Center for Demography and Population Health
The Center for Demography and Population Health is an interdisciplinary unit within the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy at Florida State University. Established as the Population and Manpower Research Center in 1967 under the direction of Charles Nam, the original Center brought together researchers interested in explicating the causes and consequences of population trends. Over time, the research interests of Center Associates and Affiliates have evolved to include the demography of aging, child and family well-being, and physical and mental health. The Center for Demograph and Population Health’s home departments include Sociology, Economics, Geography, Urban and Regional Planning, History, and Statistics, and the College of Medicine. All CDPH faculty and students share the belief that, to be effective, public policy must be firmly grounded in an understanding of population characteristics and demographic processes.
Pathways into Program
CDPH offers a one-year graduate program leading to the Master of Science degree in Demography and a two-year graduate program leading to joint Master of Science degree in Demography. Doctoral students in affiliated departments who seek specializations in Demography or Population Health may do so under the direction of a CDPH Research Associate.
The Masters of Science Degree in Demography program has been designed for students seeking to develop proficiency in the use of demographic concepts, data, and techniques. The curriculum emphasizes demographic practice and the development of intellectual and analytical skills useful in a research or data-intensive setting. A typical applicant to this program already enjoys the challenge of working with numbers and statistical software, seeks to develop proficiency in the use of demographic data, methods and concepts, and plans a career in mid-level research/data-intensive positions in the public or private sectors.
The Joint Degree in Planning and Demography is offered in conjunction with the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. The programs’ complementary emphases provide important professional options to students considering public or private-sector careers in Planning or Demography.
The Doctoral Studies program provides specialized training in Demography and Population Health across campus in coordination with their individual academic departments but does not offer any doctoral degrees. Prospective students are invited to meet with individual CDPH faculty who may share their academic interests or who represent particular areas of research to discuss the opportunities that may be available. CDPH facilities and training resources are open on a competitive basis to students from across campus, subject to the recommendation of a CDPH faculty member.