Common Program Prerequisites

Students entering most bachelor’s degree programs at any Florida public institution must successfully complete a set of lower division courses specified as “common prerequisites” for the selected program. The common lower division prerequisites for a given program are listed with other course requirements for that program. The Common Prerequisite Manual at FLVC.org (Florida Virtual Campus) lists the common prerequisite courses and substitutions for each university program. Students are urged to consult their advisor(s) early about choices of majors and to schedule General Education and common prerequisite coursework.

*BOG 8.010; BOG 8.011

Civic Literacy Requirement

Per, BOG Reg 8.006 Civic Literacy

1. Baccalaureate degree-seeking students initially entering a State University System (SUS) and Florida College System (FCS) fall semester 2018 and thereafter must demonstrate competency in civic literacy through one of the following options prior to graduation:
   1. Successfully passing either POSX041 American Government or AMHX020 Introductory Survey Since 1877.  Each of the courses must include the following competencies:
      1. Understanding of the basic principles and practices of American democracy and how they are applied in our republican form of government;
      2. An understanding of the United States Constitution and its application;
      3. Knowledge of the founding documents and how they have shaped the nature and functions of our institutions of self-government; and
      4. An understanding of landmark Supreme Court cases, landmark legislation and landmark executive actions and their impact on law and society.
   2. Achieving the standard score on one of the following assessments:

Civic Literacy FAQ

Civic Literacy website for more information

*BOG 8.006; s.1007.25(4,a-b) 

Foreign Language Requirement

Florida Statutes require that students admitted to a Florida public university meet the foreign language requirement for demonstrating competency in a foreign language. Students who have earned an A.A. from a Florida public community college may be admitted to the University, but must demonstrate competency prior to graduation with a baccalaureate degree. Students completing American Sign Language with passing grades will have satisfied the foreign language admission requirement. The foreign language requirement must be satisfied prior to progression to upper-division status. In addition, each academic department may determine specific language requirements for students and will recommend or require languages and proficiency according to individual needs, career objectives, and academic programs.

Competency may be demonstrated in the following ways:

• Earning two credits of a single foreign language in high school or one credit in high school and the second semester (four semester hours) of the same foreign language at an accredited post-secondary institution demonstrating proficiency through the second level, OR
• Satisfactory completion of a second level (i.e. SPN 1121, FRE 1121, etc...) foreign language at a post-secondary institution prior to admission to UWF demonstrating proficiency. Grades of P are acceptable for this requirement.
• Language courses at the second level may require a course prerequisite in order to register. Pre-requisites and/or the second level course (i.e. SPN 1120, FRE 1120, etc...) may be successfully completed by taking the appropriate UWF course or via credit by examination with appropriate test scores: CLEP subject matter examinations, MAPS-Latin examination published by the College Entrance Examination Board, or credit by proficiency (challenge examination) at UWF.
• The University of West Florida accepts language exams taken through the Brigham Young University’s Foreign Language Achievement Testing Services (FLATS). This service will allow students to fulfill the foreign language competency requirement by passing a computerized foreign language exam. UWF will not grant credit for the BYU test, but instead, the foreign language requirement will be waived if the score meets the required passing requirement.

Undergraduate transfer students are exempt if one of the following applies: (1) they received an A.A. from a Florida public college prior to September 1, 1989; or (2) they enrolled in a program of study leading to an associate's degree from a Florida public college prior to August 1, 1989, and completed at least one academic course each twelve-month period beginning with the student's first enrollment in a Florida public college and continuing until the student enrolled at UWF.

*BOG 6.002; **Passed by UWF Faculty Senate on 12/09/2016

General Degree Requirements

In addition to the requirements for the major program of study, students must satisfy the following general University requirements:

General Education Requirements

All students (except for students holding an A.A. or certification of the completion of general studies requirements from a Florida public university or college) who enter UWF must complete the requirements specified as General Education. The General Education requirements are the basic studies that provide students with a broad educational foundation and are essential requirements for all A.A. and baccalaureate degree programs, per BOG Reg 8.005. Courses may not be taken on the pass/fail basis. The General Education requirements are specified in the distribution as follows:

Gordon Rule (Writing and Mathematics) Requirements

To fulfill the writing and mathematics requirement for earning the first baccalaureate degree, students are required to satisfy the Gordon Rule (BOG 6.017) through successful completion of coursework in English, Writing, and Mathematics.

1. Six (6) semester hours of English Composition coursework and six (6) semester hours of additional coursework in which students are required to demonstrate college-level writing skills through multiple assignments.
2. Six (6) semester hours of mathematics at the level of college algebra or higher are required.

• Students are required to take six (6) semester hours of theoretical math or
• three (3) semester hours of theoretical math and three (3) semester hours of applied math. 

For the purposes of this rule, a grade of "C" or higher shall be considered successful completion.

Courses may not be taken on the pass/fail basis. Students must complete these requirements before advancing to upper-division status. Transfer students should refer to the Transfer Credit section of this catalog. Students should consult the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for evaluation of transfer mathematics courses for General Education requirements, Gordon Rule, and credit for graduation.

*BOG 6.017

The following UWF courses are approved for Gordon Rule (some courses may be more or less than 3 sh):

Summer Hour Requirement

All students entering a university in the State University System with fewer than 60 semester hours credit shall be required to earn at least 9 semester hours prior to graduation by attendance at one or more summer sessions at one of the state universities.  

Students may satisfy this requirement through online courses at UWF as well as any other UWF courses. Courses taken within the community college, state college system, or outside of the State University System of Florida cannot be used to satisfy summer hours.

*BOG 6.016