To be considered for admission into the Florida State University College of Law J.M. program, candidates must have received at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or hold the international equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree prior to the commencement of classes. Individuals who already hold a first degree in law should consider the Master of Laws (LL.M.) program.
Florida State University encourages applications for admission from qualified students regardless of race, creed, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran or marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other protected group status in accordance with all pertinent federal, state, and local laws on non-discrimination and equal opportunity.
The College of Law Juris Master program seeks to admit and enroll students who, together, bring to the law school a diverse set of backgrounds, interests, personal and professional experiences and perspectives, and who also have a record of academic success. There is no GRE or years of professional experience required to be considered for admission to the Juris Master program.
NOTE: FSU is waiving the GRE as a requirement for admission to certain master's and specialist degree programs for 2023-2024. The GRE waiver will be automatically applied to all J.M. applications for these terms.
Application Windows and Deadlines
Fall 2023 Term
Opens: December 1, 2022
Deadline: July 21, 2023
Spring 2024 Term
Opens: February 1, 2023
Deadline: November 10, 2023
Application Requirements
Students can check the status of their application and review and upload any outstanding materials within their Application Status Page. Please note that applications cannot be reviewed until the $30.00 application fee has been paid and all outstanding to-do items are received.
- Complete a Juris Master application.
- To select the Juris Master Program within the Degree Program Information section of the application, please choose the following options:
- Application Type/Academic Level: Law-First Year
- Campus Location: Online/Distance Learning
- Degree: Law
- Transcripts
- In order for applications to be reviewed, applicants are required to provide transcript copies (unofficial or official) from each college and/or university attended where credit hours were earned.
- Unofficial transcripts must contain GPA information and degree conferral date (except for applicants in the last semester of their bachelor's degree or where no degree was earned).
- Unofficial transcripts must contain GPA information and degree conferral date (except for applicants in the last semester of their bachelor's degree or where no degree was earned).
- In order for applications to be reviewed, applicants are required to provide transcript copies (unofficial or official) from each college and/or university attended where credit hours were earned.
- Juris Master Supplemental Application. Includes personal statement prompts and employment information questions. The supplemental application will be added to your checklist on the Application Status Page.
- Professional resume or CV.
- Official GRE. The GRE waiver will automatically apply to all applications for 2023 - 2024.
- Residency Affidavit. Included within the application for applicable applicants.
- $30.00 application fee. Application fees must be paid before the J.M. Program can review your application.
- Educational Institution Discipline or Violations of Law. You must include in the application a written explanation that includes a description as well as the final disposition of the incident(s).
- It is an applicant's duty to ensure that materials submitted for the application packet are complete, accurate, display the candidate's full potential as a prospective admitted student, and are submitted by the application deadline. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Additional Documents
The Juris Master Program encourages applicants to submit any of the following documents to enhance their application and provide information to the admissions committee. The admissions committee considers these items during the application review process if submitted.
- Academic addendum. You may include an academic addendum explaining any circumstances that you believe may have negatively affected your undergraduate GPA or performance.
- Unofficial copies of language proficiency tests.
- Diversity statement.
- Letters of recommendation.
Official Transcripts
Once admitted to a program, applicants have until the first week of their first semester to submit their official transcripts. We recommend that you have official transcripts sent to FSU electronically to graduateadmissions@fsu.edu. If this is not an option, you may submit an official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from each college and/or university attended directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Please note that there may be a delay in processing transcripts that are sent via mail.
Office of Graduate Admissions address for mailing Official Transcripts:
Florida State University
Office of Graduate Admissions
222 S. Copeland St.
Westcott Bldg. Room 314
Tallahassee, FL. 32306-1410
USA
Official transcripts must be sent directly from your previous institution to FSU and cannot be uploaded on this page by the applicant. Additionally, official transcripts are required from every college previously attended. Transfer credits posted on the records of other institutions are not accepted in lieu of transcripts from the original institutions. Official transcripts for these credits must also be submitted.
Original documents or signed, officially certified photocopies of original documents may be submitted by the student only when institutions outside the United States will not send academic records to other institutions.
Official FSU Transcripts
Official FSU transcripts or official transcripts already on file will be obtained by the Office of Admissions and added to the application record.
Please allow a few weeks for the FSU and/or Official Transcripts to show on your Application Status Page.
State of Florida Employees
The College of Law does not accept waivers through the state of Florida tuition waiver program. However, the College of Law offers a one-time, non-renewable scholarship for a maximum of six credit hours to full-time, salaried employees of a State of Florida Agency, Florida State University, or a Florida public institution of higher education.
Eligible admitted students will be provided the link to apply for this scholarship.
International Applicants
International students and others who have completed undergraduate education outside of the United States must submit an official or certified copy of all transcript(s), diploma(s), and/or degree certificate(s) from each college or university attended. An official evaluation is required for all academic records from non-U.S. institutions. We recommend the evaluation be done by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.
Language Proficiency Tests
Official English language proficiency results are required of all international applicants whose native language is not English. The following are the minimum scores required for admission to the University:
- Internet-based TOEFL (IBTOEFL): 80
- Paper-based TOEFL (TOEFL): 550
- International English Language Testing System (Academic IELTS): 6.5
- Pearson Test of English (PTE): 55
- Duolingo: 120 (Summer 2022 and Forward)
- Cambridge C1 Advanced Level: 180 (Fall 2022 and Forward)
- Michigan Language Assessment: 55 (Fall 2022 and Forward)
Although official scores are required, your application can be reviewed with self-reported scores while we wait for the official scores to arrive. You can upload self-reported scores under the "Additional Documents" section of the application.
If admitted, applicants are required to have official scores sent to FSU. These scores are considered official only when sent directly to Florida State University College of Law or LSAC from the testing agency. After two years, they are no longer valid.
The English language proficiency requirement can be waived, at the university level, for applicants who have earned a minimum of a B.A. or higher in the U.S. or in an English-speaking country.
Countries Exempt from English Language Proficiency Requirement:
Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Christmas Islands, Cocos (Keeling Island), Cook Islands, Dhekelia, Dominica, Eritrea, Eswatini, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guam, Guernsey, Guyana, Ireland, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Montserrat, New Zealand, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, North Marianas, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, St. Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, St. Kitts, and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sint Maarten, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tonga, Tuvalu, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Transfer Students
Students may transfer up to six credit hours from another master’s in law program—e.g., Juris Master, Master of Science in Laws (MSL), Master of Legal Studies (MLS) degrees or a J.D. program. Transfer credits will be evaluated by the associate dean for Juris Master Programs. A grade of “B” or better must have been earned in any courses reviewed for transfer credit.
More Information
For admissions questions, please visit our FAQs page or contact us at jmadmissions@law.fsu.edu or 850-644-7591.