About FSU...
In many ways major universities have more similarities than differences. Yet Florida State University has a uniqueness in providing programs that are consistent in excellence across the board, from fine arts and humanities to the hard sciences. We can proudly state that this balance of programs is based on our long tradition as a leading liberal arts institution combined with our position as one of the top ten universities in generating research-based revenues.
From biology, psychology, physics, and math to music, theater, and dance, the environment is rich with the highest levels of educational creativity and opportunity.
FSU Quick-Facts
FSU has nine faculty members in the National Academy of Science.
FSU’s faculty has included five dynamic Nobel Laureates.
FSU was ranked seventh in the nation in 1995 in licensing income and royalties from patents.
The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory is one of only five magnetic labs in the world, and the only one in the United States.
The FSU School of Theater graduate program has been ranked in the top 12 graduate theater/drama programs four years in a row.
Florida State University's graduate conservatory for theater and film is one of only seven professional conservatories of its kind in the nation.
FSU is 1 of 88 Research Level I Institutions, as rated by the Carnegie Foundation.
The FSU School of Music, one of the nation's oldest and largest, is ranked fifth among public institutions in the U.S. (12th overall)
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About Psychology @ FSU...
The last century the major universities in the Western world embraced a strong research orientation, and in psychology this has led to great progress in understanding the determinants of behavior. At Florida State University, psychology has always had a strong research focus. Psychology courses were offered at this institution as early as 1902 when it was named the Florida State College. The college catalogue for 1902-03 boasted that FSU established the first psychological laboratory in the state of Florida, and the description of the laboratory indicates that it was very well equipped. From that time through the present, the curriculum has provided our students with high-quality laboratory experiences in conjunction with many of the basic courses in psychology. A strong graduate program has been in existence for about five decades,
and it includes the same scientific orientation. With this kind of background, our students approach questions about complex human behavior in an objective and productive way.
The present-day Department of Psychology at Florida State University is organized into four doctoral programs which reflect the mainstream emphases in the field. The doctoral programs are in Psychobiology/Neuroscience (the study of the biological bases of behavior), Cognitive Psychology (the study of how humans process complex information received by the senses), Social Psychology (human social behavior) and Clinical Psychology (the study of determinants of pathological behavior in children and adults with emphasis on biological, cognitive and environmental factors). In addition, there is a separate degree program in
Neuroscience that is jointly offered by the Departments of Psychology, Biological Science, and Nutrition, Food & Exercise Sciences. The department also offers doctoral and master's degrees in Psychology with a Specialty in Applied Behavior Analysis (how behavior is influenced by environmental conditions). The master's program is offered at the Panama City Campus.
DOCTORAL PROGRAMS
The primary goal of doctoral study in Psychology at Florida State University is to produce scholar-researchers with sufficient breadth and depth to permit successful independent and significant research. While major emphasis is given to the preparation for research, an organized and concerted effort is also made to give students the necessary background for teaching, practice or any combination of these fields. In these endeavors only students whose intentions are to achieve the doctoral degree during full-time study are accepted to the graduate programs. Students may receive the master's degree at an appropriate stage in their education, but this is regarded as incidental to the Ph.D. program to which they are admitted.
Research training in all doctoral programs begins in the first year with a research apprenticeship in a supervising professor's laboratory or research setting. Each student works closely with a faculty member who is conducting research in an area of interest to the student. This collaborative work typically evolves into a master's thesis during the second year for students who seek this degree. Research training continues throughout the student's graduate education, culminating in a doctoral dissertation. The continued opportunity to associate with, and participate in, research is regarded as an activity of central professional and educational importance.
The general requirements of the department and of the Graduate School are kept to a minimum in order to encourage students to be educated in accordance with their own interests and career goals. The basic requirements are: (1) a research apprenticeship, (2) a preliminary doctoral examination, (3) a dissertation research project, and (4) an internship for clinical students. Program areas and students' supervisory committees may establish additional requirements, including specific courses and a master's degree. Students work closely with their supervisory committees to develop an optimum combination of course work, research experience and, when applicable, applied experience to meet their professional goals.
To enhance the intellectual atmosphere, the department sponsors a colloquium series. Each program also holds regular meetings and seminars on research and professional issues relevant to their areas.
MASTER'S PROGRAM
The primary purpose of the Master's in Psychology with a specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis at FSU-PC is to prepare students to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts (www.BACB.com ). As such the focus of the program is on course work and applied experiences. Students will complete 30 hours of BACB approved course work and 9 hours of practicum. Although, practicum are typically performed in the last year, students are encouraged and often required through class assignments to begin applying the information learned in class to real-life situations. Throughout the program, students' behavioral skills are shaped through in-class interactions with their peers and instructors, through faculty supervision of applied experiences, and by working closely with experienced behavior analysts in the area. Upon graduation students will be well prepared to take the BACB certification exam and begin a career as a behavior analyst.
FACULTY
The department's faculty and support staff operate research programs that have won national and international recognition and attract high levels of research grant support from federal and state agencies. The National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Justice, several institutes in the National Institutes of Health, and State agencies concerned with mental health consistently fund the research of our faculty. Total funding on an annual basis currently approximates $5,000,000. A substantial number of our faculty members serve as editors or members of editorial boards of major scientific and professional journals, officers of professional societies, or grant reviewers for federal funding agencies. Several of our faculty have been recognized for their research with developing scholar awards, endowed chairs, named professorships and the American Psychological Association's prestigious Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology. Many faculty have received university teaching awards for their outstanding undergraduate and graduate teaching.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
The department attracts a bright, motivated and diverse student body. Across the three doctoral programs, a total of 15 to 25 graduate students are admitted each year out of approximately 300 applicants. Currently the department has 95 graduate students. Recent classes have been strongly committed to research and scholarship and have had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.7 and an average combined score of 1200 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE. Over the past five years, the entering class averaged 16% from underrepresented groups, 33% were male, and 3% were international students. Twenty- seven percent of these students were from Florida, with the remaining 73% coming from every corner of the USA including California, Washington, Wisconsin, Texas, and Massachusetts. The entering class' average age was 24, ranging from 20 to 42.
RESEARCH SUPPORT FACILITIES
The Department of Psychology has extensive research and computing facilities available to faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students:
Computing Resources
Electronics Shop
Instrument Shop
Histology Laboratory
Molecular Laboratory
Technical Support Group
For more information about the Cognitive Psychology Program visit http://www.psy.fsu.edu/cbs/cognitive.htm
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About Tallahassee...
Tallahassee, Florida’s capital city, is in a region referred to as "The Other Florida." The city’s rolling hills are often a surprise to visitors who may expect all of Florida to be flat. Spanish moss covered live oaks create scenic canopy roads along several of the major roads.
A city of nearly 250,000 people, Tallahassee is home to over 50,000 students who attend either FSU, Florida A & M University or Tallahassee Community College. Tallahassee's designation as an "All-American City" is evidence of the balance between its small-town charm and its place as one of America's 10 most-educated cities. Working professionals, state employees, educators and students make Tallahassee a progressive and active community.
Tallahassee offers many big city attractions. You will find everything from jazz, classical, and country-western musicians to alternative rock artists in concert at the Civic Center, FSU’s Opperman Hall and clubs around Tallahassee. Restaurants offer you choices ranging from Key West cuisine to Thai delicacies, and the southern barbecue isn’t bad either. Gulf coast beaches are just a short drive away but you can always take a swim at one of Florida State University’s three swimming pools or at the FSU Reservation - a lakeside recreation complex. The Rez is often the site of picnics, water-ski competitions, and musical events.
FSU's location just a few blocks from the Capitol Building, the Florida Supreme Court, and downtown ensures that FSU students have numerous opportunities to experience life outside of the university or to get an internship in a state agency or office. The FSU campus is a walking campus, so it is easy to get from one place to the next. You’ll enjoy strolling from your dorm to classes, the library, campus shops, or to an exercise or massage session at the Bobby Leach Student Recreation Center. Along the way, you’ll probably stop to talk to friends, faculty, and staff that you meet. This is all part of the southern charm that is found throughout Tallahassee.
Tallahassee is home to varied activities throughout the year. You may want to watch the 'Noles play football, attend a downtown Shakespeare festival, visit the Tallahassee Museum or the Odyssey Science Museum, read and hear poems at a local club, or simply go to one of the two malls and do some shopping. Soon you will be able to see a movie in our IMAX theatre or to visit NASA's upcoming Challenger Center.
On campus or just "around town" the beauty of Tallahassee and the welcoming spirit of Florida State University should enrich your educational experience.
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