A credit is a unit of measurement that indicates the number of hours a given class will meet each week of the term. For example, PSY 2012 is a 3 credit hour course that typically meets for three hours each week.
What is a Certificate Program?
A certificate program provides a specialized, short-term, hands-on training and study in a specific occupational area (for example, Automotive Service Technology, Commercial Air-Conditioning Technology, etc.). Certificate programs at SFSC may be either college credit certificate programs or occupational programs.
What is the Associate in Science (AS) degree?
The two-year AS degree programs prepare a student for employment in a variety of specialized technical fields. The AS degree allows a student to transfer into an articulated program of study at one or more of the state universities or independent colleges in Florida. The AS degree is a minimum of 60 credit hours, with approximately 18 credit hours of general education. The AS degree gives students the flexibility of entering the job market after two years of study or continuing their education. Students are encouraged to discuss their options with a counselor.
What is the Associate in Arts (AA) degree?
An AA degree is also referred to as the university parallel program. Students complete an AA degree and then pursue a bachelor’s degree in a particular field of study at a four-year college or university. The AA degree requires the completion of a minimum of 60 credit hours, with approximately two-thirds of the courses distributed among general education requirements. The remaining one-third of the courses are specific to the major. In completing the AA degree, students are enrolling in lower division courses (freshman and sophomore level courses) at the state college.
Bachelor’s degrees are awarded by four-year colleges or universities to students who have completed a specific number and sequence of upper division courses (junior and senior level courses). Most bachelor’s degree require students to complete a minimum of 60 credit hours of course work after they have earned an associate degree. A student typically completes at least 120 credit hours of course work to earn a bachelor’s degree.
A prerequisite is a requirement or condition that must be met before enrolling in a particular course or program. Prerequisites may be placement test scores or preparatory courses, as well as college credit courses.
Why is General Education Course Work Necessary?
General education courses are designed to broaden a student’s knowledge base, assist in the development of analytical and expressive skills, assist in the development of critical thinking skills, and to prepare students for the pursuit of life-long learning. Degree-seeking students at SFSC will complete courses in communications, humanities, social and behavior sciences, mathematics, and the natural sciences to fulfill their general education requirements.
A college major is a specific program of study with a set of required and elective courses designed to provide intensive education/training. Students are encouraged to select a major that fits with their interests and abilities.
SFSC currently offers two six-week sessions during the months of May, June, and July.
What are Lower Division Credits/Courses?
Lower division credits refer to courses taken during the first two-years of college, typically the freshman and sophomore years. They are generally 1000 level and 2000 level courses respectively. Students enrolling in the associate’s degree at the state college generally complete lower division courses.
What are Upper Division Credits/Courses?
For students seeking a bachelor’s degree, upper division credit is acquired from courses typically taken during the last two years of study, the junior and senior years of college. Upper division courses are designated as 3000 and 4000 level courses.
Does SFSC award a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree?
SFSC awards three bachelor’s degrees: Bachelor of Applied Science – Supervision and Management (BAS-SM); Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (BSEE); and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
What are Common Prerequisites?
The state of Florida has identified common prerequisites for all university programs. The common prerequisites outline all required courses and electives and/or substitutions to be completed by all students pursuing a particular program of study that must be accepted by all of the public state universities. The lower division prerequisites should be completed at the state college as a part of the Associate in Arts degree or at the state university prior to admission to the program of study.
What is a Transferable Course?
A transferable course or credit is one that is accepted by a four-year college as the equivalent of its course having the same description. Transferable courses are used in the Associate in Arts degree. The state of Florida uses a common course numbering system to make transferring easier from one participating institution to another. All of the state universities and state colleges have adopted this course numbering system. Transferable courses are noted in the course descriptions in the back of the SFSC Catalog.
A transfer major is a program of study within the AA degree that meets the lower division requirements outlined in the Common Prerequisites Manual.
A transcript is a record of your academic work. It includes course number, course name, grades (including W’s) and GPA. What is an official transcript?
An official transcript is a record of a student’s academic work sent from a high school, college, or university to another educational institution or corporation. Hand-carried transcripts or transcripts stamped “Issued to student” are not considered official transcripts.
What is the Difference Between Dropping and Withdrawing from a Course?
Dropping a course results in no record of a student ever being enrolled in a given class, and is not reflected on a student’s transcript. Dropping a course is limited to the first week of classes, otherwise known as the Drop with Refund Period. Students payment is refunded.
Withdrawing from a course occurs after the Drop with Refund Period and is noted on a student’s transcript with a grade of “W”. Students payment is not refunded.
Does the AA Degree Have a Foreign Language Requirement?
Students in the AA degree who have not successfully completed two years of the same foreign language in high school must complete two semesters of the same foreign language at the college level. For more information, please speak with a counselor or advisor.
How do I Contact an SFSC Advisor?
Call 784-7131, or e-mail us advising@southflorida.edu.
