Step 1: Apply for admissions to the University (select one)

• Special Non-Degree Seeking
• Graduate Degree Seeking

Florida Residency Form: If you are a Florida resident, you must complete the Florida Residency Affidavit even if you were previously designated a Florida Resident by the University. If you do not complete this form, you will be classified as a non-Florida resident for tuition purposes.

Step 2: Complete Admissions Form

Admission to the graduate certificate program is required. Students are not enrolled in a certificate program by virtue of being enrolled in related courses. Students must apply to and be admitted to the certificate program in order to be considered enrolled.

IMPORTANT: In order to be eligible for admission to a graduate certificate program, an applicant must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or a comparable degree from an international institution.

Admission to College of Education (COE) graduate certificate programs requires submission of the Certificate Admissions Form prior to the completion of two courses in the certificate program.

The Certificate Admissions Form must identify the courses and anticipated semesters you intend to take to fulfill certificate requirements. Students can enroll in either fall or spring semesters and may take seven years to complete the required 15 credit hours.

Courses in the certificate program may be applicable to a graduate degree; however, you should consult with your major professor to determine which courses are applicable to specific graduate programs.

You must complete 15 credit hours to earn the IR certificate. All courses below are three credit hours and are offered online.

Required courses (9 credit hours):

• EDH 5055: Introduction to Institutional Research (Spring)

This course provides an introduction to institutional research as a discipline in higher education. Course content is addressed within the context of organizational, administrative, political and ethical issues in institutional research. Practical experience with research databases and insights from current practitioners in the field are integrated into the course content.

• EDH 5645: Data-Driven Decision Making (Summer)

This course provides an introduction to the theoretical and practical application of data-driven decision making for institutional researchers. This course focuses on how to collect, analyze, review, and present data and information to decision-makers.

• EDF 5941: Institutional Research Practicum (capstone) (Fall)

This course provides students with an opportunity to actively apply the use of institutional research geared at improving administration and policy developmental processes at institutions or participate in an internship through an Office of Institutional Research at a local campus.

Electives (6 credit hours):

Select two courses from the following:

• EDF 5461: Introduction to Program Evaluation (Summer and Fall)
• EDF 5449: Survey Research Methods (Spring)
• EDF 6417 Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (Summer)
• EDF 5414 Introduction to Large Data sets (Spring)
• EDF 5401 General Linear Modeling (Fall) 
• EDF 6471 Quasi-Experimental Data Analysis (Spring)
• EDF 6476 Advanced Qualitative Research Seminar (Fall)
• EDH 5078 Outcomes Assessment in Higher Education (Spring)
• EDF 6480: Applied Quantitative Methods for Educational Practitioners (Summer – online EdD students only)
• EDF 5474: Foundations of Practice Models (Fall – online EdD students only)

Course Schedule

O = online
X = face-to-face

Certificate Completion Form

By state law, students are charged different fees based on their residency and student status. See current rates here.

FSU Full-Time Employees (not OPS): If you are a full-time employee at FSU receiving benefits, you may be eligible for the FSU Employee Tuition Scholarship. The scholarship waives the tuition and fees for 6 credit hours per semester. Click here for more details.

State Employee (FL) Tuition Waiver: Some employees of the State of Florida are eligible for the State Employee Tuition Waiver. Click here for more details.

Current FSU Graduate Students: In most cases, the cost of FSU IR Certificate courses should match the cost of your other graduate coursework.

Meet Yang Li, an alumnus of our Institutional Research graduate certificate program!

Why did you choose the Institutional Research Certificate program at FSU? 

I envision myself to be a professional in student affairs, and particularly in the field of global higher education in U.S. higher education. It is pivotal for me to gain insights about how institutions make decisions, conduct assessments, improve institutional collaborations, and promote institutional development. The core is to enhance my knowledge in institutional research and to improve my skills in using datasets to inform the decision-making. These elements lead me to the Institutional Research Certificate program to further explore these areas.

What are your past/current areas of research?  

I’ve always committed to understanding international students’ experience and success in U.S. higher education. Recently, inspired by Dr. Perez-Felkner and Dr. Khurshid, I started to develop more nuances in my research by exploring the gendered and racial experience of international students in STEM.

What is your current professional role/organization? 

I’m currently a research assistant working on the project of Community College Pathways to Computing to understand the gender equity in STEM, supervised by Dr. Perez-Felkner. I am about to transition to be a graduate assistant in the office of institutional research next Fall, working with Dr. Samantha Nix.

What advice or opinions about the IR Certificate would you want to give program to a prospective student? 

I think it is important to enter the IR program with a clear goal. For example, what areas do you expect yourself to know, learn, and to be trained from this sequence of training. It will benefit your IR journey to be more tailored and concrete.

For me, I value the course sequence in the IR program. Introduction to Institutional Research does provide a solid foundation to understand the mechanisms and concept in the IR. Data Driven Decision Making, taught by Dr. Mokher, is my favorite course. It is filled with so much informative and rich content, and practical skills on generating a report from a practitioner and policymaker’s perspective. These are significant insights that I couldn’t get from other classes. The Institutional Research Practicum is a great end point to all the IR courses, but also serves as a start point for me to be a trained researcher for my dissertation period. I think these are important to know before entering IR.

Q: Are standardized tests, like the GRE, required for admission to the program?

A: We do not need GRE scores. All we look for in new applicants is that they have a bachelor’s degree and have an expressed interest in the field of institutional research.

Q: I’ve taken courses similar to the ones offered by the IR Certificate in the past; can I transfer them?

A: In many cases, yes. If the courses were graduate-level and you completed them within the last five years, we may be able to transfer up to three credits (one course).

Q: If I transfer a course, do I have to take another IR Certificate course in place of those credit hours?

A: No, you do not have to take an additional course to make up the credit hours. Your transferred courses will simply take the place of 1 of the IR Certificate courses.

Q: Is there any financial assistance for the IR Certificate?

A: FSU does not provide financial assistance for the IR Certificate, but many of our students qualify for the State Employee Tuition Waiver or they are able to utilize professional development funds at their home institutions to supplement the cost of the course(s).

Q: How quickly am I expected to complete courses?

A: Our expectation is that you complete at least one course per semester once you are enrolled in the certificate program. Per the Graduate School policy, students who are not enrolled at the university for two or more consecutive semesters (or consecutive semester and summer term) and who are not on an approved leave of absence, must apply for readmission before resuming their studies.

Q: My supervisor just told me that I’m responsible for a new project, so I’m going to have to withdraw from a course. What should I do?

A: Withdrawing from courses and possible penalties depend on timing. If you find that you need to withdraw from a course before class begins, your tuition and fees might be refunded to you. If you are past FSU’s drop/add date for the semester, we may be able to give you an “Incomplete” and you can finish the course at a time agreed upon by you and the instructor. To review all of these options and your particular situation, please contact the IR Certificate’s Program Coordinator.

Q: What is the student-faculty ratio? Are faculty members accessible via Skype for students who need some “face time” interaction?

A: Most of our courses have from 10 to 25 students in a course, with a teaching assistant to help the instructor in larger courses. It is an option for our faculty to Skype with students but not a requirement. All of our faculty want students to succeed and are certainly willing to make personal connections with students. Faculty may be willing to Skype or sometimes staying in touch with a phone call works well.

Q: Are there specific meeting times during the courses when we will be expected to attend?

A: Our courses do not have a set meeting place or time. You’ll be completely within the Canvas online environment for all classes. Our courses are “asynchronous” which means “self-paced.” Students are given a timeframe – it’s usually a one-week window – during which they need to connect to their class at least once or twice. Your assignments and discussions will have timelines and due dates but you will not be “in class” during a specified time period.

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