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Office of the University Registrar

2005-06 Undergraduate Catalog

Academic Policies

College of Fine Arts


Admission Requirements

Students planning to major in any program in fine arts should contact the Fine Arts program as soon as possible. Due to limitations in faculty and space, the college cannot accept all eligible applicants. Therefore, admission to the college is selective.

Auditions are required for admission to all music programs and to all B.F.A. programs in theatre and dance. See School websites for audition information. A student’s entire record, including educational objective, pattern of courses completed, quality of academic record, successful audition or portfolio review, and test data will be considered. Applicants to art and music education programs are required to present SAT or ACT test scores before admission to these programs. Priority in admission will be given to those applicants whose potential indicates the greatest likelihood of success in the program.

Native Freshmen and Sophomores

Because the College of Fine Arts offers professional degrees (B.F.A. and B.M.), the admissions process often occurs in two phases.

    1. "Conditional" admission as a freshman to the college and a program of choice in the School of Theatre and Dance or the School of Art and Art History. There is no conditional admission for music students; they must audition for direct admission to music programs before registering for classes.

    2. "Direct" or confirmed, admission into a specific program of choice, which occurs in different stages of the academic career for different programs.

  • Art: students in art are required to submit a portfolio in studio courses as a freshman. Students desiring to change from another major within the university must submit a portfolio for conditional admission. All art students must pass a portfolio review at the end of their sophomore year before direct admission to a specific program.
  • Music: all students must audition for admission to a music major.
  • Theatre and Dance: students must audition for direct admission to B.F.A. programs.

Students, even those in the "conditional" phase of their program, maintain the College of Fine Arts (FA) classification as long as they meet the standards set by the college and UF for admission and universal tracking.

Transfer Students

To be eligible for admission to the college, a transfer student must satisfy the minimum requirements for UF admission.

The primary criterion for any art, dance, music and theatre program is proficiency in the discipline. All students, except for B.A. in theatre, must present an audition or portfolio for review.

The majority of 3000/4000-level professional courses required for the major in the junior and senior years generally cannot be taken at other schools. Students attending four-year colleges should take courses similar to the first two years’ preparatory courses for their intended major.

The associate of arts (A.A.) degree is required for students transferring from a community college; the degree should be posted on the student’s transcript before admission. Any exception to this requirement will be stated in the student’s acceptance letter.

Transfer students are advised to plan their studies as outlined below for each department or school. Transfer students, even with completed A.A. degrees, will usually be required to take additional preprofessional, lower-division (2000 level) courses beyond the minimum courses, required for entry into a specific program.

Art: Students are admitted to studio degree programs following completion of a satisfactory portfolio review. (Please note: The UF Office of Admission deadline for Fall or Summer B is February 1. The deadline for art portfolio submission for Fall or Summer B is March 15). The community college program should include:

  • two basic design courses, including color theory
  • two free-hand drawing courses
  • two courses in art history
  • two studio courses in the desired major

These courses transfer automatically. Other courses prefixed ART do not transfer automatically and will need evidence of achievement (i.e., portfolio). All majors within the School of Art and Art History require a portfolio review, except art history.

Dance: Students are admitted to the program following completion of the following:

  • a satisfactory in-person or videotaped audition
  • a résumé
  • acceptable proficiency in dance technique

The community college program should include the following:

  • two years of dance technique, including ballet, modern and jazz
  • one year of dance composition
  • dance appreciation
  • production and performance courses or experience

Music: Students are admitted to the program following completion of a satisfactory in person or tape-recorded audition and accomplishment of an acceptable proficiency in music theory (written, singing and aural skills). The community college program should include the following:

  • four semesters of music theory, including written theory, ear training, sight singing and keyboard harmony
  • four semesters of performance major study
  • four semesters of ensemble participation
  • four semesters of piano skills
  • one semester of Music Styles (MUL 2110)

Transfer students, with or without an A.A. degree, who have satisfactorily completed these requirements must take the Comprehensive Musicianship Exam for placement within the UF music program. Only those who successfully pass all levels of this exam will be exempt from the theory sequence at UF. If remedial or lower-division theory courses are required, student must complete the course work before taking the exam again to ensure their readiness for upper-division work.

Theatre: Students are admitted to the program following completion of a satisfactory audition in performance or a portfolio review in production. The community college program should include the following:

  • two courses in acting
  • introduction to theatre
  • costume and stage make-up
  • stage production
  • stage movement
  • theatre practice

Change of Major

Students wishing to change majors after four semesters should do so before acquiring 96 hours (including current enrollment). In addition, students must have satisfied the following:

  • met the minimum overall GPA
  • completed the designated foundation courses (preprofessional courses)
  • passed any required audition, portfolio review or any required preprofessional courses
  • met universal-tracking requirements set by the college
  • demonstrated a well-articulated educational goal for which the change of major is necessary

Dean’s List

Double Majors

Students may choose to complete the requirements for two majors from the same division; e.g., painting and drawing or music history and ethnomusicology, or acting and scene design. Courses used for one major may be used as electives for the other major and vice versa.

Students applying for a double major must already be admitted to one Fine Arts major and have fewer than 96 hours (including current enrollment). They must meet all admission requirements set by the college for the second major and be able to complete the degree within a reasonable number of semesters.

Dual Degrees

A dual-degree program is defined as the completion of two degree programs, e.g., a B.A. and B.F.A.; B.M. and B.F.A. Students may not receive a dual degree when the degree title is the same, such as two B.A.s or two B.F.A.s in the same disciplines.

Courses used for one major may be used as electives for the other major and vice versa. Students applying for a dual degree must already be admitted to one major and have fewer than 96 hours (including current enrollment.) They must meet all admission requirements set by the college for the second degree if the second degree is within the college. If the second degree is outside the college, applicants must be admitted to the second degree program by the appropriate college.

Students should be able to complete both degrees within a reasonable number of hours. Students are required to file two degree applications with the Office of the Registrar.

Minors

Students enrolled in colleges other than fine arts may wish to consider a minor in this college. The following minors are available: art history; music with emphasis in music performance by audition, music literature/theory/ composition, and ethnomusicology; theatre with emphasis in general theatre or design/technical; and dance.

Students should review the list of minors and email the school for application information.

Minors for Fine Arts Majors

Students with majors in the fine arts may pursue a minor in another department or college. Students in any art studio major may pursue a minor in art history. The minor, however, does not reduce the number of hours required for the major. Students interested in an outside minor are encouraged to discuss the requirements and certification procedures, and to seek approval with an adviser from the college that houses the minor.

Teaching Certification

An applicant for initial regular certification in Florida must first pass the state teacher certification examination.

In cooperation with the College of Education, the College of Fine Arts offers programs for teaching art and music in the public schools in grades K-12. Students completing these programs’ curricula fulfill the educational requirements for teaching certification K-12 in Florida and in most other states through the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

As a prerequisite for admission, a student must receive a minimum composite score of 20 on the American College Test or a minimum composite score of 960 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. If taken before April 1995, a score of 840 is required. A minimum grade point average of 2.5 also is required, and the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) must be taken. Students are not allowed to complete CLAST through exemptions.

The student must complete all course work before the student-teaching semester. Because student teaching is a full-time commitment, student teachers may not register for any other course during the student-teaching semester. A student may not be employed on weekdays while student teaching.

General College Requirements

Student Responsibility

Students are responsible for staying on track, for registering for the proper courses and for fulfilling all requirements for their degrees.

While the college maintains an academic advisory service and carefully works to keep accurate records of individual students in the college, the student is responsible for meeting all degree requirements. Students should read their online-tracking audits each term and visit an adviser to review progress toward the degree.

Students may be required to take additional courses to remove skill deficiencies when deemed necessary by proficiency exams.

Normal Course Load

The normal load in this college is 15 credit hours per semester. All students are expected to carry a normal load. A student who wishes to carry more than 17 hours must get approval at the time of registration from a college academic adviser.

Normal Academic Progress

Students maintain normal academic progress by earning a minimum GPA of 2.0 (C) for all work attempted while classified in the college (2.5, C+ average in music education, 3.0 in art and art education). The term average, as used here, refers to the GPA on work attempted after the student is classified "FA" and not the cumulative GPA established by the university.

Students must take courses as outlined in the tracking plan for each major. Failure to comply will result in college probation or suspension. Students are required to take courses in sequence. Students may be excluded from a program of study in the college if they fail or refuse to maintain normal academic progress.

College Probation and Dismissal

A junior or senior whose college GPA falls below 2.0 (or other required minimum) will be placed on college probation, and the student will be notified in writing. The college GPA is not the cumulative UF GPA but rather the GPA on all courses taken after the student is classified "FA." As long as a student has a deficit record, he/she will remain on probation, and must continue to remove deficits each term. Failure to remove the deficits in a timely way could result in a college suspension for one term.

While on suspension, a student cannot enroll at another institution unless he/she has successfully petitioned the college. If a student is permitted to enroll in approved courses at another institution, grades earned will not reduce the deficit points at UF nor will they count toward UF credit. Students cannot graduate from this college with deficit points on their records.

Adding/Dropping/Withdrawing

Refer to the policy for dropping courses in academic policies section.

Petitions

Any student who feels that college regulations created a particular hardship or injustice may petition for a waiver of the regulation. Information on procedures is available in the adviser’s office. Anyone who believes that she/he has been discriminated against should contact the associate dean for student and academic affairs.

If a student feels that his or her performance in a course has not been evaluated accurately, the situation should be discussed with the instructor. If the disagreement is not resolved, the student may pursue the matter with the instructor’s school director.

International Opportunities

The college encourages study abroad for a semester or a full academic year and has established exchange agreements with foreign colleges and universities. These programs allow UF students to experience other cultures and to count the credits earned toward their degrees.

Participants in approved college programs can receive financial aid, can count summer courses taken abroad as part of their summer study obligation, can study abroad during the last 30 hours of their program, and with careful planning and prior approval, can count course work taken abroad as part of their major or core requirements. Interested students should consult their adviser.

Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree Programs

The College of Fine Arts offers juniors and seniors the opportunity to begin graduate study early by taking graduate-level courses before completing the bachelor’s degree. A combined-degree program normally requires a 3.2 GPA, a verbal and quantitative GRE score of 1100 (when required) and admission to the Graduate School. Contact the graduate coordinator or academic adviser for more information.

Additionally, juniors and seniors with at least a 3.0 GPA may, with instructor permission, take up to six graduate credits that will count toward an undergraduate degree.