2001 - 2002
Undergraduate Catalog

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

• Academic Policies
• Degree Requirements
  
  • Graduation Requirements
    (More Degree Requirements)
• Programs
• Liberal Arts and Sciences Home

Graduation Requirements

Graduation Under a Particular Catalog
Applying for a Degree
CLAS Degree Requirements 2001-2002
Summary of CLAS Basic Distribution

Graduation Under a Particular Catalog

Students are placed into the catalog year for the academic year they entered UF unless they request to follow the academic requirements in effect when they initially enrolled in a Florida public community college or other Florida state institution. This request is possible only if they have maintained continuous enrollment, defined as registering for and completing at least one course for one term in an academic year. Students wanting to change catalog years should review a degree audit with an advisor in 100 AAC.

(top)

Applying for a Degree

Seniors must file a formal application for a degree in the registrar's office early in the term in which they expect to graduate. The university calendar will provide the deadline for a current term degree application.

Students should review their degree audit with an advisor in the AAC before registering for the term in which they plan to graduate to determine the college requirements that still need to be fulfilled. Students should also meet with an advisor in the major department to verify completion of requirements for the major.

Additionally, seniors who plan to graduate should convert all I, N and H grades to letter grades no later than the fifth week of the final semester. Seniors are responsible for ensuring that all grade changes are submitted properly and are recorded in a timely fashion.

(top)

CLAS Degree Requirements 2001-2002

The college has eight requirements to satisfy for award of a degree:

STRUCTURE OF A CLAS DEGREE

These degree requirements are included in the 120 hours for graduation.

• Hour
• Grade point average
• Residence
• Basic distribution
• Elective
• Foreign language
• Department Requirements
• Preparation for the major
• Major requirements

Hour Requirement: All CLAS students must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 120 acceptable semester hours for the degree.

Up to 30 hours earned in a UF overseas study or exchange program may be applied to this requirement. Students can petition to have more hours accepted.

Grade Point Average Requirement: Students must achieve an overall average of C (2.0) in all work attempted at the university.

Residence Requirement: The last 30 hours applied to the degree must be completed in residence at the University of Florida. In extenuating circumstances the last three hours may be waived by petition.

Participation in a UF study abroad or exchange program is not considered a break in residence. However, students must see an advisor to be sure the degree audit accurately reflects this.

Basic Distribution Requirement: To ensure that students gain a rich and varied general education, the college asks students to complete the following distribution requirement:

1) 36 hours of a General Education program: composition (3 credits); mathematical sciences (6 credits); humanities (9 credits); social and behavioral sciences (9 credits); physical and biological sciences (9 credits).

• The same course may NOT be used to satisfy requirements in two different distribution areas (C, H, S, P/B). Six of the credits for humanities, social sciences or physical and biological sciences must also be designated I (international or diversity). The writing portion of the Writing and Math Requirement of 24,000 written words must be met.
• A grade of D or better is required for all courses fulfilling the General Education requirement. However, a C or better is required for Writing and Math Requirement courses. (Refer to the Academic Advising section.)
• Students who fulfill a General Education program with fewer than nine credits in each of the three categories-humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and physical and biological sciences-must achieve a balanced spread of liberal arts and sciences by taking additional credits to total nine credits in each of these three categories.

2) An additional three hours in the physical or biological sciences (selected to provide a total of six hours in each of these areas). A grade of C or better is required for these additional three hours. The S/U option is not acceptable.

3) One hour of a lab science with a grade of C or better. Students may elect a laboratory course that is approved for the general education physical or biological sciences requirement, or they may choose from the following: any psychology laboratory or ANT 3514. The S/U option is not acceptable. (Most labs may not be taken without prerequisite or co-requisite courses.)

4) An additional composition (C) course (three hours) beyond the general education composition requirement with a grade of C or better. Any course coded C, and at any level, fulfills this requirement. However, students are encouraged to take the "writing in the major" course, usually ENC 3254, if available for their major (check with the undergraduate coordinator). The S/U option is not acceptable for this course.

More Degree Requirements

(top)

Summary of CLAS Basic Distribution (includes General Education):

Elective Requirement: Electives are defined as courses taken outside the major or major department. The degree program must include 18 hours of electives at the 3000 level or above. Several 2000-level natural science or mathematical science courses beyond the entry course in a sequence can contribute to the 18-hour requirement. Eligible courses are CHM 2211, 2211L; PHY 2049, 2054, 2056L; MAC 2234, 2312, 2313; MAP 2302; and CGS 2532. Course selection will depend on goals and interests, and some students may use electives to pursue a minor or a double major.

Foreign Language Requirement: CLAS students must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language. Foreign language is an important component of a liberal education. Study of foreign languages provides access to the cultural and intellectual heritage of cultures other than one's own. Such study also provides a new perspective on the structure and complexity of the English language.

Students in this college have a unique opportunity to study the following languages at the university: Akan, American Sign Language, Ancient Greek, Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Modern Greek, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Shona, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish and Yoruba.

Students who have studied French, Spanish, German or Latin in high school and wish to continue these languages should consult each semester's Schedule of Courses, the Academic Advising section of this catalog or the department for information regarding placement into the appropriate language course.

Proficiency in a foreign language is considered to be the level of skill a student attains upon completion of a beginning language sequence at UF. Students do not need to earn a certain number of hours to complete this requirement. It can be met in ONE of the following ways.

• A score of three or above in an Advanced Placement language exam.
• A score of four to seven on an International Baccalaureate language exam.
• A score of 49 or above in French, 52 or above in German, 49 or above in Spanish in the CLEP subject exams.
• A designated score on the SAT II subject area examinations in Spanish, French, German or Latin. See individual departments, the Admissions section of this catalog or the Schedule of Courses for required scores for exemption from the CLAS language requirement.
• Satisfactory completion (minimum grade of C or S) of a terminal first-year course in one foreign language (normally at the end of 10 semester hours at UF). Students may take foreign language requirement courses on an S/U basis (where S = C or better).
• Students who have prior study of a foreign language but do not place out of the requirement, may start with the second or third course in the beginning sequence. Such students will complete the requirement in fewer than 10 credit hours. SAT II subject exams, AP or IB exams, or for some languages, a department placement test, will determine the point of entry.
• The requirement for certain languages can be met by demonstrating minimum proficiency on an examination administered by the appropriate department. Consult the appropriate department.

(top)