Founded in 1973 as the College of Social Sciences and then renamed as the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy (COSSPP) a decade ago, COSSPP has been educating students for half a century to be leaders and innovators in private, public, and nonprofit settings throughout Florida and around the globe.
An offshoot from the College of Arts & Sciences, COSSPP brought together several core social science disciplines – Economics, Geography, Sociology, and Government (now Political Science) – and two applied policy programs – Public Administration and Urban & Regional Planning. The College is greatly enhanced by vibrant interdisciplinary programs in International Affairs, Public Health, Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, African-American Studies, and Demography.
The College of Social Sciences and Public Policy has evolved over the years to become a bedrock College for the University, with over 5,000 students calling COSSPP home each year and 50,000 alumni around the globe working to address the world’s challenges and bettering their communities. As the third-largest, most demographically diverse and politically engaged College on campus, COSSPP is a microcosm of the campus, the state, and the nation.
The College proudly provides an intellectually challenging and complex educational ecosystem, enriching the lives of those who study and work here. Our faculty produce research that informs society and shapes public policy in areas as diverse as urban and labor economics, family and household formation, environmental protection, disaster response, and election reform. Our graduates have ascended to positions of leadership and public service both nationally and internationally as U.S. Senators and Governors, CEOs of the global corporations, creators and leaders of non-profits, core employees in government and industry, and more.
To learn more about our current program offerings, visit https://coss.fsu.edu/prospective-students.