applicants under 3.0 are admitted); 3 hours of college English composition and 3 of college math with a C or higher (many majors need 6 each); the Florida world-language requirement (any language through the second level); priority for applicants who just earned an A.A. from a Florida public institution; applicants with 12–59 credits also need a strong high school record and ACT/SAT scores; a personal statement if 90 or more hours have been attempted.
• Deadlines (the page prints no year; check): spring October 1, summer March 1, fall June 1; the transfer application fee is $30. The international transfer page says some programs have earlier deadlines; the program guide shows none for public health, so the website does not say.
• International transfer: courses from non-U.S. institutions need a course-by-course evaluation (credit recommendations and a university GPA) from an evaluation agency, a NACES member preferred; certified English translations; English proficiency scores as in section 6; ACT/SAT for freshman and sophomore transfers, recommended for juniors and seniors. Whether an international transfer student can enter public health is not stated.

10. Pre-professional and graduate study

The department’s BSPH overview says the degree prepares students for entry-level public health positions and for graduate degrees in the field; the BS-MPH pathway is described in section 1. We did not read pre-professional advising or MPH admission in more detail. BSPH course advising is booked through the COSSPP academic advising office (cosspp-advising@fsu.edu).

11. Not found on the pages we read

• Whether new students can list public health as an intended major, and how internal entry is handled in practice;
• Extra high school course requirements (university-level and for public health);
• Seats for international students, internship or work restrictions;
• How the gaokao and school-leaving exam results are used, and any China-specific note;
• Public health program fees and the Panama City campus costs;
• STEM status; whether the combined pathway is open to international students;
• The university first-year and transfer deadline pages print no year, so check that the dates are for fall 2027 entry.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Pick a plan between October 15 and March 1 (Florida residents can consider Early Action) and submit at least one ACT, CLT or SAT score;
• After enrolling, finish General Education (English composition, math, and STA 2122 recommended) toward 52 credit hours and a 2.00 GPA;
• Plan the minor early and choose electives from two departments.

International applicants (including China):

• Complete the International School Form, secondary school evaluation and certified translations, and self-report ACT/CLT/SAT and English scores;
• International applicants cannot apply Early Decision; FSU says scholarship funds are limited and encourages applying early;
• After admission complete the CFR to get the I-20.

Transfer students:

• 12 or more credits means a transfer application; fall is June 1 (check the year);
• Meet the mapping criteria; at least half of the major hours must be taken at FSU.

Sources: Florida State University, Program guide: Public Health; Academic map: Public Health; Public Health department: BSPH overview; BSPH degree requirements; BSPH internship; Honors in the Major; BS-MPH combined pathway; BSPH advising; First-year apply; Deadlines and fees; Accelerated credit; First-year scholarships; International first-year; English proficiency; International FAQ; International transfer; Transfer apply; Transfer deadlines; 2026-27 cost estimates. The university first-year and transfer deadline pages print no year; check that the dates are for fall 2027 entry. Please rely on the latest information on Florida State’s website.