College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Overview
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 43 majors. Refer to chart below. The college also offers combined-degree programs in botany, computer science, criminology and law, French, geography, geology, history, linguistics, mathematics, physics, political science, Portuguese, religion, Russian, sociology, Spanish, statistics and women's studies.
Academic Advising: Department advisers help students within their major. The Academic Advising Center helps CLAS students understand college and university degree requirements and regulations and the critical-tracking requirements for the first five terms. 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 2014 Turlington Hall. The Honors Office 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 and President's Honor Roll
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 catalog's 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. OHLPA offers workshops and individual advising to guide pre-health and pre-law students. Refer to the Pre-health and Pre-law websites for more information on those services.
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 honor's program's research database. 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 $2,000 stipend.
Teacher Preparation - Pathways to Teaching
This program is appropriate for students in all majors with a 2.5 cumulative GPA who wish to teach in Florida. This is an alternative certification program, specifically a Professional Training Option (PTO), meant to prepare students for temporary teacher certification in Florida. Professional teacher certification is attainable with passing scores on teacher certification exams and one year of successful teaching in a Florida public school. Please see www.fldoe.org/edcert/level3.asp for information about certification. For more information about Pathways to Teaching, contact College of Education Student Services in G416 Norman Hall.
For more information on K-12 teaching options, contact the College of Education, 392-0721, ext. 400.
UFTeach Program: There is a severe shortage of qualified high school mathematics and science teachers in Florida and nationwide. Science or math students interested in becoming part of this high-demand profession should see the adviser in their major or the UFTeach adviser. UFTeach students complete the UFTeach minor in science education with a bachelor's degree in science or math and have the coursework and preparation for professional teacher certification in Florida when they graduate.
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 general education requirements, 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, 123 Grinter Hall, 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 other fields 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.
| CLAS MAJORS | Overall GPA at end of semester 4 | Degree Awarded | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthropology | 2.0 | B.A. | |
| Astronomy | 2.0 | B.A. and B.S. | |
| Biochemistry * | 3.0 | B.S. | |
| Biology | 2.0 | B.S. | |
| Botany | 2.0 | B.S. | |
| Chemistry | 2.0 | B.S. | |
| Classical Studies | 2.0 | B.A. | |
| Computer Science | 2.0 | B.S. | |
| Criminology and Law | 2.8 | B.A. | |
| East Asian Languages and Literatures | 2.0 | B.A. | |
| Economics | 2.0 | B.A. | |
| English | 2.5 | B.A. | |
| French | 2.0 | B.A. | |
| Geography | 2.0 | B.A. and B.S. | |
| Geology | 2.0 | B.A. and B.S. | |
| German | 2.0 | B.A. | History | 2.0 | B.A. |
| Interdisciplinary Studies * | 3.0 | B.A. and B.S. | |
| Jewish Studies | 2.0 | B.A. | |
| Linguistics | 2.0 | B.A. | |
| Mathematics | 2.0 | B.A. and B.S. | |
| Microbiology and Cell Science | 2.0 | B.S. | |
| Philosophy | 2.0 | B.A. | |
| Physics | 2.0 | B.A. and B.S. | |
| Political Science | 2.0 | B.A. | |
| Portuguese | 2.0 | B.A. | |
| Psychology | 2.8 | B.S. | |
| Religion | 2.0 | B.A. | |
| Russian | 2.0 | B.A. | |
| Sociology | 2.0 | B.A. | |
| Spanish | 2.0 | B.A. | |
| Statistics | 2.0 | B.A. and B.S. | |
| Women's Studies | 2.0 | B.A. | |
| Zoology | 2.0 | B.S. | |
|
* Interdisciplinary studies majors include American Indian and Indigenous Studies, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biological Illustration, Film and Media Studies, International Studies, Latin American Studies, Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, Modern European Studies, Neurobiological Sciences or an individually designed major. | |||