Frequently Asked Questions for Undergraduate Students

Can my Community College credits count toward my electives and/or major at FAU?
Community College credits can only apply toward your freshman/sophomore program. You must earn a minimum of 45 semester hours from a four-year institution (99 credits for architecture) and coursework toward your major must be taken at a four-year institution.

I took statistics (Calculus for ARC majors) at a Community College before being admitted to FAU, will it count for my prerequisite?
As long as the course is a passing grade it will count toward your prerequisites. However, remember that any Gordon Rule class must be a ‘C’ or better to count toward Gordon Rule.

I completed eight credits of foreign language at the Community College. Will they count toward my degree?
The language will meet FAU entrance and graduation requirements; however, the credits will not apply toward your upper division credits for your FAU program.

I took several courses from an out-of-state college that required writing; will they count toward the Gordon Rule writing requirement?
The Gordon Rule states that the student must have four courses of 24,000 words in the area of writing. Most English I and II courses consist of 6,000 words of writing each. The student will need to provide documentation for the additional 12,000 words of writing. Documentation must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office and may consist of the following:

• A catalog description, stating the number of words of writing per course.
• A course syllabus, stating the number of words or pages required for a course.
• A letter from the instructor or other college official, attesting to the completion of 12,000 additional words of writing, excluding any essay exams.

I took credits in my major from a four-year institution. How will I know if they count toward my program at FAU?
Seventy-five percent of major coursework must be completed at FAU. Therefore, you can transfer up to twenty-five percent of course requirements from another institution, For approval, you must set an appointment to meet with your Academic Advisor for a “program review”. The Advisor will submit a request to the respective Chairperson to review the coursework and either approve or deny the courses toward the program. We require either a course description or syllabus for review so it is helpful if you bring a catalog with you to the appointment. In the meantime, do not register for classes that seem similar to the ones you want to count toward your FAU program.

What is the maximum number of transfer credits that FAU will count toward my degree?
You must earn at least 30 semester credits at FAU to be awarded a degree from FAU, therefore, you can bring in up to 90 semester hours from a four-year institution. Of the 90 hours, 75 may be lower division and 15 must be upper division. Architecture students will only be able to transfer a maximum of 60 credits at the lower division to count toward their 159 credits.

If I have an AA degree from a Florida public university or community college, will that satisfy FAU’s general education requirements?
FAU accepts an AA degree that is awarded from a Florida Public University or Community College.

If I have an AA degree from an out-of-state institution, will that satisfy FAU’s general education requirements?
Not necessarily. You need to contact your Academic Advisor and set up a meeting for a transcript evaluation.

If I have an AS degree from a Florida Public University or Community College, will that satisfy FAU’s general education requirements?
Not necessarily. We do not accept some credits earned under an AS program, the student may still need to meet general education requirements for a BA or BS degree. In order to determine if you have deficiencies and how to meet the deficiencies, you should make an appointment to meet with your Academic Advisor.

What constitutes an upper division or lower division course?
An upper division course is either a junior or senior level course. Typically, upper division courses are 3000/4000 level and lower division are 1000/2000 level.

How do I know if a course has a pre-requisite?
In the back of the FAU catalog, you will find description of courses and they will indicate if a pre-requisite is required. It is the student’s responsibility to determine if pre-requisites are met prior to enrolling in courses.

What is a minor?
A minor demonstrates that your electives are focused in a special area. The minors available at FAU are listed in the Academic Policies section of the FAU catalog. Usually you can use your electives toward obtaining a minor. This may help you be more marketable and give you more career options.

What kind of job can I get with my major?
You can visit the career center website. You can also meet with a faculty member who has a background in the area you are interested. You may visit the Library and read about the various careers available to you. You may also join organizations and become a volunteer.