Florida State University - Academics

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

The consensus among the Florida State University student body is that the faculty is both easy to get along with and dedicated to its profession. Most instructors are readily available to meet with students outside of class and offer assistance when necessary. No professor wants to see a student fail, but don’t expect them to cater to you. Take the initiative, and they’ll respect you for it. A lot of the professors make themselves available to the students, either by providing contact information (such as phone numbers and e-mail addresses) or by holding office hours, in which the students can talk to their professors one-on-one. Most students admit that the prolific number of teaching assistants can be problematic in the lower-level classes. However, word of mouth is an excellent way to find out in advance which professors to take and which to avoid. That’s what upperclassmen are there for!

Academics are important at Florida State University, especially among the tenured professors. Don’t expect to coast through the higher-level undergraduate classes. It’s college; you’re here for the academics, so expect to work hard. The teaching assistants and associate professors are more likely to cut you some slack, but even that isn’t a guarantee. The school has received recognition for a broad range of research projects, and they have just created a new College of Medicine.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

In my four years, I would say that... In my four years, I would say that 90 percent of my teachers were great! I made a lot of great friendships and relied on many for recommendations. You would think that for a big school, it is hard to get special attention, but all of the teachers are very good about making themselves available to you and offering help. If you make and effort to know them, then they will be more than happy to get to know you. If you do go, please make the effort, it helps a lot to get to know them personally. Overall, they were great! 12345 Academics Report

yamigarutako says: Florida State University 2014 Physical Sciences

All of my professors have been... All of my professors have been amazing so far. Of course there are some classes that are going to be inherently more easy for you, and there are hard classes where you will work your butt off and still fail, but you'll find that if you try and are not succeeding, your teachers and teaching assistants are readily accessible to you outside of class and will help you a lot if you ask for it. 12345 Academics: October 18, 2008 Report

markmccawley says:

It all depends on what your major... It all depends on what your major is and what classes you take. If you're in the biology department expect to work your ass off because even the electives are pretty challenging. On the flip side, you could major in something like sociology and skip most of your classes to sleep in and play Xbox, and you will still graduate with a respectable GPA. It's all how hard you want to work and what you want to do with your life. I'm now in dental school, and my buddy who did sociology is a teacher. 12345 Academics: July 04, 2008 Report

Anonymous says:

Despite the party-school... Despite the party-school reputation, FSU professors are serious about academics. If you want to be challenged, this is definitely the school to attend. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

Of course, you have to watch out... Of course, you have to watch out for the instructors in the lower-level classes. Some are good, and some are bad. The best thing to do is ask around when you register. Word of mouth is a great way to find out which teachers and classes should be avoided. Also, bear in mind that over 30 tenured professors have retired recently, so you can expect some new blood and fresh ideas in the classrooms across campus. 12345 Academics Report

Facts

Did You Know?

Current faculty members include Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler, as well as former astronauts, Dr. Norm Thagard and Captain Winston Scott, who teach in the College of Engineering.

The Carnegie Foundation has designated Florida State University as a Research 1 University for the Advancement of Teaching. FSU’s Center for Advanced Power Systems was awarded a $52 million grant by the U.S. Navy for use in testing propulsion systems.

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