Contact Information
Overview
Academic Policies
Degree Requirements
Majors
Course Descriptions

Established: 1910

Academic Divisions: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has 23 departments, three academic programs and 35 centers and institutes

Degrees: Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in 42 majors. Refer to chart below. The college also offers combined-degree programs in botany, geography, geological sciences, history, mathematics, political science, religion, sociology and statistics.

Majors and Minors Offered by the College

Academic Advising: Department advisers help students within their major. The Academic Advising Center helps CLAS students understand college and university degree requirements and regulations. The Office of Health and Legal Professions Advising provides guidance to all UF students interested in health care and law upon completion of an undergraduate degree.

Scholarships: For additional information regarding the numerous scholarships offered by CLAS, visit Turlington Hall, Room 2014. The Honors Office in Tigert Hall, Room 140, also has scholarship information.

Computer Requirement: General requirements and CLAS requirements.

Internships: Students should consult their department regarding internship credit. Additional information is available in Turlington Hall, Room 2014, 352-392-6800. The Honors Office, Tigert Hall, Room 140, provides information on internships at the Washington Center in Washington, D.C. and other sites.

Career Guidance: The Career Resource Center employs a counselor for CLAS students. Visit the center in the J. Wayne Reitz Union, Room 100, or call 352-392-1601.

Student Organizations: CLASSC, the college's Student Council, and Phi Beta Kappa.

Special Academic Recognition

Dean's List

Anderson Scholars: Each fall at a convocation ceremony, the college honors outstanding juniors as Anderson Scholars. These students receive certificates of summa cum laude, magna cum laude or cum laude based on maintaining a 4.0, 3.93 or 3.85 overall UF grade point average respectively during their first two years at UF with a minimum 12-hour course load each semester. Anderson Scholars are named in honor of James N. Anderson, the first dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (1910-1930).

Honors: The college offers a variety of opportunities for independent and seminar honors work to undergraduates who demonstrate appropriate qualifications. Superior students should take initiative in planning undergraduate and graduate programs. They should consult the honors coordinator in their department about requirements for the baccalaureate degree cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude. Postbaccalaureate students are not eligible to receive honors recognition.

Please refer to the Honors Chart for complete honors information for each CLAS major.

Special Support Services

Pre-Health / Pre-Law: Students interested in attending professional school (medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine or law) after completing the bachelor’s degree are encouraged to seek advising from the Office of Health and Legal Professions Advising. Contact 100 AAC to make an appointment with a pre-health or pre-law adviser or review the handbook.

The college’s Office for Academic Support and Institutional Services (OASIS) coordinates and directs support and enrichment services for all minority students enrolled in the college. Refer to the Student Support Services or 200 Walker Hall, 352-392-0786.

The Learning Services Center (LSC) provides students the opportunity to improve their study skills, prepare for tests (GRE, LSAT, MCAT) and learn more about the majors and career options available to CLAS students. The LSC is located next to the lobby on the first floor of the AAC.

Research Experience

In most departments, students can conduct research under the direction of a faculty member. Consult a department adviser for information about faculty research areas or search the Honors Program database for faculty research interests. In addition, students in CLAS are eligible to apply for the University Scholars Program. Teamed with faculty mentors, University Scholars identify a topic, initiate research during the summer and continue investigation throughout the following academic year. Students chosen as University Scholars receive a $2,500 stipend and $500 for research support.

Teacher Preparation - Pathways to Teaching

Students who desire certification as secondary school teachers must start by completing requirements for a liberal arts and sciences degree in the appropriate subject area. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Education have designed an alternative four-year pathway to secondary school teaching, Pathways to Teaching. CLAS undergraduates with majors in chemistry, geology (earth science), French, German, Latin, mathematics, physics or Spanish are eligible for the program if they combine their CLAS major with the expanded Pathways to Teaching minor in the College of Education.

For more information on K-12 teaching options, contact the College of Education, 392-0721, Ext. 400.

Study Abroad

Students in the college are encouraged to participate in study-abroad programs administered by the UF International Center. Scholarships are available. Students can meet requirements such as General Education, CLAS distribution, foreign language, certain courses in the major, summer term enrollment and UF residency.

CLAS has many programs overseas for undergraduates for a semester, a summer or an academic year that provide a wide range of academic and cultural experiences. For more information, contact the UF International Center, Grinter Hall, Room 123, 352-392-5323.

Center for Written and Oral Communication

The William and Grace Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication offers courses focusing on the communications skills students need for their majors and future careers. Students interested in business, education, law, medicine and any other field can develop oral communication skills essential to success in their professions. The center also offers a minor in communication studies, which is comprised of courses in public speaking, interpersonal communication and a variety of upper-division courses that focus on different communication contexts.

Typically in their junior and senior years, students can improve their writing skills in Professional Writing in the Discipline (ENC 3254). Individual sections focus on writing in specific disciplines (anthropology, communication science and disorders, engineering, law, neurobiological sciences, physical sciences, political science, sociology, etc.). These courses address the form, content and style of professional and academic writing. Depending on the discipline, students may prepare proposals, scientific research reports, lab reports, professional correspondence, legal briefs and memoranda, analytical essays, applications to graduate programs or employers and oral presentations of research.