Degree and Graduation Policies

Degree Application

Students must apply for a degree by the application deadline via ONE.UF. To submit an application, select Degree/Certificate Application from the Academics section in the left menu.

Students must apply in the term in which they expect to graduate, regardless of applications in previous terms. If the student has completed all the requirements for the degree, they will be required to graduate. Degree application deadlines are available under Dates and Deadlines.
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Associate of Arts Degree | AA

Although not required, students may receive an AA degree, which is awarded by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The degree must be awarded prior to or at the same time as the bachelor’s degree. Students should apply for the AA degree in the semester when they are scheduled to complete the requirements. The application is available on ONE.UF.

The Associate of Arts degree will be awarded upon satisfactory completion of:

Catalog Year

UF operates on a semester system. Spring and Fall semesters average 15 weeks of instruction, plus a week of final examinations. There are two six-week Summer terms. Semesters begin in August, January, and May. The Summer term is offered as a full term (Term C), or in two sessions as half-terms (Term A beginning in May and Term B beginning in June).

Catalog year determines the set of academic requirements that must be fulfilled for completion of a certificate or to graduate from a degree-granting program. Students complete a program under the catalog in effect at the time of their initial enrollment as a certificate or degree-seeking student at UF, a Florida public college or other Florida state institution, provided they maintain continuous enrollment (enrolling for at least one course in one term in an academic year). Students pursuing minors, dual degrees or double majors must have the same catalog year for each program. Students pursuing certificates may have separate catalog years for their certificate(s) and degree-seeking programs(s).

Students who do not maintain continuous enrollment will be assigned the catalog in effect at the time they resume enrollment. With the approval of the student's college dean’s office, they may choose to graduate under the requirements of a later catalog, but the student must fulfill all graduation requirements from that alternative catalog year.

The university will make every reasonable effort to honor the curriculum requirements appropriate to each student’s catalog year. However, courses and programs will sometimes be discontinued, and requirements may change as a result of curricular review or actions by accrediting associations and other agencies.

College Dean’s Certification

Students who have completed all requirements for their degree will be required to graduate. The dean certifies that all requirements have been completed and that the student has been recommended by the faculty for graduation.

Completion Deadline to Receive a Degree

All work must be completed by the end of the final exam period for the Fall and Spring terms and by the last day of classes for the Summer terms. A minimum UF cumulative grade point average of 2.0 must be earned to qualify for the awarding of an undergraduate degree.

Continuous Enrollment

Undergraduate students who enroll for at least one course in one term in an academic year are continuously enrolled.

Curriculum Requirements

Students must complete all degree requirements established by the university, their college, their major and minor (if applicable); this includes completion of General Education, Writing Requirement and the Summer term enrollment requirements.

Minors are awarded only in conjunction with the receipt of a baccalaureate degree. To determine program requirements, refer to the academic advising and majors sections.

Degree Certification and Graduation Date

All colleges, excluding professional programs in the colleges of Dentistry, Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary Medicine, will certify their graduates the Tuesday following the last day of classes for the Summer terms (subject to change due to holiday) or the Tuesday following the end of the final exam period for the Fall and Spring terms. This certification date will appear on the transcript and the diploma as the official date of graduation. Professional programs in the aforementioned colleges will use the date of their official commencement ceremony as the date of graduation. This date will appear on both the transcript and diploma as the official date of graduation, as required by professional accreditation guidelines.

Diploma Replacement

Each diploma ordered subsequent to the student's initial degree application can result in a diploma replacement charge.

Dual Degrees and Multiple Majors

At the discretion of UF colleges and schools, students can be permitted to pursue multiple degrees or majors.

  • A student completing major and college requirements in two or more different colleges at the same time will receive two or more degrees. The transcript will list each degree and the appropriate majors.
  • A student completing major and college requirements in one college and major requirements only in another college will receive a degree from the first college. The transcript will list the degree and each major.
  • A student completing multiple majors that have the same degree, i.e., Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science, will receive a single degree. The transcript will list the degree and each major.

Foreign Language Requirement

As a condition of admission to the university, students must complete two sequential courses of a foreign language in secondary school, 8-10 semester credits at the postsecondary level or document an equivalent level of proficiency.

Some degrees also have additional, specific foreign language requirements. To earn a UF degree, students must meet the requirements of their major and college in addition to the university's foreign language requirement for admission.

Pending Charge of Academic Dishonesty or Conduct Violation

No degree will be conferred if a charge of academic dishonesty or student conduct violation is pending and the penalty could be dismissal, expulsion, failing grade or any combination, until the charge is resolved, and degree requirements are met.

Residence Requirements

The minimum residence requirement for the baccalaureate degree is two semesters.

  • Students are required to complete the last 25% of the credits needed to satisfy the requirements of their major by taking UF courses.

Summer Term Enrollment

All students entering a university in the State University System (SUS) institutions with fewer than 60 semester credits shall be required to earn at least nine semester credits prior to graduation by attendance at one or more Summer sessions. However, students who earn six credits through UF-sponsored, UF exchange or UF-approved SUS study-abroad programs during one or two Summer terms completely satisfy the Summer-term enrollment requirement. Students who bring 60 or more transfer credits to UF, regardless of institution, will be exempt from completing the Summer requirement at UF.