How to Apply to Chemistry at Florida State University: In the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry of the College of Arts and Sciences, with Chemistry (ACS-Certifiable), Biochemistry, Materials Chemistry and Chemical Science Majors, Not a Specialized-Admission Program and an ACT/CLT/SAT Score Required from Every Applicant, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Florida State University (FSU, in Tallahassee) offers chemistry through the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, with in-person instruction only on the main campus in Tallahassee. This guide relies on the university’s program guide, the department pages, and the Admissions and cost pages, covering US domestic, international and Chinese applicants, with transfer students at the end. Medicine, pharmacy, nursing and similar degrees are outside this guide, so please see the university website; biology is not covered here (biochemistry gets a mention in section 1).

1. Degrees and tracks

• Chemistry (BS, BA): the program guide says the department offers baccalaureate degrees in Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry (including American Chemical Society certification) for students heading for the chemical industry or graduate work. The Chemistry track has 61–62 hours of major coursework and the Environmental Chemistry track 70–73. The Chemistry track’s chemistry courses include general chemistry CHM 1045/1045L and 1046/1046L (or 1050/1051), organic chemistry CHM 2210, 2211 and 2211L, analytical chemistry CHM 3120/3120L and 4130/4130L, physical chemistry CHM 4410/4410L and 4411/4411L, and inorganic chemistry CHM 4610/4610L, with 23 hours of collateral courses: PHY 2048C and 2049C (calculus-based physics) and MAC 2311, 2312 and 2313. The Environmental Chemistry track drops inorganic chemistry for geology or biological science courses and two advanced environmental chemistry courses. The BA requires an additional 9 hours of history and humanities beyond General Education.
• ACS certification: the program guide says either track can follow the ACS-certified program (Chemistry track: BCH 4053 General Biochemistry I and one course from an approved list; Environmental Chemistry track: CHM 4610/4610L and BCH 4053); the department’s honors page says certification requires the core chemistry curriculum plus BCH 4053 and any upper-level chemistry or biochemistry elective, and independent research (CHM 4905r or 4906r) with an approved report can count as the upper-level course.
• Other chemistry-related majors: the program guide also lists Biochemistry (BS, BA; 72–73 hours), Materials Chemistry (67 hours, within the chemistry degree) and Chemical Science (BS, BA; 41–42 hours) — which the site describes as a gateway degree into pre-pharmacy, pre-dental, pre-veterinary, oceanography, environmental science and forensic science and says should not be used by someone planning to work as a chemist or do graduate work in chemistry (the Chemistry degree serves that better); it needs an approved minor or is often combined with a second major. A “Chemical Science / FSU Teach” program is also listed by the department, whose content is not available on the pages read. A student in one of the department’s majors cannot double major in another of them.
• Total credits: 120 hours for the major, including 36 hours of General Education; the College of Arts and Sciences requires foreign language through the intermediate level (2220 or equivalent). At least 45 hours must be at the 3000 level or above, 30 of them at FSU, and all 3000/4000-level chemistry and biochemistry courses must be taken at FSU.
• Minor: the chemistry minor needs two semesters of general chemistry plus organic chemistry (CHM 2210 and 2211), analytical chemistry, or the physical chemistry sequence, at least 12 hours, with grades below C- not counting.
• Capstones and placement years: the department pages mention independent research as an elective; a program-level capstone requirement is not published on the pages read.

2. How admission works

• You apply to the university, not the department: the program guide says Chemistry is “Specialized Admission: No”, i.e. not a limited-enrollment major; transfer applicants must select a major, and how first-year applicants choose one is not detailed on the pages read.
• Progression to the upper-division major: the program guide says students must complete at least 52 hours with a GPA of at least 2.0 and at least half of the General Education hours (including English and math), or hold an A.A. degree. Academic performance: the State Common Program Prerequisites (milestone courses) need a C range or better, all courses applicable to the major need C- or better, and a C- in the first course of a two-semester sequence is needed to continue; more than three unsatisfactory grades in required courses (excluding the milestone courses) after enrolling means the student cannot graduate in that major.
• Changing majors and advising: the department FAQ says lower-division students (under 60 hours) first obtain a signed major-change form from an advisor in the desired major, upper-division students obtain a dean’s signature, and athletes, student veterans and international students need approval from their program advisor first.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• Prerequisite courses (program guide): to progress to the upper-division major, the State Common Prerequisites are general chemistry I and II with labs, organic chemistry I and II with labs (at FSU CHM 2210 needs no lab; elsewhere in Florida both lecture and lab are required), general physics A and B with lab (calculus-based) and calculus I and II. The guide says these may also count toward General Education, the major or collateral coursework and points to the Common Prerequisites Manual from the Florida Virtual Campus for the current list.
• High school courses: the department pages state no high school chemistry or physics prerequisites; university-level minimum courses are in section 4 (4 years of math, 3 of natural science and so on).
• AP chemistry: the department’s transfer page says AP 3 earns four semester hours in CHM 1020 and 1020L, 4 earns CHM 1045 and 1045L, and 5 earns CHM 1045, 1045L, 1046 and 1046L, but recommends that all students start the sequence at the beginning (CHM 1045 or 1050) regardless of credit earned. The Admissions AP table agrees: 3 gives CHM 1020/1020L, 4 gives CHM 1045/1045L, 5 gives CHM 1045/1045L plus CHM 1046/1046L.
• IB and A-Level chemistry: the Admissions IB table: 4 earns CHM 1020/1020L, 5 earns CHM 1020/1020L plus CHM 1045/1045L, and 6–7 the same as 5; the Cambridge AICE table: AS-Level earns CHM 1020/1020L and A-Level earns CHM 1020/1020L plus CHM 1045/1045L (grades A–E). Up to 45 semester hours can be awarded for accelerated credit, credit is awarded once per subject, and transfer or dual-enrollment credit takes precedence over exam credit.
• Honors courses: the department offers honors sections of General Chemistry I and II (CHM 1045/L or 1050/L; 1046/L or 1051/L) and Organic Chemistry I and II for students accepted into the FSU Honors Program; “Honors in the Major” is for graduating students who undertake independent, original research, with a thesis director from the department’s tenured or tenure-track faculty.
• Competitions: the pages read do not say how science olympiads are viewed in admissions.

4. Timeline and materials (university level, for chemistry applicants)

• How to apply: first-year applicants use either the Common App or FSU’s own application — FSU has no preference, but Early Decision must use the Common App; international and domestic applicants use the same application. The fee is $30, with waivers for ACT, College Board or NACAC fee waivers or other indicators of economic need.
• Plans and deadlines (Admissions first-year deadlines page; no year is printed — check that it is for 2027 entry): Early Decision (binding, domestic students only, no talent-based majors) — application 15 October, materials 22 October, decision 17 December, deposit 15 January; Early Action (non-binding, Florida residents only) — 15 October / 22 October, decision 17 December, deposit 1 May; Regular Decision (all students) — 1 December application, 8 December materials, decision 18 February, deposit 1 May; Rolling (all students) — 1 March application, 8 March materials, decisions on a rolling basis in April. The site says scholarship funds are limited and priority goes to Early Decision and Early Action applicants.
• Testing: the site says Florida Board of Governors regulations require every first-year applicant (international students included) to submit at least one ACT, CLT or SAT score; FSU superscores sub-scores, does not accept self-reported scores from the Common App (they are self-reported separately in the Admissions Portal), and treats February tests as the last usable date. The ACT Science section has not been required since the 2025–26 cycle, and the ACT composite counts only English, math and reading.
• Transcripts and essay: applicants from US schools complete the self-reported STARS record; an essay (up to 650 words, required, can be uploaded after applying) and a résumé (up to two pages) are submitted, and optional Schoolhouse.world certifications are accepted. The site does not mention recommendation letters.
• How applications are reviewed and reference data: review is holistic, built on “Vires” (strength: grades, rigor, tests, school profile), “Artes” (skill: activities outside the classroom) and “Mores” (character: essay and résumé), with no single criterion guaranteeing admission; the site says meeting the State University System minimum does not guarantee admission. Minimum courses: English 4, math 4, natural science 3, social science 3, world language 2 (sequential). The page prints the middle 50% of admitted students for Fall 2026 as core GPA 4.3–4.6, ACT 31–34 and SAT 1380–1480, and average courses completed by 2025 accepted students as English 4.5, math 6, natural science 5, social science 5 and world language 3.5.
• Honors: students interested in the University Honors Program select that option in the application and complete a separate supplemental application due 1 December.

5. US domestic applicants

• Costs (cost estimates page, 2026–27, Tallahassee main campus, undergraduates at 13 credits per term): for Florida residents, tuition $5,604 per year and fees $50; on-campus housing $8,420, food $5,740, books $1,380, transportation $2,320 and personal $2,504, with a printed on-campus resident total of $26,018; non-resident tuition is $22,232 per year with a printed on-campus total of $43,916. (The figures are estimates used to award aid; this guide does not add the items up.)
• Scholarships (first-year scholarships page): all admitted first-year students are automatically considered for the Admissions merit scholarships with no separate application, and those awarded typically have no grades below B. The page lists the Vires Scholarship (Florida residents, $16,000 over eight semesters), the Mores Scholarship ($12,000), the IB Diploma Scholarship ($8,000), the Sunshine Award ($4,000), National Merit Finalist awards (the Benacquisto Scholarship for Florida residents, covering the in-state cost of attendance), the Presidential Scholars and Stamps Scholars programs for students admitted to the Honors Program, and an out-of-state tuition waiver of about $609 per semester hour (about $18,452 per year) for non-Florida students, renewable with 15 credit hours a semester and a 3.0 GPA. Several amounts are labelled for students admitted from Fall 2024 — check the current amounts. Need-based aid requires the FAFSA.
• Florida residents: Early Action is for Florida residents only; the page also refers Florida residents to the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
• Scholarships specific to chemistry: see section 9.

6. International applicants

• Applying: international first-year applicants use the same application (FSU application or Common App), then complete the International School Form in the Admissions Portal and follow the checklist. Early Decision is for domestic students only and Early Action for Florida residents only, so international applicants use Regular Decision (1 December) or Rolling (1 March). Required items: ACT/CLT/SAT scores (self-reported), English proficiency (if the native language is not English), and the essay and résumé or activity list.
• Records and credential evaluation: applicants who attended a secondary school outside the United States or studied a non-US curriculum submit official academic records (sent directly by the school, exam board or a school official) plus a Secondary School Evaluation from an independent credential evaluation agency (degree equivalency and a US-equivalent GPA; a NACES member is recommended; records not in English need a certified English translation). The evaluation may be waived for applicants with an IB Diploma (1–7 scale), British-pattern examinations such as A Levels and IGCSE, or a school on a US grading scale.
• English requirements (English proficiency page): for applicants whose native language is not English, the minimum scores are TOEFL iBT 80 for tests before 21 January 2026 and 4.0 for tests on or after that date, Academic IELTS 6.5, PTE 55, Michigan Language Assessment 55, Duolingo 125, and Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 180. Scores must be sent by the testing agency and expire after two years. Whether English exemptions exist is not stated on the pages read.
• Proof of funds: after admission, students receive an email to complete an online Certification of Financial Responsibility; FSU must verify funds before issuing the I-20, and applicants must show support for the first year and confirm funds for the length of the program. For amounts, see the non-resident estimate in section 5.
• Scholarships: the international FAQ says all admitted first-year applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships, with no separate application, based on academic performance and test scores; details are in section 5.

7. Chinese applicants

• Gaokao and Chinese high school records: the pages read do not say whether the gaokao is considered or how it would be used, and give no China-specific guidance on the Chinese school system — not published; ask FSU Admissions (admissions@fsu.edu).
• General requirements that apply: because Chinese applicants attend secondary school outside the United States, the site’s rules call for official records and a third-party Secondary School Evaluation (section 6), ACT/CLT/SAT scores, English proficiency, and the essay and résumé, through Regular Decision or Rolling.
• AP/IB/A-Level credit: see section 3; the site gives no separate guidance for Chinese curricula.

8. Transfer students

• Who can apply: students with at least 12 semester hours of transferable college credit earned after high school; students who earn a high school diploma and an A.A. degree together must apply as first-year students.
• Materials and deadlines: all college transcripts (non-US coursework must be evaluated by a foreign credential evaluation agency), an official high school transcript, ACT/CLT/SAT scores (required for freshman and sophomore transfers, recommended for juniors and seniors), AICE/AP/IB/CLEP results and the residency form; those who will have attempted 90 or more semester hours upload a personal statement. University deadlines (no year printed — check that they are for 2027 entry): Spring 1 October, Summer 1 March, Fall 1 June; some programs have earlier deadlines (see the program guide); the fee is $30.
• GPA: the transfer “what we’re looking for” page says junior/senior applicants (60+ hours) should have at least a 3.0 on all attempted college coursework and at the last institution, and freshman/sophomore applicants (12–59 hours) a strong high school profile and test scores plus a 3.0, adding that “very few students with less than a 3.5 academic GPA will be admissible”. The international transfer page instead gives a minimum of 2.0 and says very few students with less than a 3.0 calculated GPA are admitted — the site is not consistent, so confirm with Admissions. Applicants need at least 3 semester hours of college English composition and 3 of college mathematics (C or higher) and the world-language requirement (through the second level in high school or college).
• Program requirements: transfer applicants must meet the requirements of the intended major (prerequisites, deadlines and so on) in the program guide; the page says access to some programs is limited at the upper-division level, with additional criteria applied equally to students entering with 52+ credit hours, A.A. transfers from Florida public institutions and rising juniors.
• Florida A.A. graduates: those who earned an A.A. at a Florida public institution immediately before transferring receive priority consideration (if they meet the major’s requirements).
• International transfers: official or certified copies of all secondary and post-secondary records; non-US coursework needs an evaluation (high school records with a US-equivalent GPA; university records with a course-by-course evaluation and GPA); English requirements as in section 6.
• Transfer conditions for chemistry are in the program description in section 1.

9. Accreditation, scholarships, research and outcomes

• Accreditation: see section 1; the chemistry degree can follow the ACS-certified program.
• Department scholarships: the department site lists “Scholarships” and “Awards” pages, whose content is not published on the pages read — check the department site; university-level scholarships are in section 5.
• Research and activities: the department site lists research facilities (NMR, mass spectrometry, spectroscopy, X-ray and others), the FSU REU summer research program, an ACS Student Chapter and a research opportunities page; how undergraduate research is applied for and credited is not described in detail on the pages read.
• Outcomes: the program guide lists representative baccalaureate-level job titles — chemist (environmental and agricultural), analyst, laboratory assistant or technician, sales representative, crime-lab analyst — and, with further study, physician, veterinarian, biochemist, pharmacologist, teacher, dentist and professor, with employers such as manufacturing and processing firms, pharmaceutical manufacturers, utilities, chemical industries, schools, medical laboratories, hospitals and government agencies. These are examples, not employment statistics; salary information is left to the NACE and Bureau of Labor Statistics pages the guide cites.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Common App or the FSU application; Regular Decision 1 December (check the year); $30 fee; at least one ACT/CLT/SAT score (self-reported); STARS record; essay and résumé
• Scholarships: automatic after admission, funds limited, apply early

International applicants (including China):

• Same application; International School Form; official records plus a Secondary School Evaluation; ACT/CLT/SAT self-reported; English proficiency (new TOEFL iBT 4.0, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 125 and others); essay and résumé; Certification of Financial Responsibility after admission
• How the gaokao is used is not published; ask FSU Admissions

After entry:

• Progression to the upper-division major: 52 hours, 2.0 GPA, half of General Education; 3000/4000-level chemistry courses must be taken at FSU

Transfer students:

• At least 12 transferable credits; Fall 1 June (check the year); GPA 3.0 (domestic-record page) or 2.0 (international transfer page) — the two pages disagree, so confirm with Admissions

Sources: Florida State University, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry; Undergraduate; Degree requirements; Honors and ACS certification; Transfer information and AP; Undergraduate FAQs; Program guide: Chemistry; Program guide: Biochemistry; Program guide: Environmental Chemistry; Program guide: Materials Chemistry; Program guide: Chemical Science; First-year application; First-year deadlines and fees; What we are looking for (first-year); First-year scholarships; Accelerated credit; AP credit table; IB credit table; AICE credit table; International first-year; English proficiency; International FAQ; International transfer; Transfer application; Transfer deadlines; Transfer: what we are looking for; Cost estimates 2026–27. This is for the 2027 entry cycle. The first-year and transfer deadline tables print no year — check that they are for 2027 entry; some scholarship amounts are labelled for students admitted from Fall 2024. Check Florida State University’s website for the latest.