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Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Undergraduate Degree Requirements
CoreFSU
Gen Ed Courses by Area
Graduation Requirements by Area

The Division of Undergraduate Studies

Dean: Joseph O'Shea

Associate Deans: Craig Filar, Lynn Hogan, Nikki Raimondi; Assistant Deans: Courtney Barry, Heather Bishop, DeOnte Brown, Miguel Negron, Allison Peters, LaShae Roberts

The Division of Undergraduate Studies is responsible for the supervision and monitoring of state- and University-wide degree requirements as well as University-wide academic support offices. Overseen by the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, the division includes the Office of Undergraduate Studies (the academic home of most freshmen and sophomores), Advising First, the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE), the University Honors Program, Transfer and Information Services, the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE), the Office of National Fellowships, and the Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement. For further information on these academic support offices see ‘Honors Program' in the “University Honors Program and Honor Societies” chapter and ‘Advising First', the ‘Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement', ‘Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement', and ‘Transfer and Information Services' in the “Academic Advising and Support Services” chapter of this General Bulletin.

Freshmen and sophomores have their programs and coursework supervised by the Office of Undergraduate Studies. Exceptions to this placement are students accepted into the College of Music, College of Motion Picture Arts, or into the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program in theatre or dance. Students in these majors are advised and supervised directly within their own schools or departments. The Office of Undergraduate Studies is the dean's office that administers the academic and advisement program, regardless of intended major, for all other freshman and sophomore students.

Degrees Offered

Florida State University confers at the bachelor's level the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, Bachelor of Social Work, and the Bachelor of Science degrees, the requirements for which are described in detail below. Students may find requirements for all graduate degrees (master's, specialist, professional, and doctoral) in the Graduate Bulletin.

Students pursuing a baccalaureate degree at Florida State University must meet numerous state- and University-wide degree requirements as they progress through their course of studies. In general, freshman and sophomore students in most majors emphasize work in a broad-based liberal arts curriculum, CoreFSU, and in consultation with their advisors select a major concentration. By the end of the sophomore year, all students should have completed at least half of the General Education portion of the CoreFSU curriculum, including the English Composition and Quantitative and Logical Thinking requirements.

Around the end of the sophomore year (fifty-two degree-hours), students formally select a major and request acceptance by the college in which the major is taught. Students transferring into the University with an Associate of Arts (AA) degree from a Florida public community college or university, or transferring fifty-two or more semester hours of credit, are eligible to be admitted directly into the college of their choice provided they meet minimum requirements for the major selected.

Students at the junior and senior level complete the requirements of their chosen major and often of a minor field. They may also have to fulfill additional requirements specific to their college and/or certification requirements to engage in a particular profession for which their undergraduate major is preparatory.

Understanding these degree requirements is crucial to smooth progression to graduation. Students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisors regularly throughout their undergraduate years to ensure that they are making appropriate progress toward their degree and to consult their academic deans' offices, Advising First, and the Office of the University Registrar for assistance and clarification of degree requirements.

The Associate of Arts

The Associate of Arts (AA) degree may be granted through the Division of Undergraduate Studies to students who have completed sixty semester hours with an adjusted GPA of 2.0 or higher at Florida State University and an overall 2.0 GPA on all college work attempted. A minimum of twenty of the last thirty semester hours of work must be earned in residence. Successful completion of the General Education portion of the CoreFSU curriculum with a 2.0 GPA or higher is required for the AA degree. Students beginning their college program January 1983 or later must also meet state mandates and University-wide requirements for specific coursework in writing and computation. Students interested in receiving the AA degree from FSU and who are completing or have completed all the requirements must officially apply at the Office of Undergraduate Studies.

Students cannot apply for both an AA degree and a bachelor's degree to be awarded in the same semester. Also, the Associate of Arts degree cannot be awarded once a bachelor's degree has been conferred.

The awarding of the AA degree from Florida State University does not alter the calculation of the cumulative GPA at Florida State University. Certification for the AA degree in no way affects the requirements of individual colleges for the completion of the major/minor for a baccalaureate degree.

FSU students who transfer more than 30 hours from a single FCS institution may also be eligible to receive an AA degree from their home FCS institution if the student has earned at least a combined total of 60 semester hours, including 30 or more semester hours from the home FCS institution with an overall cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. However, students may NOT receive an AA degree from both FSU and the home FCS institution. Students are notified by FSU about this option to receive the AA degree through this reverse transfer agreement. Once notified, students must consent to FSU sharing their information with the home FCS institution regarding this option. Once consent is given, FSU will inform the appropriate FCS institution about the student's interest in receiving an AA degree and provide any applicable information.

The Baccalaureate Degree

State Mandated Academic Learning Compacts (SMALCs)

The State Board of Governors has directed each university to develop Academic Learning Compacts for every baccalaureate degree program. A State University System Academic Learning Compact (SMALC) identifies for each academic bachelor's program what students will learn by the end of a program and how knowledge is measured above and beyond course grades.

A SMALC must pinpoint the core learning expectations in the areas of communication, critical thinking skills, and content/discipline knowledge and skills. Additionally, it must identify the corresponding assessments used to determine how well the student has assimilated the articulated expectations.

Successful performance related to the State Mandated Academic Learning Compacts specific to your degree is a requirement for graduation.

Visit https://provost.fsu.edu/outcomes/smalcs-report/ to view the current version of the SMALCs for your degree. Simply select your major and detailed information is provided. You may also obtain information pertaining to SMALCs by contacting the academic departments.

Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Florida State University will confer the bachelor's degree when the following conditions have been met. Restrictions may be found under ‘Transfer Credit' in the “Academic Regulations and Procedures” chapter of this General Bulletin.

Satisfactory completion of Florida State University's CoreFSU requirements with a minimum overall adjusted grade point average of 2.0. The CoreFSU curriculum requirements are divided into two curriculum segments: General Education and University-Wide Graduation Requirements, which encompass all state requirements.

  1. Satisfactory completion of major requirements in a chosen degree program, including additional requirements set by the college offering the degree. The student's degree program will appear on the baccalaureate diploma. A list of degree programs is available in the “Academic Degree and Certificate Programs” chapter of this General Bulletin. Major names are not printed on university diplomas.

  2. A minimum adjusted grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on all coursework taken at Florida State University is required for a degree. In addition, the overall GPA on all college-level work attempted (high school dual enrollment, transfer and FSU coursework) is used as part of the determination of degrees of distinction. See the “Degrees of Distinction” section of this chapter for more information.

  3. Successful completion of a minimum of one hundred twenty unduplicated semester hours. Physical education activity courses may count as elective credit except in cases where an individual degree program places a specific limit.

  4. Completion of at least forty-five semester hours in courses numbered 3000 and above, thirty of which need to be taken at Florida State University.

  5. Completion of the last thirty semester hours and half of the major course semester hours, in residence at this University. In cases of emergency, a maximum of six hours of the final thirty semester hours may be completed by correspondence or residence at another accredited institution with the approval of the academic dean. College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) credit earned may be applied to the final thirty-hour requirement provided that the student has earned at least thirty semester hours credit at Florida State University.

  6. Students who have entered a university in the State of Florida, Division of Colleges and Universities, with fewer than sixty hours of credit in the fall of 1976 or any time thereafter are required to earn at least nine hours prior to graduation by attendance in one or more Summer terms at one of the State University System institutions. The University President may waive the application of this rule in cases of unusual hardship to the individual. Students may request waivers of this requirement by giving the details of their hardships through their academic deans to the Vice President for Faculty Development and Advancement. Prior to 2011, students who had earned nine semester hours of credit through approved acceleration methods (AP, IB, CLEP, and approved dual enrollment courses) were exempt from the summer residency requirement. Effective 2011, this exemption is no longer available.

  7. Satisfaction of the foreign-language admissions requirement by having two sequential units of the same foreign language in high school, or eight semester hours of the same foreign language in college, or documented equivalent proficiency.

  8. Successful completion of the Civic Literacy requirement.

  9. Successful completion of coursework constituting the student's program of studies, minor, Honors in the Major Research, or certification examination does not guarantee the awarding of the baccalaureate degree. Faculty judgment of the academic performance of the student is inherent in the educational process in determining whether the awarding of the baccalaureate degree or admission into a higher level degree program is warranted.

Note: For the purpose of establishing residency, the various Summer sessions are considered one semester.

The Bachelor of Science Degree

The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree requires all listed general criteria.

The Bachelor of Arts Degree

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree requires all the general criteria listed and

  1. Completion of a classical or modern foreign language through the 2000 level (2200 or equivalent course)

  2. Nine semester hours in the fields of humanities and history, in addition to the General Education and the world language requirement. Courses may be selected from the following colleges, and departments: College of Fine Arts; College of Music; College of Communication and Information (not including work in Communication Disorders or Information), and the departments of Classics, English, History, Modern Languages and Linguistics, Philosophy, or Religion in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Second Baccalaureates and Second Majors

Students should note that there is a difference between a second major and a second baccalaureate degree.

Bachelor's degree with more than one major. To obtain a second major, one must meet all requirements of the college of the primary major, but only the major requirements of the secondary major. For information about the second major see ‘Second Majors and Academic Regulations' in the “Academic Regulations and Procedures” chapter of this General Bulletin.

Dual bachelor's degrees. In rare cases students may pursue multiple bachelor's degrees simultaneously. The requirement for earning concurrent, or dual bachelor's degrees, are: (1) satisfy the requirements for each major/minor as well as individual college requirements for both the first and the second degrees; (2) complete thirty semester hours in residence, in addition to the hours required for the first degree, for a minimum total of 150 earned hours, and 3) complete all University degree requirements. There are no CoreFSU requirements for the additional degree(s). Both degrees will be awarded in the same term.

Consecutive bachelor's degree beyond the first bachelor's. Students may receive additional baccalaureate degrees beyond the first degree in cases where a bachelor's degree has already been awarded. The requirements for an additional bachelor's degree are: (1) the requirements for each major/minor as well as individual college requirements for the second degree are satisfied; (2) a minimum of thirty semester hours in residence are completed, in addition to the hours required for the first degree; and (3) the State of Florida Civic Literacy Requirement. The additional thirty semester hours must be completed in residence after the completion of the first degree. Hours earned by the student during the completion of the first baccalaureate degree, over and above those extra credit hours required for the first degree, may not be included in the thirty semester hours. There are no CoreFSU requirements for the second degree except for Civic Literacy.

University policy prohibits the awarding of more than one degree from a specific degree program due to the overlap of core requirements of that degree program. Students should seek guidance from their advisors or their college when choosing to pursue a double major or dual degree. This policy applies to both current and readmitted students.

Dual degrees and double majors must be declared by the end of the semester in which a student will earn ninety cumulative credit hours toward their degree program at Florida State University. In special circumstances, students may petition their primary academic dean for an exception. Petitions should document the students plan to graduate within four years at Florida State University. Special consideration will be given to students whose total hours include a substantial amount of accelerated credit earned while in high school.

Combined Bachelor's/Master's Pathways, Direct-Entry Pathways

Combined Bachelor's/Master's Pathways. Combined bachelor's/master's pathways provide academically talented undergraduate students an opportunity to complete both a bachelor's and a master's degree. Upon approval, a combined bachelor's/master's pathway allows for up to 12 graduate hours to be shared with an undergraduate degree program and the associated graduate program.

Direct-Entry Pathways. Direct-Entry Pathways are a type of combined pathway structured such that the curricula for two academic degrees are interwoven. Students are admitted to the bachelor's degree program with the understanding that they are expected to complete both degrees.

Note: Students interested in pursuing either a combined degree or direct-entry pathway should speak with their academic advisor as soon as possible to determine appropriate options and course selections. Additional admission criteria and procedurals are typically required.

Progression to Upper Division

For progression to upper-division status at Florida State University, a student must meet the following minimum requirements:

  • Completion of at least fifty-two semester hours of college credit

  • Achievement of a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all work attempted at Florida State University. Please note that some degree programs require a higher GPA for admission to upper-division status.

  • Acceptance by a college for admission to a degree program

Additionally:

Students who began college work prior to October 15, 1982, must complete a minimum of one-half of the required semester hours from the required General Education curriculum, including English Composition and undergraduate mathematics (computation).

Students who began their college-level work on or after October 15, 1982, but prior to Summer C semester 2015 must complete a minimum of one-half of the required semester hours from the General Education curriculum, including the completion of State mandates and University-wide requirements for specific coursework in writing and computation. A minimum grade of “C–” is required in each of the courses used to fulfill the General Education requirements in computation and English Composition.

Students who began their college-level work on or after the start of Summer C semester 2015 must complete a minimum of one-half of the required semester hours from the General Education curriculum, including the completion of all State-mandated computation coursework and the two required English composition courses (ENC 1101 and ENC 2135). A minimum grade of “C–” is required in each of the courses used to fulfill the General Education requirements in Quantitative and Logical Thinking and English Composition.

Transfer from a lower-division major advisement program to an upper-division degree program is completed by the student's baccalaureate dean after the student has declared a choice and has been declared eligible for transfer under the above requirements. Transfer from undergraduate studies directly into a baccalaureate degree program is accomplished between the Office of Undergraduate Studies and the appropriate baccalaureate dean under the same conditions.

All transfer students admitted to the University who do not meet the above requirements for admission to an upper-division degree program (except those students majoring in music, dance, or the BFA in theatre) and who have fewer than fifty-two semester hours of transferable credit will be assigned to the Division of Undergraduate Studies. Students with fifty-two or more semester hours of transferable credit will be assigned to the lower-division major advisement program under the appropriate baccalaureate dean unless they request assignment to the Division of Undergraduate Studies. Students requesting assignment to Undergraduate Studies must do so through the undergraduate admissions office at least one month prior to registration. All students, including transfer students, must have met the requirements for transfer from the Division of Undergraduate Studies by the time they have attempted a total of seventy-five semester hours of college work.

Transfer Among Colleges for Upper-Division Students

For an upper-division student to change colleges within the University, the student must meet the following requirements:

  • Obtain a signed approval form from the dean of the college to which the student wishes to transfer. The original copy of the approved change form, or notification from the academic dean, must be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar. The academic dean's office of the new college may choose to process the major change within the student system and retain the documentation within their office.

  • Students seeking to add a second major must be on-track with the milestones of the intended second major based on their current map term (or one fewer) at the point the second major is added. However, the mapping status of the second major will not be monitored afterwards. If the primary major is considered a “specialized admissions,” students must have approval from their current department before a second major can be added. All second majors must be declared/added by the end of the semester in which a student will earn ninety cumulative credit hours toward their degree program at Florida State University.

Educator Preparation

Students planning to enroll in an Educator Preparation program at Florida State University must: (1) complete all University CoreFSU requirements and (2) acquire a passing score on the FTCE General Knowledge, Professional Education, and Subject Area tests prior to the final term internship. Students enrolled in an Educator Preparation Combined BS/MS Pathway are exempt from the FTCE General Knowledge Exam. Students must also complete: (1) specified degree prerequisites referred to in the appropriate program chapters of this General Bulletin; (2) specific admission criteria described in the “Admissions” and “College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences” chapters of this General Bulletin; and (3) the “Baccalaureate Degree Requirements” described earlier in this chapter of the General Bulletin.

Students must consult with an advisor to determine how to simultaneously satisfy Florida State University's CoreFSU requirements and the teacher preparation general education core curriculum requirements.

Undergraduate-Level Certificate Programs

The University offers a variety of certificate programs, which consist of an organized curriculum of courses that lead to specific educational or occupational goals. A list of the certificate programs offered by the university is available in the Academic Degree and Certificate Programs chapter of the General Bulletin. These programs are generally considered professional in nature and the completion of these programs are noted on the student's official university transcript, if the following conditions are met:

  1. The student must apply and be admitted into the certificate program in order to be officially recognized as pursuing the program by the university.

    1. Some certificate programs may be restricted by degree level or offered only to degree-seeking students, while others are open to all enrolled students.

    2. The admissions criteria may include previous educational background, grade point average, or other qualifications.

    3. For formal admission requirements and procedures, students should contact the department offering the certificate program.

  2. The student must apply to the certificate program prior to completing the second course in the program.

    1. Completing the certification program coursework without proper admission to the program could jeopardize future enrollment opportunities in certificate program courses or the recognition of the completion of the certificate program by the university.

    2. Once the student has been admitted to the certificate program, the department will notify the Registrar's Office, so it is reflected on the student's official academic record.

    3. Once the student has completed the last course required for the certificate program, the department will notify the Registrar's Office and the certificate will be posted to the student's official transcript.

Should a degree-seeking student complete a degree program prior to completing the requirements for the certificate, the student would be required to be readmitted as a degree seeking or non-degree seeking student to complete the certificate program.

Policy for Awarding Degrees

Florida State University helps students meet their academic goals by monitoring academic progress toward their degree. In addition to the academic dean, the Graduation Planning and Strategies Office may contact students to assist with finalizing their degree plans in order to meet their individual goals and graduate.

If an undergraduate student has completed his or her respective degree requirements, the Academic Dean of the student's program confirms this, and the student is eligible to be awarded the degree, the University reserves the right to award the degree. Once the degree is awarded, the student must be readmitted to Florida State University in order to enroll in any courses.

Students pursuing double majors or dual degrees must formally notify their academic dean of their intent. Undergraduate students pursuing dual degrees in different disciplines must obtain formal approval of their academic dean, following established University procedures for such approvals.

Should the University invoke its prerogative to award a degree once a student has completed all stated degree requirements, the student may appeal this decision. If the student can demonstrate that continued enrollment is necessary to achieve his or her academic goals, the appeal may be granted. Reasons such as, but not limited to, desire to continue financial aid, participate in student activities, and access student services do not constitute legitimate reasons for appeal.

Any undergraduate student who wishes to appeal for continued enrollment, thereby postponing graduation, must submit a written request to the student's academic dean no later than ten class days after being notified that the University is invoking its right to award the degree. This appeal will be reviewed by a committee composed of the student's primary academic dean, the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, and the University Registrar. The committee must find evidence to support the student's claim of a legitimate academic need in order to grant permission to continue taking courses.

Once a degree has been awarded, all coursework leading to that degree is considered final and not subject to change. “Incomplete” grade changes or any other grade changes should be submitted prior to the posting of the degree. Grade changes or withdrawals for coursework that applies to the awarded degree may be considered only in cases of documented University error or in cases where the courses in question are documented as applying to a degree that is still in progress.

Graduation Planning and Strategies Office

The Graduation Planning and Strategies (GPS) Office provides programming and academic support activities for undergraduate students with high credit hours and other general advising needs to promote long-term planning and support student-driven goals for graduation and beyond.

The GPS Office establishes and implements programs, policies, and procedures that affect timely graduation and encourage students to maximize available options for degree completion. In consultation with colleges and departments, Graduation Specialists mediate, design, and manage graduation plans for students while providing intensive advising and degree planning assistance to facilitate timely degree completion.

Academic Progress Checks

To remind and prompt students to initiate their required graduation check, staff in the Registrar’s Office will place a hold on student accounts that either 1) total 90 credit-hours between a combination of earned and currently-in-progress coursework, OR 2) show the student is two terms away from their planned graduation date. This hold is removed after the student follows up with their college(s).

Application for Graduation

Application for a degree must be made during the application period defined in the academic calendar in the term in which the student expects to graduate. Students can apply for graduation online through the myFSU portal (https://my.fsu.edu). If the student is unable to graduate at the end of the term for which application was made, the application for graduation will carry forward to the subsequent term. Students with 160 or more earned hours may be placed on the graduation list by the University. Students in this category who are added to the graduation list will be notified by the Graduation Planning and Strategies Office and provided detailed information as to their options at that time.

Students who graduate in Fall must apply for and be readmitted to register for the next Spring (or any subsequent) term. Likewise, students who graduate in Spring must apply for and be readmitted to register for the next Summer (or any subsequent) term.

Degrees of Distinction

Three degrees of distinction are granted to all native graduating students based on all college-level work attempted (excluding physical education activity courses) and including the term's work in which baccalaureate degree requirements are completed:

  • Cum Laude for an overall average of 3.500

  • Magna Cum Laude for an overall average of 3.700

  • Summa Cum Laude for an overall average of 3.900

Degrees with distinction are granted to transfer students who meet all three of the following requirements:

  • The student must complete at this University at least forty semester hours of letter-graded work, including the final term's work.

  • The student must have the required minimum grade point average for each distinction level on all work taken at this University.

  • The student must have the required overall grade point average on all work attempted, including any transfer and dual-enrollment credit excluding any physical education activity courses or vocational courses, regardless of how many years have elapsed since the credit was earned. Transfer credit cannot raise a student's Florida State University grade point average. Therefore, if the transfer grade point average is higher than the Florida State grade point average, the level of distinction will be based on the Florida State grade point average.

Graduation with Honors

Students who complete and successfully defend an upper-division Honors in the Major Research or equivalent honors projects (as defined by individual departments offering honors in the major) will graduate with the designation “with Honors.” Students may graduate with one of the three degrees of distinction described above and “With Honors.” The “University Honors Program and Honor Societies” chapter of this General Bulletin fully describes the Honors in the Major Program.