General Requirements for the
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) has seven requirements for awarding of a degree. Students must also meet all requirements for the major.
- Hours: All CLAS students must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 120 acceptable semester hours for the degree. Up to 30 hours earned in a UF overseas study or exchange program may be applied to this requirement. Students may petition to have more hours accepted; however approval is rarely given.
- Grade point average: Students must achieve a minimum overall average of C (2.0) in all work attempted at the university.
- The last 30 hours applied toward the degree must be earned through the University of Florida. In extenuating circumstances, the last three hours may be waived by petition. Participation in a UF-approved study abroad or exchange program is not considered a break in attending UF. However students must see an adviser to be sure the degree audit accurately reflects this.
- University/state of Florida Requirements: To earn a degree, all students must complete:
- a general education program,
- the writing and math requirement, and
- the summer term enrollment requirement.
- Basic Distribution: To ensure that students gain a rich and varied general education, the college requires students to complete basic distribution requirements (general education plus additional CLAS requirements).
- The same course may NOT be used to satisfy requirements in two different distribution areas (C, H, S, P or B).
- Three of the credits must also be designated as international studies (N) and three of the credits must be designated as diversity studies (D).
- A minimum grade of C is required for all courses fulfilling the general education requirement, the writing and math requirements and the basic distribution requirements. The S-U grade option is not acceptable for these credits.
Summary of CLAS Basic Distribution (includes general education)
| Composition (C) | 6 credits |
| Mathematical Sciences (M) (including 3 credits with a math prefix) |
6 credits |
| Humanities (H) | 9 credits * (3 of these credits must be HUM 2305 What is the Good Life, unless student is exempt **) |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (S) | 9 credits * |
| Physical Science (P) | 6 credits * |
| Biological Science (B) | 6 credits * |
| Natural Science Laboratory *** | 1 credit |
* Must include three credits of international studies (N) and three credits of diversity studies (D).
** Students who transfer to UF with an AA from a public college or university in Florida are exempt from the requirement to take HUM 2305.
*** Natural science laboratory: One hour of a science lab with a minimum grade of C is required. Students can elect a laboratory course that is approved for the general education physical or biological sciences requirement or any psychology laboratory. (Most laboratory courses cannot be taken without prerequisite or corequisite courses.)
- Electives: Electives are defined as courses taken outside the major or major department. The degree program must include 18 hours of electives at the 3000 level or above.
- Foreign Language: CLAS students must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language. Foreign language is an important component of a liberal education. Study of foreign languages provides access to the cultural and intellectual heritage of cultures other than one’s own. Such study also provides a new perspective on the structure and complexity of the English language.
Proficiency in a foreign language is considered to be the level of skill a student has upon completion of a beginning language sequence at UF.