Master’s in GIS

IMPORTANT NOTICE: FSU now requires a course-by-course credential evaluation for Fall 2024 applicants and beyond that have degrees from a non-U.S. institution. International and domestic applicants with degrees earned from international institutions must submit their official transcripts through a NACES approved evaluator for transcripts from a non-U.S. institution. SpanTran has created a custom application for FSU that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate.

See the “Transcript Requirement” section on The Graduate School website, https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions, for detailed information on University transcript requirements.

Spring 2024 – Admissions is now open. Deadline to apply is October 1.
Fall 2024 – Admissions will open August 1. International applicants are encouraged to apply by May 1 to ensure sufficient time for visa processing. We will begin reviewing applications on rolling basis beginning early May. The final Deadline to apply is July 1.  

*International applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications earlier due to the extended time for visa processing

Please check back for information on dates and times for future webinars!

The Masters in GIS is an in-person program and is not currently offered online or in the evenings. Please click here for program requirements. 

We welcome students from all over the world to join are program!  Please check out the International Admissions page to learn more about applying to FSU as an International student.

MS-GIS students are typically self-funded for all or most of the program, and no department funding is guaranteed. However, when departmental resources allow, we try to provide some form of financial support to our students. Please see below for additional information.

Partial in-state tuition waivers may be available to unfunded students when department resources allow. Partial ​in-state tuition waivers are ​normally decided a few weeks prior to the start of each semester​; and are determined by the availability of department resources and the academic performance of the student in the program. Students will be informed by the department if they are receiving a partial in-state tuition waiver. International and out-of-state students will still be responsible for the out-of-state portion of tuition.

Departmental funding support may be provided to a small number of students in the form of a Teaching Assistantship each Fall or Spring semester; funding is per semester and is not automatically extended to future terms. Students will be informed if they have been selected for a funded Teaching Assistantship by the department a few weeks prior to each semester. These positions are determined based on the student’s academic performance in the program (e.g., GPA close to 4.0), educational and teaching credentials (such as holding a Master’s degree from an accredited university; prior TA experience), and the current teaching needs of the department. Students wishing to be considered for funding should highlight any prior teaching experience in their statement of purpose. For funded students, the current stipend is approximately $9,000 for one semester plus a 9 hour tuition waiver.

 *For any type of funding support offered ALL students are responsible for paying their own University Fees. 
Click here for information on Tuition and Fees. Qualified students with a Graduate Assistantship/Appointment will receive up to $250 in scholarship funding per semester. To qualify for the scholarship, graduate assistants must be enrolled full-time, as determined by the Graduate School, in a degree seeking program and must be employed from at least the first day of classes through the last day of finals. Graduate Assistants working 20 hrs.+ (.50 FTE) shall be awarded $250. Graduate Assistants working 10-19 hrs. (0.25 FTE – 0.49 FTE), shall be awarded $125 per semester.

Additional funding and awards offered by the University can be found here: Funding & Awards

Unofficial Transcripts:

Unofficial Transcripts are required for your application to be reviewed. Please submit ALL unofficial transcripts from each College and/or University attended. Unofficial Transcripts must be translated to English for review. *Applications will show as incomplete until official transcripts have been submitted. Applications with incomplete status due to missing official transcripts will still be reviewed. 

Official Transcripts:

• Official Transcripts are required for Admitted students and must be submitted prior to beginning classes. See the “Transcript Requirement” section on The Graduate School website, https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions, for detailed information on University transcript requirements.

International Transcript Requirements: 

FSU now requires a course-by-course credential evaluation for Fall 2024 applicants and beyond that have degrees from a non-U.S. institution. International and domestic applicants with degrees earned from international institutions must submit their official transcripts through a NACES approved evaluator for transcripts from a non-U.S. institution. SpanTran has created a custom application for FSU that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/international-admissions

• All transcripts/academic records that are not in English must be accompanied by certified English translations. 
• To be considered “certified,” documents should be true copies that are signed and dated by an educational official familiar with academic records. Any translated record should be literal and not an interpretive translation. Documents signed by a notary or other public official with no educational affiliation will not be accepted. 
• If the transcript/academic record does not indicate the degree earned and date the degree was awarded, separate proof of degree is required.

FSU has waived the GRE requirement through Fall 2026 due to the COVID pandemic.
It is recommended to have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher and GRE scores of at least 144 (Quant) and 153 (Verbal). However, Applications with lower GPA and GRE scores may also be accepted to the program.

Please describe the following in 1-1.5 pages, single spaced:

1. What is your motivation for applying to this program? How does this program of study advance your career interests? What is your previous experience working with GIS, remote sensing, statistics, and computer programming?
2. If relevant, feel free to discuss obstacles or hardships that you had to overcome in order to succeed, and how you surmounted these obstacles.

Three letters of recommendation. The letters should be from faculty and/or employers familiar with your academic, research, or professional experience.  This may include but is not limited to education, work, volunteer, and/or internship experiences.

Official English Language Proficiency results are required of all international applicants whose native language is not English. Minimum scores required for admission and additional information can be found here. Applications are unable to be reviewed and will be cancelled if the minimum requirements are not met.

• Exemptions: This requirement can be waived for students who have completed a Bachelors or Master’s Degree from a U.S. Institution or other Institution where English is the required language of Instruction. Exempt students who receive a teaching assistantship will still be required to take the Speak Exam, unless the citizenship is to a Native English Speaking country. 
• SPEAK EXAM: The Geography Department requires ALL International students receiving appointments as Teaching Assistants to pass the SPEAK Exam. The Speak Exam evaluates the English-speaking ability of non-native speakers of English and is administered free of charge (First time) at Florida State University. 

Employers of graduates include many private software companies, as well as state and federal institutions (Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation, Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Water Management Districts, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Census Bureau and US Geological Survey). Check out current jobs at GIS Jobs Clearinghouse, GIS Jobs, My GIS Jobs and Geography Jobs. Learn about data science jobs at DiscoverDataScience.