This packet has three purposes. The first is to welcome you to the College of Arts & Sciences on the behalf of the faculty, the students and the administrative staff. Although you may not realize it, when you choose an academic major, you also choose a college. Welcome!

The second purpose is to urge you to take full advantage of the rich opportunities that are available to you. Arts and Sciences is the largest and the most diverse college at Florida State University and has a wealth of resources including: a faculty outstanding in teaching and research; instructional and research facilities of high caliber; and fellow students who are well prepared and intellectually curious. It will be up to you to seize the opportunities offered in making your education the best that it can be.

The third purpose of the packet is to call your attention to some of the rules that govern the College’s life. By choosing a major in the College of Arts and Sciences, you enter a specific academic community and, like other communities, this one has specific regulations and requirements. In the following pages you will find a brief summary of these regulations with special emphasis on those that students most often overlook. It is recommended that you keep this packet for easy reference in the future.

For more details, three sources are absolutely indispensable:

• The University General Bulletin. This is your most important source of information. The edition in effect at the time you enter FSU will govern requirements to be met. However, if you have been awarded an A.A. degree from a Florida community college and have maintained continuous enrollment, you may use the edition in effect when you first entered the community college. Some students may be subject to the requirements of a later edition of the Bulletin than the one under which they first enrolled. Included are those whose enrollment in the University was interrupted for two consecutive semesters (including summer), those who do not graduate within six years, and those who have been dismissed from the University (and subsequently readmitted).
• University/College/Department web sites: You will be able to utilize the Internet to look up course offerings and availability, register for classes, update your personal information, review curriculum requirements for major/minor concentrations, etc. The information contained in this handout can be found on the university, college or department web sites.
• Your departmental advisor. Your academic advisor or advising office will help you, especially with the requirements for your academic major, and will also be able to advise you on a wide range of issues. Plan to meet with your advisor at least once each term.

The General Bulletin and the Registration Guide can be found on the FSU web site: http://www.fsu.edu

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1. Liberal Studies: The Liberal Studies Program is intended to provide a perspective on the qualities, accomplishments, and aspirations of human beings, the past and present civilizations they have created, and the natural and technological world they inhabit. This program is designed to ensure breadth in the student’s academic experience, while at the same time affording flexibility in satisfying requirements. A GPA of at least 2.0 in Liberal Studies coursework is required and all coursework for Liberal Studies must be taken for letter grades, not for S/U credit. A grade of “C-“ or better is required in all “Gordon Rule” classes.
   
   If transferring to Florida State with an Associate of Arts degree from a community college in Florida, all Liberal Studies requirements will be met. If entering FSU without a Florida A.A., all areas of FSU Liberal Studies coursework must be met as described above. The Office of Undergraduate Studies will evaluate your transfer credits to determine which courses may be applied to your Liberal Studies program. You should receive a written copy of the evaluation, which should be kept on file with your other academic records.
   
   University Requirements: Refer to your Bulletin or the FSU web site for information on the Multicultural requirement, Oral Competency and Computer Literacy.
   
2. Additional Arts and Sciences requirements: BA/BS degrees – Completion of a major, minor (if not part of the major), and the Arts and Sciences language requirement in the following departments qualifies you for the Bachelor of Science degree, not the Bachelor of Arts: Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geology, Mathematics, Meteorology, Physics, Psychology, Secondary Science and Math Teaching, Statistics. In order to receive the Bachelor of Arts degree in these areas, an additional nine (9) hours of coursework in History or Humanities BEYOND such courses required to meet Literal Studies and the A&S foreign language requirement is required. Completion of a major, minor, and the Arts & Sciences language requirement in the following departments/programs qualifies you for the Bachelor of Arts degree: American & Florida Studies, Classics, English, History, Humanities, Modern Language & Linguistics, Philosophy, Religion and Women’s Studies.
   
   Foreign language: The College of Arts and Sciences foreign language requirement is a proficiency requirement. The requirement may be satisfied by completing coursework through the intermediate level (2200 or equivalent) of a classic or modern foreign language. A student taking coursework to fulfill the college’s foreign language requirement must earn at least a “C-“ in any language course taken for a letter grade. These courses may be taken on an S/U basis as long as you have the required 2.5 grade point average. Remember, a “C-“ average in the class is required to earn an “S” and receive credit for the course. Physics majors must consult the departmental advisor for specific requirements.
   
   The Arts and Sciences language requirement just described should not be confused with the University Foreign Language ADMISSION requirement. State law mandates that every student entering the State University System must have completed at least two years of the same language in high school, or one year in college prior to enrolling at FSU. The Arts and Sciences requirement pertains to courses required for GRADUATION from the University and involves higher foreign language proficiency than that mandated by the admissions requirement.
   
   History: The College of Arts & Sciences requires that every student complete at least three semester hours in History. Entering first-year students will meet this requirement in the process of fulfilling Area III of the Liberal Studies Program. However, if you fulfill part of this area requirement through transfer courses, etc., which do not include a formal history course; you must complete one 3 credit-hour course offered by the History department (any history department offering at any level) before you will be eligible for graduation.

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3. Summer requirement: Any student who enters one of the eleven State University System campuses with fewer than sixty (60) semester hours of transfer credit must earn at least nine (9) hours of coursework during one or more Summer sessions at one or more of the eleven SUS campuses. Requests for waivers of the summer residency requirement (for reasons of financial hardship / employment) must be approved by the Dean’s Office, which will forward petitions to the Dean of the Faculties for final approval.
   
4. Upper-level coursework: Forty (40) hours of 3/4000 level coursework must be completed as part of the degree. Courses transferred from another school (including community colleges) will be counted as upper level if the equivalent FSU course is numbered 3000 or above. This means that AML 2022, for example, taken at the community college is counted as AML 3022 when upper level hours are computed prior to graduation.
   
5. Senior Institution hours: At least sixty (60) semester hours of coursework must be completed at a senior institution (not a community college).
   
6. Residency: The final thirty (30) consecutive hours of coursework must be completed in residence at FSU. Petitions for waivers of this requirement must document exceptional circumstances and must be submitted to the Dean’s Office prior to review by the Dean of the Faculties.
   
7. Total hours: The University requires completion of at least 120 unduplicated hours in order to receive a Bachelor’s degree. No more than eight (8) semester hours, total, in applied music, physical education activities or office skills courses may be counted toward a degree. Of these eight (8) hours, no more than two semester hours may be in physical education activity courses.
   
8. Duplication of Credit: The Florida Common Course Numbering System specifies that classes taken in the Florida public college system that have the same course prefix and last three digits be considered the same course. Duplicate credit will not be awarded for FSU courses that are equivalent to courses passed at other institutions. For example, AML 2022 and AML 3022 are considered to be the same course, and credit cannot be received for AML 3022 if you have already passed AML 2022 at another school. See an advisor before enrolling if there are any questions about course duplication. If inadvertently enrolled in a duplicate course, the course should be dropped before the deadline (as stated in the Academic Calendar on the FSU homepage). Courses completed with a grade of “C-“ or better may not be repeated for degree hour or GPA hour credit. Work completed with a grade of “D+” or lower may be repeated; however, degree hour credit is counted only on the repeated course.
   
9. Physical Education activity courses: The University allows a MAXIMUM of two (2) hours of P.E. activity credit to count toward your baccalaureate degree. If credit has been granted for two (2) hours of P.E. at another school, credit will not be received for any additional courses taken at FSU. Additional P.E. classes may be taken, but the hours will not be counted in the total required for graduation.
   
10. Major: The appropriate department advisor should be contacted as soon as possible after beginning your FSU career so that you can receive specific information about the requirements for your intended major. Each department sets its own degree requirements in addition to College and University requirements, and it is the student’s responsibility to know and meet these requirements. All coursework in the major must be taken for a letter grade, not S/U. The only exceptions to this rule are courses that are offered ONLY on an S/U basis, such as Directed Individual Study or certain special topics courses.
    
    If courses in the major were taken at another school, the department advisor must be consulted to make sure that these courses will be counted toward the major requirements. As a general rule, courses that are equivalent to courses offered at FSU are accepted, although rules may differ slightly from department to department.
    
    Most departments allow an overlap of four (4) hours of Liberal Studies courses with the major. For example, if majoring in Psychology, PSY 2012 (or its equivalent) can be counted for Liberal Studies and as part of the major. Certain majors (for example, American Studies and Humanities) do not allow the use of any Liberal Studies courses to fulfill major requirements. See the department advisor if there are questions about the applicability of Liberal Studies courses to the major.

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11. Minor: Most departments in the College of Arts and Sciences require completion of a minor in an area different than that of the major. Exceptions include Humanities and several of the sciences, as well as co-majors such as English with Business emphasis. Students pursuing dual majors are not required to complete minors; however if you are pursuing two separate degrees (dual certificates), a minor must be completed for each degree that is to be awarded by Arts and Sciences. In the latter case, there can be no overlap within the major and/or minors for either degree. If one of the degrees is to be awarded by another college, please consult the Academic Dean of that College for minor requirements.
    
    The FSU Bulletin is the best source of general information about minors. While most minors require 12 hours, some may require as many as 25 hours. No courses used for satisfying Liberal Studies requirements or the Foreign Language requirement may also be counted toward a minor. Also, all work in the minor (except for required courses offered only on an S/U basis) must be taken for a letter grade. Any questions about the minor should be directed to the department that offers the minor. The major advisor should be informed when you have chosen a particular minor to make sure there are no problems or restrictions that may apply.
    
12. Grade point average: The University requires an FSU overall grade point average of at least a 2.0 to earn a degree. Certain programs have established required exit GPAs that are above the 2.0 level. For example, Science/Math Teaching students must have at least a 2.5 FSU GPA in order to be eligible for teacher certification. Other academic programs have “limited access” status meaning that a specified minimum GPA (above a 2.0) must be established in order to be accepted as a major in that program.
    
13. Transfer / correspondence grades: If, while enrolled at FSU, a student would like to take courses at another senior institution or by correspondence, prior approval by the Office of the Dean must be obtained. In addition, you must request that a final official copy of the transcript be sent to FSU as soon as the final grades are determined. These grades must be added to the transcript before a degree can be posted.
    
14. Incomplete grades: “I” grades must be removed in a timely manner. This means that remaining assignments must be completed by the instructor’s deadline, but no later than the end of the next semester of enrollment after the “I” is entered. Failure to have the grade changed will result in an “IE” being assigned and computed as an “F” in the grade point average. Do not re-enroll in a course for which an “I” has been assigned. Doing so results in the “I” being changed to an “F” grade and will be computed into the grade point average. Consult the Bulletin for complete rules and regulations concerning the policy regarding incomplete grades.

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15. CLAST: The Florida College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) is required by Florida statutes and the rules of the State Board of Education for admission of students to upper-division status in the state universities of Florida. Students may take the Florida CLAST in the first term of enrollment or any term thereafter. Students who have completed or are completing their sophomore year in college and who are seeking admission to upper-division programs in state universities in Florida (including Florida State University) must present acceptable CLAST scores. All sub-tests must be passed by the term a student earns ninety-six (96) semester hours of credit. Refer to the appropriate section of the Bulletin for further details.
    
16. Course load: In order to graduate in four years, enrollment in an average of fifteen (15) hours each Fall and Spring semester is required, unless one or more Summer sessions are attended. Close contact with an advisor is recommended in order to obtain the courses necessary to graduate in four years.
    
    An overload permit from the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office, prior to registration, is required if enrollment will exceed eighteen (18) hours during any term. Students may not register for more than twenty-one (21) hours, unless appropriate approval has been recorded. It is the student’s responsibility to be sure that enrollment hours are sufficient for financial aid, scholarship and / or insurance purposes.
    
17. Community college coursework: Please note that you cannot earn transfer credit for community college courses after you have been awarded an A.A. from a community college and total transferable hours are set at sixty (60) per the articulation agreement. Credit cannot be applied for any community college courses during your final thirty (30) consecutive hours at Florida State University.
    
18. Graduation checks: Students must initiate a graduation check in the offices of the College of Arts & Sciences and in the office of the Registrar at least one semester prior to the term in which they plan to graduate. These graduation checks are mandatory no later than the semester in which a student’s total credits reach or exceed 110 semester hours. The results of this “check” will indicate to the student whether college and university requirements are completed (and, if not, what courses must yet be taken). In addition, the respective academic department will indicate what (if any) courses must be taken to complete requirements for the major.
    
19. Apply for graduation: Students must apply for graduation in the Office of the Registrar no later than the end of the second week of the term in which all degree requirements are expected to be completed. Graduation application deadlines are posted around campus and published in each semester’s Academic Calendar. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of these and all other deadlines. Be aware that requesting a graduation check from the Office of the Registrar is not the same as applying for graduation.
    
20. Deadlines: It is the student’s responsibility to check each semester’s Academic Calendar for deadlines that might apply. The University is serious about enforcing deadlines, and missing a deadline can have a serious effect on your academic career. Petitions to appeal enforcement of established deadlines will only be accepted with documented exceptional circumstances. Please note that there are deadlines for applying for S/U grading, reversal of S/U grading, course drops and other actions.
    
21. Receipts as proof: Keep all receipts (for drop/add, fee payments, advising information, etc.) until the diploma is hanging on your wall! If an error occurs, you will be prepared to prove that a certain transaction was completed. If information is received over the phone, be sure to write down the name and title of the person you spoke with, along with the date and time.

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22. Prerequisites or corequisites: It is the student’s responsibility to check the BULLETIN for prerequisites or corequisites for classes in which they wish to enroll. Students who lack pre- or co-requisites may be forced to drop the course, and this may lead to problems with financial aid if a replacement course cannot be found. Please note that lack of appropriate prerequisites does not provide grounds for approval of a late drop. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the course requirements and drop within the drop-add period if appropriate prerequisites have not been completed.
    

This is by no means an exhaustive survey of the rules and regulations governing academic life at Florida State University. We cannot stress frequently enough the importance of being familiar with the Bulletin, relevant web sites and other materials issued by the University. A student should also make it a practice to see their academic advisor at least once a term to make sure that everything is on schedule for graduation.

Thank you for reviewing these requirements and policies. We believe that your intellectual training and experiences as a major in the College of Arts & Sciences will permanently enrich your life and measurably expand both your cultural and career horizons. We shall be happy to answer any questions you may have about our programs of study, or to talk with you about other concerns. We hope that you will view the Office of the Dean as a source of information and help whenever you need it. Please call 644-1081 or visit us in Room 10 Longmire Building whenever you have questions.