State Authorization & Licensure

Live Outside Florida?

If you’re interested in a program that may lead to professional licensure, make sure it meets licensing criteria in your state before you apply.

Licensure Search

FSU is a member of SARA (State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements) and approved by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. Our membership enables us to admit students to online degree programs from all 50 states and most territories, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Online Programs that Lead to Licensure

Many online courses and programs lead to professional licensure. Whether your academic path leads to a career in social work, speech pathology, law, teaching, or another field, you may need a license to practice. All online programs at FSU that lead to licensure meet Florida’s licensing requirements. Other states have their own requirements, and you’ll want to make sure your program meets criteria in your home state (or state where you intend to work) before you apply. FSU is unable to guarantee that program requirements are met in any other state besides Florida. Search our state licensure database to see if the program you're interested in meets the educational requirements for licensing in your home state (or state where you intend to work). Federal regulations prohibit institutions from enrolling a distance learning student in a program that leads to licensure if the program has not been determined to satisfy educational requirements for licensing where the student is located. 

How do I know if a program leads to licensure?

The FSU Professional Licensure & Certification database lists all FSU programs that have been identified as leading to professional licensure. You can search by program, major, and state to determine if a program meets educational requirements for licensing. In rare cases, a program will lead to multiple licenses and meet requirements for some but not all. We encourage you to review all licenses listed for a program and contact the state licensing agency for more information on what is required to pursue a license. A link is provided in the database for each state licensing agency.

How long have the federal regulations been in place and why?

Effective July 1, 2024, the regulations prohibiting enrollment were established to protect you from investing in a program leading to licensure if it hasn’t been determined to provide the coursework your state requires for you to pursue licensing there. While our programs meet educational requirements for licensing in Florida and many other states, each state makes its own rules about what coursework is required. Out-of-state distance learners can only be enrolled in a program that leads to licensure if it satisfies educational requirements in their state.

Why does my application require additional review?

If you applied to a program that leads to professional licensure, can be completed via distance learning, and has not been determined to satisfy educational requirements for licensing in your state, your application will require an additional review by the college offering the program. If this is the case, you will receive a notification from our office letting you know the program has not been determined to meet educational requirements for licensing in your state and that your application will require additional review by the college offering the program. The college will review licensing requirements in your state, determine if you are applying to an online or in-person program, and contact you if additional information is needed to proceed with your application.

What happens if the college determines I can’t be enrolled in the program?

If the college determines that we are prohibited, per federal regulations, from enrolling you in the program, your application for admission to the university will be cancelled.

What if I don’t intend to participate in a program via distance learning?

If a program is offered both in-person and online but has not been determined to meet educational requirements for licensing in your state, FSU is prohibited from enrolling you in the program if you are enrolling as a distance learning student. If you intend to complete the program in-person, be prepared to provide an attestation declaring your intent to enroll in the in-person offering of the program. The attestation will need to be completed before you can be considered for admission to the university.

What if I don’t intend to practice in my home state?

If your selected program has not been determined to meet educational requirements for licensing in your state but you intend to pursue licensing in a state where the selected program meets the requirements, you must provide an attestation of your intent before your application for admission to the university can be considered. Contact the college offering the program about providing an attestation.

What if the program leads to multiple licenses but only meets requirements for some?

If the program leads to multiple licenses but only meets requirements for some, you cannot be considered for admission to the university unless you intend to pursue a specific license and the program meets educational requirements for that license. Contact the college offering the program about providing an attestation to indicate your intent to pursue a specific license or licenses.

Florida

All online programs at FSU that lead to licensure meet Florida’s licensing requirements. If you plan on practicing in the state of Florida, you do not need to contact Florida licensing boards before applying and enrolling in one of our online programs.

Questions about state authorization or professional licensure programs? Contact ODL-SARA@fsu.edu or call 850-644-4635.