Academic Policies and Procedures

Auditions are required for admission to all music programs and to all BFA programs in theatre and dance. See departmental Web sites for audition information. A student’s entire record, including educational objective, pattern of courses completed, quality of academic record, successful audition or portfolio review, and test data will be considered. Applicants to art and music education programs are required to present SAT or ACT test scores before admission to these programs. Priority in admission will be given to those applicants whose potential indicates the greatest likelihood of success in the program.

Because the College of Fine Arts offers professional degrees (BFA and BM), the admissions process often occurs in two phases.

• Art: students in art may be required to submit a portfolio for conditional admission into a program as a freshman. Students desiring to change from another major within the university must submit a portfolio for conditional admission. All art students must pass a portfolio review at the end of their sophomore year before direct admission to a specific program.
• Music: all music students must audition before enrolling for their freshman year of study.
• Theatre and Dance: students must audition for direct admission to BFA programs.

Students, even those in the "conditional" phase of their program, maintain the College of Fine Arts (FA) classification as long as they meet the standards set by the college and UF for admission and universal tracking.

To be eligible for admission to the college, a transfer student must satisfy the minimum requirements for admission. Additionally, all students must complete two sequential courses of foreign language in secondary school, or 8-10 semester hours at the postsecondary level, or document an equivalent level of proficiency.

The primary criterion for any art, dance, music and theatre program is proficiency in the discipline. All students, except for BA in Theatre, must present an audition or portfolio for review.

The majority of 3000-4000 level professional courses required for the major in the junior and senior years generally cannot be taken at other schools. Students attending four-year colleges should take courses similar to the first two years’ preparatory courses for their intended major.

The associate of arts (AA) degree is required for students transferring from a community college; the degree should be posted on the student’s transcript before admission. Any exception to this requirement will be stated in the student’s acceptance letter.

Transfer students are advised to plan their studies as outlined below for each department or school. Transfer students, even with completed AA degrees, will usually be required to take additional pre-professional, lower-division (2000 level) courses beyond the minimum courses, required for entry into a specific program.

Art: Students are admitted to studio degree programs following completion of a satisfactory portfolio review. (Portfolio deadline for fall or Summer B is March 15). Admission deadline for Fall or Summer B: February 1. The community college program should include two courses:

• two basic design courses, including color theory
• two free-hand drawing courses
• two courses in art history
• two studio courses in their desired major

These courses transfer automatically. Other courses prefixed ART do not transfer automatically and will need evidence of achievement (i.e., portfolio). All majors within the School of Art and Art History require a portfolio review, with the exception of art history.

Dance: Students are admitted to the program following completion of

• a satisfactory in-person or videotaped audition
• a résumé
• acceptable proficiency in dance technique

The community college program should include:

• two years of dance technique, including ballet, modern and jazz
• one year of dance composition
• dance appreciation
• production and performance courses or experience

Music: Students are admitted to the program following completion of a satisfactory in person or tape-recorded audition and accomplishment of an acceptable proficiency in music theory (written, singing and aural skills). The community college program should include:

• two years of music theory, including written theory, ear training, sight singing and keyboard harmony
• two years of performance major study
• two years of ensemble

Transfer students, with or without an AA degree, who have satisfactorily completed the suggested four semesters of music theory, four semesters of performance study, four semesters of piano skills, and MUL 2110 Musical Styles must take the Comprehensive Musicianship Exam for placement within the UF music program. Only those who successfully pass all levels of this exam will be exempt from the theory sequence at UF. If remedial or lower-division theory courses are required, student must complete the course work before taking the exam again to ensure their readiness for upper-division work.

Theatre: Students are admitted to the program following completion of a satisfactory audition in performance or a portfolio review in production. The community college program should include:

• two courses in acting
• introduction to theatre
• costume and stage make-up
• stage production
• stage movement
• theatre practice

Students wishing to change majors after four semesters should do so before acquiring 96 hours (including current enrollment). In addition, students must have

• met the minimum overall GPA
• completed the designated foundation courses (pre-professional courses)
• passed any required audition, portfolio review or any required pre-professional courses
• met universal tracking requirements set by the college
• demonstrated a well-articulated educational goal for which the change of major is necessary

Undergraduate students who complete a minimum of 12 hours or certified equivalency per term (6 hours in Summer A or B) and achieve a grade point average of 3.5 or better will earn a position on the Dean’s List. Students earning grades of I, X, S-U are not eligible.

Students may choose to complete the requirements for two majors from the same division; e.g., painting and drawing or music history and ethnomusicology, or acting and scene design. Courses used for one major may be used as electives for the other major and vice versa.

Students applying for a double major must already be admitted to one FA major and have fewer than 96 hours (including current enrollment). They must meet all admission requirements set by the college for the second major and be able to complete the degree within a reasonable number of semesters.

A dual-degree program is defined as the completion of two degree programs, e.g., a B.A. and B.F.A.; B.M. and B.F.A. Students may not receive a dual degree when the degree title is the same, such as two B.A.s or two B.F.A.s in the same disciplines.

Courses used for one major may be used as electives for the other major and vice versa. Students applying for a dual degree must already be admitted to one major and have fewer than 96 hours (including current enrollment.) They must meet all admission requirements set by the college for the second degree if the second degree is within the college. If the second degree is outside the college, applicants must be admitted to the second degree program by the appropriate college.

Students should be able to complete both degrees within a reasonable number of hours. Students are required to file two degree applications with the registrar’s office.

Students enrolled in colleges other than fine arts may wish to consider a minor in this college. The following minors are available:

• art history
• music with emphasis in music performance, music literature/theory/ composition, and ethnomusicology
• theatre with emphasis in general theatre, or design/technical
• dance

Students should review the minor requirements and talk with an adviser.

Students with majors in the fine arts may pursue a minor in another department or college. Students in any art studio major may pursue a minor in art history. The minor, however, does not reduce the number of hours required for the major. Students interested in an outside minor are encouraged to discuss the requirements and certification procedures, and to seek approval with an adviser from the college that houses the minor.

In cooperation with the College of Education, the College of Fine Arts offers programs for teaching art and music in the public schools in grades K-12. Students completing these programs’ curricula fulfill the educational requirements for teaching certification K-12 in Florida and in most other states through the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

As a prerequisite for admission, a student must receive a minimum composite score of 20 on the American College Test or a minimum composite score of 960 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. If taken before April 1995, a score of 840 is required. A minimum grade point average of 2.5 also is required. College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) must be taken. Students are not allowed to complete CLAST through exemptions.

The student must complete all course work before the student-teaching semester. Because student teaching is a full-time commitment, student teachers may not register for any other course during the student-teaching semester. A student may not be employed on weekdays while student teaching.

Some courses that prepare students to teach drama in grades 6-12, without certification, are available through the Department of Theatre and Dance. Curriculum changes to accommodate legislative or Department of Education mandates may be required. Students should see the program coordinator or department/school adviser for updates to requirements. For certification information and Florida Department of Education regulations, see the bulletin issued by the State Department of Education. Information also is available in Room 101 Fine Arts Bldg. A and from academic advisers

An applicant for initial regular certification in Florida must first pass the state teacher certification examination.

While the college maintains an academic advisory service and carefully works to keep accurate records of individual students in the college, the student is responsible for meeting all degree requirements. Students should read their online-tracking audits each term and visit an adviser to review progress toward the degree.

Students are responsible for staying on track, for registering for the proper courses and for fulfilling all requirements for their degrees. Academic advisers and faculty will assist and counsel; ignorance does not constitute a basis for a waiver.

Students may be required to take additional courses to remove skill deficiencies when deemed necessary by proficiency exams.

Computer requirements for students enrolled in the college vary according to each degree program. Students should consult their academic adviser for specific hardware and software recommendations before acquiring a computer.

The normal load in this college is 15 credit hours per semester. All students are expected to carry a normal load. A student who wishes to carry more than 17 hours must get approval at the time of registration from the academic adviser or the associate dean.

Students maintain normal academic progress by earning a minimum GPA of 2.0 (C) for all work attempted while classified in the college (2.5, C+ average in and music education, 3.0 in art and art education). The term average, as used here, refers to the GPA on work attempted after the student is classified FA and not the cumulative GPA established by the university.

Students must take courses as outlined in the tracking plan for each major. Failure to comply will result in college probation or suspension. Students are required to take courses in sequence. Students may be excluded from a program of study in the college if they fail or refuse to maintain normal academic progress.

A junior or senior whose college GPA falls below 2.0 (or other required minimum) will be placed on college probation, and the student will be notified in writing. The college GPA is not the cumulative UF GPA but rather the GPA on all courses taken after the student is classified "FA." As long as a student has a deficit record, he/she will remain on probation, and must continue to remove deficits each term. Failure to remove the deficits in a timely way could result in a college suspension for one term.

While on suspension, a student cannot enroll at another institution unless he/she has successfully petitioned the college. If a student is permitted to enroll in approved courses at another institution, grades earned will not reduce the deficit points at UF nor will they count toward UF credit. Students cannot graduate from this college with deficit points on their records.

See university policy for dropping courses under the Student Information/Academic Regulations of this catalog.

Any student who feels that college regulations created a particular hardship or injustice may petition for a waiver of the regulation. Information on procedures is available in the adviser’s office. Anyone who believes that she/he has been discriminated against should contact the associate dean for student and academic affairs.

If a student feels that his or her performance in a course has not been evaluated accurately, the situation should be discussed with the instructor. If the disagreement is not resolved, the student may pursue the matter with the instructor’s department chair.

The college encourages study abroad for a semester or a full academic year and has established exchange agreements with foreign colleges and universities. These programs allow UF students to experience other cultures and to count the credits earned toward their degrees.

Participants in approved college programs can receive financial aid, can count summer courses taken abroad as part of their summer study obligation, can study abroad during the last 30 hours of their program, and with careful planning and prior approval, can count course work taken abroad as part of their major or core requirements. Interested students should consult their adviser.

The College of Fine Arts offers junior and senior-level undergraduate students the opportunity to begin graduate study early by taking graduate-level courses before completion of the bachelor’s degree. After a student has been accepted to the Graduate School, 12 graduate credits may be counted toward both degrees. Students admitted into a combined program normally have a least a 3.2 GPA and a score of at least 1100 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE (when required). Contact the graduate coordinator or academic adviser for more information.

Additionally, junior- and senior-level undergraduate students with at least a 3.0 GPA may, with instructor permission, take up to 6 graduate credits that will count toward an undergraduate degree.