Placement

www.advising.ufl.edu/placement

What is Placement?

Placement is an assessment of a student’s level of preparation in a subject. The purpose of placement is to help students enroll in the courses in which they are most likely to be successful. The following courses commonly taken by incoming students require placement. They include:

• English Composition (ENC1101)

• Calculus 1 (MAC2311 and MAC2233)

• General Chemistry (CHM 2045)

• French, German, Latin and Spanish (if you have studied them previously)

Who needs to check placement requirements for these courses?

1. English Composition. Every freshman, since General Education has a composition requirement that all students complete.

2. Calculus and Chemistry. Does your major require these courses? Are you premed or a prehealth or an engineering major? Do you wish to take courses in an area that requires these courses? For an on-line list of majors that require Calculus and Chemistry go to www.advising.ufl.edu/placement. You should also check the eight semester sequence for each major in the college section of this catalog (index to majors is on p. v).

3. College level foreign language is required by two colleges: Liberal Arts and Sciences has a proficiency requirement; students in Journalism may choose language proficiency as an option.

What are placement requirements for each of these areas?

1. English Composition.

• Enroll in ENC 1101, if you have a SAT score of 640 or lower on the Verbal section of the SAT or 28 or lower on the Verbal section of the ACT.

• If you have an SAT score of 650 or higher on the Verbal section of the SAT or 29 or higher on the Verbal section of the ACT, you may NOT enroll in ENC 1101, but may enroll in any other 1000 or 2000 level English course (those with a prereq of ENC 1101).

• SAT II Writing, AICE, AP, IB and CLEP scores may also be used for placement. If you have AP, IB, CLEP or SATII Writing scores consult the charts that follow or www.advising.ufl.edu/placement. Note: You may already have completed the General Education composition requirement if you have scores from these examinations.

2. Calculus 1 (MAC 2233 and MAC 2311) www.math.ufl.edu/courses/advising

The Mathematics Department offers two Calculus courses: MAC 2233 (Survey of Calculus 1) and MAC 2311 (Analytical Geometry and Calculus 1). To find out if you need a Calculus 1 course (and which course is required for your intended major) consult the list of majors at www.advising.ufl.edu/placement or check the eight semester sequence for your major in this catalog.

Students with the following backgrounds can enroll directly in a Calculus 1 course (and do not need to do the Calculus Readiness Assessment).

For students needing to enroll in MAC 2233:

• Students who have received AP or IB credit for calculus should consult the Math Department web site at: www.math.ufl.edu/courses/advising for information about continuing in the calculus sequence. You can also find summary information in the charts that follow or at the web site listed above.

• Credit with a grade of C or better in MAC1147 (Pre-Calculus Algebra and Trigonometry), OR

• Credit with a C or better in MAC1140 (Pre-Calculus Algebra), OR

• A score of 540 or higher on the SAT II Math II C test.

For students needing to enroll in MAC 2311:

• Students who have received AP or IB credit for calculus should consult the Math Department web site at: www.math.ufl.edu/courses/advising for information about continuing in the calculus sequence. You can also find summary information in the charts that follow.

• Credit with a C or better in MAC1147 (Pre-Calculus Algebra and Trigonometry), OR

• Credit with a C or better in both MAC1140 (Pre-Calculus Algebra) AND MAC1114 (Trigonometry), OR

• A score of 560 or higher in the SAT II Math II C exam.

ALL OTHER students (freshmen and transfers) who plan to take a Calculus 1 course are required to complete the On-line Readiness Assessment BEFORE attending Preview or orientation. You can find the Calculus Readiness Assessment under “Calculus Placement Information” at www.advisng.ufl.edu/placement placement.

Students will be advised about selecting an appropriate mathematics course based on their Calculus Readiness Assessment (or SAT II score) along with other factors such as high school math background and SAT or ACT quantitative scores. The sole purpose of the assessment is to help students and advisors plan a course of study that will optimize each student’s likelihood of success in Calculus. The assessment score will NOT become a permanent record on a student’s transcript.

Although a low assessment score will not prevent a student from registering for calculus, students who enroll in a course beyond that indicated by their assessment results are much more likely to withdraw from the course or earn below a C grade. The Mathematics Department strongly urges students to heed the recommendation of their advisor.

3. General Chemistry

The General Chemistry sequences meet the pre-professional requirements for a broad range of science and engineering majors. General Chemistry presumes students have a functional command of high school Chemistry and Algebra 2.

The Chemistry Department is in the process of enhancing the General Chemistry courses offered at UF. Prior to Fall 2002, two General Chemistry sequences were offered (1 - CHM2040; 2041 and 2045L; 2046 and 2046L; and 2 - CHM 2045 and 2045L; 2046 and 2046L). Students enrolled in either of those sequences as of Summer 2002 should progress in the current sequence. For more detailed information, check out the placement web site at: www.advising.ufl.edu/placement, and click on “General Chemistry placement”.

Beginning in Fall 2002, the General Chemistry sequence will be CHM2045 and 2045L; 2046 and 2046L. Students will be given the option of enrolling in CHM 1025, Introduction to Chemistry, to prepare for CHM2045, General Chemistry<I*U*>. Students who enroll in, and successfully complete, CHM 1025 may enroll in CHM 2045 the next semester. To assess their background and determine whether to take CHM 1025 or CHM 2045:

• Students should complete the on-line Chemistry Readiness Exam (ChRA) (www.isis.ufl.edu) to determine whether they should enroll in CHM 1025, Introduction to Chemistry, or may enroll in CHM 2045, General Chemistry.

• Students will be advised which course to take based on their Chemistry Readiness Exam score along with factors such as high school math and chemistry background and SAT or ACT Quantitative exam scores. The students’ intended major may also be a factor in determining the appropriate chemistry course (based on the background recommended for that major/program).

• AP and IB scores may also be used for placement. Students with AP or IB scores in Chemistry should consult the course equivalency charts that follow and then discuss their next chemistry course with an advisor.

• SATII scores in Chemistry may be used as well, although the Chemistry department encourages students with such scores to take the ChRA as well. See the placement web site for information on placement using SATII Chemistry scores at: www.advising.ufl.edu/ placement.

Although a low assessment score will not prevent a student from registering for CHM 2045, General Chemistry, students who enroll in a course beyond that indicated by their ChRA assessment results are much more likely to withdraw from the course or earn below a C grade. The Chemistry Department strongly urges students to heed the placement recommendations.

Students wishing to enroll in CHM 2047, General Chemistry, and the co-requisite CHM 2047L must meet all three of the following conditions:

• AP or IB credit in Chemistry or a very strong high school background in Chemistry,

• a high score on the AP, IB or SAT II Chemistry test, and

• the approval of the Chemistry Department or the Honors Office.

  More detailed information about the changes in the General Chemistry courses and placement recommendations, as well as information about the ChRA itself can be found at: www.advising.ufl.edu/placement, click on “General Chemistry placement”.

4. Foreign Languages: French, German, Latin, Spanish

Students who previously have studied one of these languages and wish to enroll in the same language at UF must demonstrate placement. Such students should take the SAT II placement exam for the appropriate language (unless the student has AICE, AP, IB or CLEP scores for that subject). Consult the charts that follow to determine placement based on SAT II, AP, IB or CLEP scores.

In general, language placement is determined by a combination of placement scores and high school background in the language.