The University of West Florida's mission is to provide students with access to high-quality, relevant, and affordable learning experiences from initial enrollment through graduation.  Per AC-34.04, the Undergraduate Student Progress to Degree policy, the intent is to assist full-time students in maintaining satisfactory academic process and in completing a degree program quickly and efficiently.

Registration Policies and Procedures

Course offering information is available on the Office of the Registrar website, via the Course Search.

Degree-seeking students are responsible for arranging appointments with their assigned academic advisors prior to registration. Degree-seeking students who are enrolling for their initial semester at UWF must meet with their advisor prior to registration to discuss degree plans and receive their advising PIN. Appointments can be made through the advising centers, academic departments, and at the Emerald Coast location. Degree-seeking students have priority for registration and enrollment.

Academic Advising

The University of West Florida is committed to quality academic advising to assist all students in attaining their educational goals. First Year Advising advises all First-Time in College, Continuing Freshman, and Undeclared Major students until they are transitioned to their academic department advisors. All students are encouraged to seek academic advising on a regular basis throughout their academic careers.

University Responsibilities

The faculty, administration, and staff share a responsibility to provide accurate information and effective advice. The Department of Enrollment Affairs is responsible for providing students, faculty, and other advising staff with accurate information in the Catalog and other publications.

The academic advisors in the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities; College of Business; College of Education and Professional Studies; Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering; Usha Kundu, MD College of Health; and Division of Academic Engagement and Student Affairs are responsible for acting as a resource to provide students with timely and accurate information on University-wide requirements, policies, procedures, and referrals to appropriate services.

College and Department Responsibilities

The dean of each college and chairperson of each department ultimately are responsible for ensuring that academic advice is available and accessible to all students within the college or department.

Student Responsibilities

Students ultimately are responsible for knowing and fulfilling all University, college, and major requirements for graduation. Students should use their degree audit, Catalog, and other resources for information.

Degree Progression

Under UWF AC-34.04, each student is required to meet with an advisor to develop a plan of study appropriate to the student's academic goals. The plan of study should be used as a tool for guiding students toward efficient graduation. DegreeWorks, UWF's degree audit system, will be used as the official tool to document degree plans.

Plan of Study

All students will receive an individualized degree-plan outlining their program of study. This is the benchmark for graduation and will be listed in the official degree plan upon initial enrollment.

Four-Year Plan of Study

All First-Time in College Students (FTIC) are projected to graduate in four-years (nine semesters or eleven semesters when including summer(s)). Exceptions may be allowed for degree programs that have Board of Governors approval to exceed 120-semester credit hours.  All FTIC students will have an assigned plan of study after meeting with the assigned academic advisor. Students who wish to change their major must meet with the assigned academic advisor to prepare another plan of study. (UWF AC-34.04)

Two-Year Plan of Study

Florida College Students (FCS) and dual-enrolled students from an FCS institution entering with an Associate of Arts (AA) degree are projected to graduate in two years (four semesters or five semesters when including summer). All transfer students will have an assigned two-year plan of study after meeting with the assigned academic advisor and must meet all degree program common prerequisite requirements in order to efficiently complete the two-year degree plan. FCS students should meet with the assigned academic advisor for this purpose by the end of their second semester at UWF. Students who wish to change their major must meet with the assigned academic advisor to prepare another plan of study. (UWF AC-34.04)

Early Warning

A number of academic, nonacademic, and related factors are associated with attrition and risk. The Early Warning process is designed to be a proactive approach to provide early identification and intervention for FTIC students,  student athletes, and students in the TRIO program who are experiencing academic difficulty. The Early Warning timeline includes three checkpoints and an optional fourth checkpoint throughout the fall and spring semesters.

The Early Alert checkpoint will ask for faculty assistance in identifying students who are exhibiting a pattern of “at risk academic behavior” such as regularly missing class, being inattentive or not participating in class activities, consistently failing to turn in assignments, or not being prepared for tests or projects. The Early Alert checkpoint will be completed by the fourth week of classes.

The Midterm Warning checkpoint will ask for faculty assistance in identifying students who are exhibiting “at risk academic performance” and who are off track for academic success in a general education course. This will benefit students by providing academic feedback in enough time for students to decide if they need to withdraw from the course or if there are corrective measures that can be put in place. The Midterm Warning checkpoint for General Education courses is prepared at the end of the tenth week of classes. The midterm warning is advisory feedback and not part of a student’s permanent academic history.  It will not be used to determine enrollment status, dismissal, or eligibility for financial aid, housing, or athletics. Midterm feedback will not appear on the student’s transcript.

Feedback submitted during early warning by professors/instructors represent their best estimate of a student’s grade and performance at the time of reporting, thus the professor/instructor will not be held responsible for the accuracy of this estimate or its ability to predict the student’s final grade in the course.  

*UWF AC-34.04

Pre-Graduation Audit

Students are required to meet with their assigned academic advisor to complete a Pre-Graduation Degree Audit prior to completing 90 credit hours. This audit is intended to advise the student of all courses needed for graduation and to confirm that all remaining requirements are included in the degree plan. Registration holds will be placed on the records of students with 90 credit hours or more who have not completed the Pre-Graduation Degree Audit.

*UWF AC-34.04

Graduation Process

Under UWF AC-34.04, students are responsible for meeting all graduation requirements.  Having met all requirements for an undergraduate degree a student is expected to graduate and will not be permitted to take additional classes as an undergraduate student. Student responsibilities include:

1. Meeting with an academic advisor each semester to discuss degree progression;
2. Completing the Graduation Application online by the deadline listed on the Academic Dates and Deadlines;
3. Meeting with the Department and completing a Graduation Action Plan when necessary; and
4. Meeting all requirements for the degree.

Department responsibilities include:

1. Advising students toward degree completion;
2. Reviewing and approving the list of prospective graduates;
3. Notifying the Office of the Registrar if degree requirements have not been met; and
4. Meeting with the student and completing a Graduation Plan of Action when necessary.

As provided in UWF Reg 3.010 (Student Code of Conduct), and in UWF Reg 3.030 (Student Code of Academic Conduct), all pending disciplinary matters must be resolved prior to a student’s graduation, transfer from, or continued education at the University of West Florida.