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Frequently
Asked
Questions
I'm new to the area and would like to know more about your
institution. How can I find out about your admissions
requirements?
If you have access to the Internet, go to Florida Atlantic
University's home page (www.fau.edu)
and click on the Admissions link. There you will find
additional contact information as well as admissions
policies and procedures and on-line application forms.
Where do I
go for Advising?
If you are a recent high school graduate or a student
transferring from another institution with less than 30
credits hours, you are advised through the Freshman Academic
Advising Services Office. If you are transferring 30
or more credit hours, contact the Student Services Office
within the appropriate college (click on the appropriate
college link on the right).
When
I applied to FAU I didn't have a major. I still don't.
Is there a listing of undergraduate majors?
Yes, in the Undergraduate catalog. If you have
Internet access, go to the FAU website (www.fau.edu).
Click on the courses/catalog link, then click on the
undergraduate catalog link. You will find a list of
degree programs under "Academic Programs".
How can I find out what transfer credits FAU accepted from my
other institution(s)?
You should arrange to meet with an advisor within your
college/department to determine how transfer credits will be
applied to your degree program.
I
applied to FAU and transferred 65 credits. A review of my
FAU record shows I was only awarded 53 credits. What
happened to my other credits?
This question should be addressed to the Admission's Office,
which does the initial evaluation of all transcripts (see
link under "Resourceful Links" for Admission's Office).
Double check with the Admission's Office to make sure they
received all of your transcripts.
What is Gordon Rule?
All students entering a Florida state university after
October 15, 1982 are required to comply with Florida
Administrative Code 6A10.030, known as the Gordon Rule.
This rule requires students to complete a writing
requirement of at least 24,000 words and 6 semester hours of
Gordon Rule mathematics with a grade of "C" or better.
Additional information is available in the on-line
Undergraduate catalog.
What is the "CLAST"?
CLAST
stands for College Level Academic Skills Test. This is a
state mandated test of fundamental mathematical, language and
writing skills. It is normally administered toward the end
of the student's sophomore year. A student must pass three
out of the four sections of the CLAST exam prior to admission to
the upper division (i.e. 60 earned credit hours). Students
who transfer with 60 or more hours will be permitted to register
for ONE SEMESTER ONLY without fulfilling the CLAST requirements.
Students, in this circumstance, who do not pass at least three
of the four sections of the CLAST exam during their first
semester, will not be permitted to register for future
semesters. Students may only complete up to 96 credits
hours without successfully completing all four sections of the
CLAST. Students, not fulfilling the CLAST requirement by
the time they earn 96 credit hours will have a CLAST HOLD placed
on their record. You will need to speak to someone within
the Registrar's Office (561) 297 - 3050 or the Office for
Testing & Evaluation (561) 297 - 3160 to reconcile the hold.
Please consult the academic calendar or the Office for Testing &
Evaluation for test dates.
My
major requires me to take 6 credit hours of "upper division"
coursework. What does that mean?
Lower
division courses are usually any course with a 1000/2000 course
number (i.e. ENC 1101 and ARH 2000). These courses are
generally considered freshman or sophomore level classes.
Upper division courses are usually any course with a 3000/4000
course number (i.e. MAN 3030 and SYD 4814). These courses
are generally considered junior or senior level classes.
Courses with a 5000/6000 number are graduate level classes.
What
is an ELECTIVE?
An
elective is any course not required for your major. In
other words, it is a course not prescribed as a requirement for
your degree.
I
work and can't take a full course load. How many classes
or credits do I need to take to be a part-time student?
A
full-time undergraduate course load is 12 credits hours or more
in the Fall & Spring semesters. Most of the undergraduate
degree programs require 120 credit hours to earn the degree.
Students hoping to complete a degree in four years should take
at least 15 credit hours in the Fall & Spring semester or 30
credit hours per academic year. The maximum enrolled
credit hours for the Fall & Spring semesters is 20 credit hours.
Students enrolled for 1 to 11 credit hours are considered
part-time.
I
took 3 years of Spanish in high school. Do I have to take
a foreign language at FAU?
All
undergraduate students admitted to FAU must satisfy the
statewide foreign language admissions requirement (2 years of a
foreign language sequence while in high school, or the
equivalent proficiency at the college or university level - for
example: credit through Advanced Placement or the International
Baccalaureate program). Your major will determine whether
or not you are required to take a foreign language to fulfill
your degree requirements (see Baccalaureate Degree Requirements
in the Undergraduate catalog).
How
does the Pass/Fail grade option work?
In
certain designated undergraduate courses, undergraduate students
may elect to receive a Pass (P) or Fail (F) grade rather than a
standard "A through F" grade. "P" grades are not
calculated within the grade point average (GPA). "F"
grades ARE calculated within the GPA. Students may
take only one P/F class per semester and up to 12 credit hours
of P/F course work during their entire course of study at FAU.
Please refer to the on-line Undergraduate catalog for the
Pass/Fail policy.
What
is a PIN CODE?
A PIN
code is a personal identification number assigned to each
student eligible to use OASIS system. A student's initial
PIN code is their birth day and year preceded by two zeros.
For example: if a student's birth date is 6/13/83, then their
PIN code is 001383.
I
have a HOLD and can't register for classes. How do I get
rid of the HOLD?
Registration holds are placed on students' records for a number
of reasons. You must first determine what department(s)
placed the hold. Then you must contact that department to
find out what needs to be done to clear the hold(s). Use
OASIS to check for holds.
I
tried registering for an English class and it said "permit
only". What does that mean?
Certain courses require special permission from the instructor
and/or department. Students generally may not register for
these courses using OASIS. To get permission to register,
students must take a registration Drop/Add from to the
instructor or department, obtain a signature and the college
stamp, and then take the form to the Registrar's Office to get
enrolled. Students may also be given "authorization or
permission" in OASIS by the department and may then register
on-line.
How
do I check my grades at the end of the term?
Grades reports are no longer mailed to students at the end of
each semester. Students may obtain their grades via OASIS
and FACTS.org website (www.facts.org).
I
took a course at FAU and received an "F" within it. My
friend told me I can have the grade "forgiven". How do I
do this?
As an
FAU student, you may use the "forgiveness" policy two (2) times
during your pursuit of an undergraduate degree. The course
you wish to forgive must be a FAU course and can only be
repeated at FAU. A Repeated Course Request Card (available
within the Registrar's Office or on-line at the Registrar's
link), must be filled out and submitted to the Registrar's
Office. Both grades for the course will be displayed on
the transcript, but only the last grade earned is calculated
into the GPA.
How
can I change my major?
A
"Change of Major" form (available within the Registrar's Office)
must be completed, and submitted to the accepting college (the
college in which your new major resides) along with an
"unofficial" copy of your transcript. Take the form to the
Student Services Office within the College of your new major.
Generally, an overall cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required to
change your major.
What
is a minor?
Minors are offered in several disciplines (refer to the on-line
Undergraduate catalog). Generally, a minor requires
approximately 18 to 21 credit hours of concentrated study in a
specified discipline. A student may pursue one minor per
major degree program.
I'm
considering transferring to FAU from an out-of-state
institution. Is there a way to see the degree requirements
for my anticipated major to make sure you have the program I
want?
Yes,
if you have Internet access you can go to the FAU website (www.fau.edu),
and click on the Undergraduate catalog link. Once there,
click on "degree requirements". Also, on the Undergraduate
catalog page, you will find course descriptions for the classes
associated with each of the undergraduate degree programs.
I am
an out-of-state student pursuing a degree here at FAU. I'm
from New York and I'd like to take classes at my local community
college when I go home for the Summer. Will the credits
transfer back and be counted toward my degree program at FAU?
You
should probably meet with an advisor within your
college/department to discuss the appropriateness of taking
classes at another institution. If you and your advisor
agree on the course(s) you can take, a "Transient Student" form
will need to be completed and processed through the Registrar's
Office. The form can also be completed through FACTS.org (www.facts.org)
under the link entitled "transfer services". The
"Transient Student" form allows FAU students to take courses at
another institution and assures the credits will be accepted
toward the FAU degree.
Is it
possible to earn a degree on-line at FAU?
Go to
FAU's home page (www.fau.edu)
and click on the Distance Learning link. Once you've
accessed the distance learning site, click on "Programs" for a
detailed listing of courses and degree programs available
on-line.
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