Policies and Procedures Relating to Freshmen and Sophomore Students

Subscribe to the FSOA Mail List
Frequently Asked Questions
Unsatisfactory Performance
Majors, Minors and Dual Degrees
Academic Advising
Part-Time Students
Student Academic Support System (SASS)
Courses from Other Institutions
Petition to Waive School Policies
Honor Statement

Top of PageSubscribe to the FSOA Mail List

The primary means by which the school will communicate announcements, events, changes in course offering, or other important information is via e-mail. Students who are admitted to the School should subscribe to the FSOA mail list to ensure that they receive notices from the School in a timely manner.

Top of PageFrequently Asked Questions:

Should I take the Calculus Readiness Assessment (CRA) before preview?
Yes. The CRA is designed to predict a student’s success in calculus and should be taken before Preview. If a student does not earn a minimum score of 16 on the CRA, he/she should take a lower-level math course (MAC 1147 with a grade of "C" or higher). This lower level math course would have to be completed during the first semester of enrollment in order to remain "on track".
I plan on returning home during the summer. Can I take courses at a community college near my home and apply these course credits towards my B.S.Ac. Degree?
With advance approval, students may take general education courses or electives at other state universities or community colleges. Approval can be obtained by completing a Transient Student Form that is available at 222 Criser Hall. Once a student has been admitted to the Fisher School of Accounting, preprofessional courses may not be taken outside the University of Florida. Students should plan their studies so that all preprofessional courses are completed during the Fall or Spring semesters if they plan on returning home during the summer.
What happens if I don’t earn the minimum "B" grade required in ACG 2021C (Introduction to Financial Accounting)?
Students are allowed two attempts to earn the minimum "B" grade in ACG 2021C. Drops and withdrawals are included in these two attempts. Students who do not earn the minimum "B" grade by their second attempt in the course will not be allowed to continue in the accounting program.
Am I required to take the exact general education course categories listed on page 5 of the Freshman/Sophomore Guide?
No. Students may vary the hours for the following general education categories: Social and Behavioral Science, Physical and Biological Science, and Humanities. Among these categories a student must complete a total of 27 hours. Within any single category students have the flexibility to vary the number of hours they complete providing: no fewer than six hours and no more than twelve hours are taken in any one category.
Can business core courses such as MAN 3025 (Principles of Management) and MAR3023 (Principles of Marketing) fulfill general education requirements?
No. Students are strongly encouraged to add breadth to their general education experience by adding courses from a variety of different colleges at the University of Florida. Although these courses are listed in the University of Florida catalog as meeting social and behavioral science general education requirements, faculty policy and accreditation requirements preclude students from using these courses in order to meet general education requirements.
Can students dual major or minor in programs offered by the Warrington College of Business?
No. Students may choose to minor in programs offered by colleges other than the Warrington College of Business, but faculty policy and accreditation requirements prohibit students from dual majors, dual degrees, or minors within the Warrington College of Business. Students are further cautioned that a minimum of 60 credit hours must be completed outside the Fisher School of Accounting and the Warrington College of Business. Therefore, students should not complete courses within the School or the College as their freshman and sophomore electives.
May students complete 3000 level and above business and accounting courses during their freshman and sophomore years?
Students should avoid these courses during their freshman and sophomore years. These courses are not tracking courses and tend to be more challenging. Students who choose to complete these courses during their first two years are at a disadvantage because they are required to maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. Students who successfully complete all tracking requirements of semesters 1-4 (including preprofessional, general education, Gordon Rule, and, international and diversity requirements) are only required to maintain a 2.0 GPA for continuation. The lower GPA requirement reflects the additional rigor of 3000 level and above coursework.
If I change my major, can I reapply to the Fisher School of Accounting?
Students may reapply to the Fisher School of Accounting providing they remain "on track" for the accounting program (determined from their original admission date). For example, a student who changes his/her major during tracking term 2 to finance, and reapplies to the Fisher School of Accounting two semesters later, must meet all minimum tracking requirements for tracking term 4. In addition, students who apply for readmission and have taken preprofessional courses at other institutions will be required to complete the same preprofessional courses at the University of Florida in order to be readmitted.

Top of PageUnsatisfactory Performance

Students who do not make satisfactory academic progress will be dropped from the accounting program. In addition to university regulations concerning unsatisfactory performance, the School will exclude freshman and sophomore students from the accounting program for each of the following reasons:

The student does not comply with the terms of his/her Universal Tracking Agreement.
The student has not earned a minimum "B" grade in ACG 2021C after 2 attempts (including withdrawals).
The student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0 and then remains there after one subsequent term of enrollment.
The student’s preprofessional grade point average, including all attempts, falls below 3.0 and then remains there after one subsequent term of enrollment. Upon successful completion of a preprofessional course with a grade of C or better, no further attempts of the course (or an equivalent course) will be considered in calculation of this GPA.
The student withdraws from the University three times while classified as an AC student.
For purposes of all of the above policies, the following rules apply to the definition of a term:
1. Any term for which a student registers for courses at the University of Florida counts as a term of enrollment, even if the student subsequently withdraws from the term (after the drop/add period).
2. Summer registration is viewed as registration for one term, (e.g., whether a student registers for Summer A alone, or registers for Summer A and Summer B and C, the student is considered to have registered for one term).
The student has not completed the Fisher School of Accounting Honor Statement.

NOTE: Students who successfully complete all tracking requirements of semesters 1-4 are only required to maintain a 2.0 GPA for continuation. Once a student has successfully transitioned to junior standing, additional Fisher School of Accounting policies and procedures will apply.

Top of PageMajors, Minors, and Dual Degrees

Students may choose to minor in programs offered by colleges other than the Warrington College of Business. In addition, by Fisher School of Accounting faculty policy, students may not double major or enter any dual degree program (except for the 3/2 M.Acc. or the J.D./M.Acc).

Top of PageAcademic Advising

Our undergraduate advisors are available for counseling on an appointment basis at the School’s administrative office (GER 210). All students are advised to seek guidance well in advance of registration periods. Appointments may be scheduled by calling (352) 273-0200.

Top of PagePart Time Students

The Fisher School of Accounting is similar to a lock-step program. Students who cannot take the suggested course loads listed on page five need to seek academic advising. Delays may be encountered due to the lack of course availability and prerequisite deficiencies.

Top of PageStudent Academic Support System (SASS)

It is each student’s responsibility to be aware of academic requirements. Students can access the Student Academic Support System (SASS) at www.isis.ufl.edu each semester. The SASS lists all of the requirements for his/her particular program and indicates whether or not the student has met each requirement. The student should pay close attention to these audits and should, at a minimum, seek assistance from the appropriate advisor in a term prior to the semester in which they plan to graduate if they have any questions about their SASS audit. Failure to do so may delay graduation.

Top of PageAccounting, Business Core, and Preprofessional Courses from Other Institutions

Once a student has been admitted into the Fisher School of Accounting, the student may not take any additional accounting, business core, or preprofessional coursework at any other institution.

Top of PagePetition to Waive School Policies

Any request for waiver of School policies requires the submission of a petition form to the Associate Director. Petition forms are available at the School office (GER 210), or may be downloaded. The Associate Director will either approve or deny the request, often based on the guidance of the School’s Program Committee. Until a School decision is made, students should not operate under any presumption that the petition will be approved. If a student wishes to appeal the decision of the Associate Director and/or Program Committee he or she should request that the petition be submitted to the Petitions Committee.

Students should be aware of the importance of submitting documentary evidence to support petitions, and that events or circumstances beyond the student’s control are generally necessary for the waiver of a School policy. Petitions on matters outside the School’s jurisdiction are considered by the University’s Petitions Committee which operates through the Office for Student Affairs (222 Criser Hall).

Top of PageHonor Statement

The Fisher School of Accounting expects its students to adhere to the highest level of academic integrity. Our students and faculty have developed a statement detailing each student’s responsibility regarding academic honesty. To evidence awareness of these responsibilities, we require each student to sign an Honor Statement. This statement is mailed to each student upon admission and may also be obtained from the Fisher School of Accounting office (210 GER) or may be downloaded. Failure to complete this statement will result in a hold being placed on the student’s records barring further registration as an AC student