How to Apply to Psychology at Florida State University: International Students Apply Regular or Rolling and Must Submit SAT, ACT or CLT, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At Florida State University (FSU), psychology is in the College of Arts and Sciences, with a BA or BS in Psychology; the department also offers a behavioral neuroscience major. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on FSU’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. Getting into the psychology major

• No separate application: the program guide lists psychology as “Specialized Admission: No”.
• Admission to the upper-division major (each course C- or better):
  • a statistics course (STA 2122 preferred);
  • General Psychology (PSY 2012);
  • a biology course (human or animal biology recommended);
  • three more credit hours of psychology beyond PSY 2012;
  • at least 52 credits or an A.A. degree.
• Major: 36 hours (excluding General Psychology, biology and statistics), including Research Methods with Lab (PSY 3213C), Introduction to Neuroscience, courses in three of four areas (social, cognitive, developmental, clinical), a lecture/lab combination, a careers course and electives. Grades below C- do not count, and students with more than four grades below C- in psychology at FSU cannot graduate in the major.
• Other: Arts and Sciences requires foreign language proficiency through the intermediate level; strong students can complete an honors thesis through the Honors in the Major program.

2. How and when to apply

• Application: the Common App or FSU’s own application; the fee is $30 (plus a $5 Common App processing fee). Recommendations are not required or considered.
• Plans open to international applicants: Early Decision is for US domestic students only and Early Action for Florida residents only, so international applicants use:
  • Regular Decision: apply by 1 December, materials by 8 December, extra test scores by 1 January, decisions on 18 February;
  • Rolling: apply by 1 March, materials by 8 March, decisions on a rolling basis from April.
• Scholarships: admitted first-year students are automatically considered for merit scholarships based on academic performance and test scores. FSU notes that funds are limited and priority goes to ED and EA applicants.

3. Testing

• Required: under Florida Board of Governors rules, every first-year applicant, including international students, must submit at least one SAT, ACT or CLT score.
• Reporting: self-report scores in FSU’s admissions portal (Common App self-reports are not accepted); FSU superscores. February is the last test date that can be used.
• Admitted profile: the middle 50% of admitted students for fall 2026 had a core GPA of 4.3–4.6, ACT 31–34 and SAT 1380–1480.

4. International materials and English

• International School Form: completed in the portal after you apply, so FSU can tell you what other documents it needs.
• Records and evaluation: students at schools outside the US that do not follow a US-patterned curriculum send official records (with certified English translations) directly from the school, plus a secondary school evaluation with a US-equivalent GPA, ideally from a NACES member. The evaluation can be waived for IB, British-patterned exam curricula such as A-Levels, and schools abroad using a US grading scale. FSU says nothing specific about Chinese or BC curricula; follow the requirements in your portal after submitting the form.
• English minimums (official scores required from non-native speakers, valid for two years):
  • TOEFL 80 for tests before 21 January 2026, or 4.0 on the new scale after;
  • IELTS Academic 6.5;
  • PTE 55, Michigan Language Assessment 55, Duolingo 125, Cambridge C1/C2 180.
• Gaokao: FSU publishes no Gaokao policy.

5. Costs

• 2026-27 estimates for out-of-state undergraduates on the Tallahassee campus (US$, 13 credits per term): tuition 22,232, fees 50, on-campus housing 8,420, food 5,740, books 1,380, transportation 3,590 and personal 2,504, a total of 43,916 on campus. 2027-28 figures are not yet published.
• Need-based aid for international students: FSU does not say whether international students can receive need-based aid; ask the Office of Financial Aid.

6. Transfer students

• Deadlines: fall 1 June, spring 1 October, summer 1 March; some programs set earlier deadlines.
• Basic requirements: at least 12 transferable semester hours after high school; at least 3 hours each of college English composition and math with a C or better; a world language through the second level in high school or college.
• Two groups:
  • 12–59 hours: a strong high school record and ACT or SAT scores, with at least a 2.0 college GPA; FSU says very few applicants below 3.0 are admitted;
  • 60+ hours: at least a 2.0 college GPA, again with very few admitted below 3.0; juniors and seniors are encouraged to send test scores too.
• International transfer materials: a course-by-course evaluation of university work from outside the US, with credit recommendations and a GPA; English scores for non-native speakers; and a personal statement if you will have attempted 90+ hours. For psychology transfer and course mapping questions, contact Arts and Sciences Admissions at as-admissions@fsu.edu.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply by 1 December (Regular) or 1 March (Rolling); ED and EA are not open to international students
• Submit SAT, ACT or CLT, self-reported in the FSU portal
• TOEFL 4.0 (80 on the old scale), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 125 or above
• Official transcripts with certified translations, and a secondary school evaluation with a GPA if required

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Foreign nationals likewise apply Regular or Rolling and must submit test scores
• Complete the International School Form and send the transcripts and evaluation your portal requests

Transfer students:

• Fall deadline 1 June; at least 12 transferable credits, ideally a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Take statistics, general psychology and biology early to prepare for the upper-division major

Sources: Florida State University, First-year application and deadlines; What we’re looking for; International first-year applicants; English language proficiency; International FAQ; International transfer; Transfer application; Psychology program guide; Psychology undergraduate programs; Cost estimates 2026-27. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check FSU for the latest details.