Degree Requirements
Find Your Requirements
Our degree requirements are updated periodically. To ensure you are following the correct academic plan, please locate the section below that corresponds to the semester you first enrolled at the college. If you are unsure of your start date or have any questions, please contact your academic advisor.
Degree Requirements for Students Entering Fall 2024 and After:
- Seven (7) satisfactory semester academic contracts.
- Three (3) satisfactory Independent Study Projects (ISPs).
- Satisfactory completion of 31 course units.
- Satisfactory completion of the General Education Program. (Please see General Education section below.)
- Three courses with the attribute, “Enduring Human Questions.” These are courses based on the great books which engage with universal and fundamental human concerns.
- Either a fourth EHQ course or a course with the attribute Techne II. These are general education courses which do not fit the EHQ category.
- A satisfactory Baccalaureate Examination (usually in the form of an oral defense of the senior project).
- A satisfactory Senior Project or Thesis, accepted in final form by Library staff.
All Other Semester Start Dates
- Seven (7) satisfactory semester academic contracts
- Three (3) satisfactory Independent Study Projects (ISPs)
- Satisfactory completion of 31 course units
- Satisfactory completion of Chart Your Course (CYC) requirements as follows: (minimum of ten units)
- One course in each division (attributes: CYC Breadth-Humanities, CYC Breadth-Social Sciences, and CYC Breadth Natural Sciences);
- One Writing-Enhanced course (attribute CYC Breadth-Writing);
- One course in Mathematics or Statistics (attribute CYC Breadth-Mathematics);
- One course in Diverse Perspectives (attribute Diverse Perspectives);
- One course in Civic Literacy;
- And three eligible electives (any CYC course).
- Students may fulfill all or part of the CYC requirements through eligible transfer course credit or acceptable scores on AP, IB, AICE, or CLEP examinations. Approved CYC courses are found online in the Class Schedule by semester.
- Demonstrated competency in civic literacy, achieved by:
- A score 60 or higher on the Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FLCE). This can also be satisfied by scoring the following on advance placement tests:
- Advanced Placement Government and Politics: United States – 3
- Advanced Placement United States History – 4
- CLEP American Government – 50
- Satisfactory designation in one of these two classes:
- American Government and Civics (POLS 2041)
- American History Survey: 1865* (HIST 2020)
- See here for further guidance.
- A score 60 or higher on the Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FLCE). This can also be satisfied by scoring the following on advance placement tests:
- A satisfactory Baccalaureate Examination (usually in the form of an oral defense of the senior project);
- A satisfactory Senior Project or Thesis, accepted in final form by Library staff.
- Seven (7) satisfactory semester academic contracts
- Three (3) satisfactory Independent Study Projects (ISPs)
- Satisfactory completion of 31 course units
- Satisfactory completion of the Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) requirements as follows: (minimum of eight units)
- Disciplinary Breadth (with at least one LAC unit from each of the three academic divisions: Humanities, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences)
- Proficiency in Mathematics (There are many ways to fulfill this requirement such as achieving a score of 530 or higher on the SAT math section or a satisfactory evaluation for a NCF math course. Please refer to the General Catalog online for other ways to fulfill this requirement.)
- Diverse Perspectives (1 unit of course work that addresses issues of race, class, gender, and/or religious difference)
- Demonstrated competency in civic literacy*, achieved by receiving the following scores or Satisfactory class designations:
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization Test – Civics (U.S. history and government) with supplemental questions – 60
- Advanced Placement Government and Politics: United States – 3
- Advanced Placement United States History – 4
- CLEP American Government – 50
- Satisfactory designation in one of these two classes – Political Science American Government, or American History Introductory Survey Since 1877.
- *Note – this requirement does not apply to students who entered prior to Fall 2018.
- A satisfactory Baccalaureate Examination (usually in the form of an oral defense of the senior project);
- A satisfactory Senior Project or Thesis, accepted in final form by Library staff.
Description of General Education Requirements
New College of Florida’s approach to general education reflects our commitment to the liberal arts and sciences and centers around the Greek ideals of Logos, thought, and Techne, know-how. While fulfilling requirements mandated by the state of Florida, our general education curriculum is thoughtfully crafted to help students develop their full intellectual and personal potential from the moment they arrive on campus. New College of Florida believes a liberal arts education should engage deeply with seminal texts and works that grapple with recurring questions about what it means to be human across disciplines, eras, and cultures. Through core offerings and small group seminars, NCF’s general education curriculum introduces students to a rigorous liberal arts education as they develop a variety of transferable, interdisciplinary skills.
The state of Florida requires all college students to complete 36 credit hours of approved general education coursework. This includes state-mandated core courses distributed across five content areas. Students at NCF must take one course (4 credits) from each of four content areas (Communications, Mathematics, Natural Science, Social Science/Civic Literacy) as well as a specially designed Humanities course on Homer’s Odyssey (2 credits). NCF students round out their general education requirements by selecting an additional four offerings from our distinctive Enduring Human Questions (EHQ) seminars (16 credits) and participating in a unique 2 credit course, Introduction to Techne.
General Education Program Requirements
- HUM 1020: Homer’s Odyssey – Introduction to Humanities
- AST 2002: Descriptive Astronomy
- BSC 2010: Foundations of Biology
- CHM 2045: General Chemistry I
- OCE 1001: Intro to Oceanography
- EVR 2001: Introduction to Environmental Science
- PHY 2053: Physics I with Algebra
- PHY 2048: Physics I with Calculus
- Any Natural Sciences Course with the prerequisite listed above
- AMH 2010: US History Precolonial to 1877
- AMH 2020: US History Since 1877
- POS 2041: American Government and Civics
- MGF 2130: Mathematical Thinking: Patterns, Puzzles, and Explorations
- MAC 2105: College Algebra
- STA 2023: Statistical Methods
- MAC 2311: Calculus 1
- Any Mathematics Course with the prerequisite listed above
- ENC 1101: English Composition I
- Any ENC course with ENC 1101 prerequisite
- ISC 2076: Intro to Techne
- CLA 2123: Roman Civilization
- CLA 2103: Greek Civilization
- CLT 2373: Classical Mythology
- HUM 2210: Studies in Culture: Ancient to 17th Century
- HUM 2230: Studies in Culture: Renaissance-20th Century
- ENL 2323: Introduction to Shakespeare
- LIT 2005: Introduction to Literature: What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
- LIT 2030: Reading Poetry
- LIT 2040: Twentieth Century British and American Drama
- PHH 2101: Classical Philosophy: Know Thyself!
- PHI 2603: Ethics and Values: Human Flourishing
- PHP 2791: Existentialist Themes
- POT 2002: Introduction to Political Theory
- REL 2210: Jewish Scriptures
- REL 2240: Introduction to the New Testament
- REL 2300: Introduction to World Religions
- ECO 2023: Principles of Microeconomics
- EUH 2030: Modern European History I
- EUH 2031: Modern European History II
- EUH 2930: Lessons in Leadership
- HUM 2380: How Can I Survive, Reproduce, and Flourish?
- HUM 2541: What Is Truth? What is Reality?
- IDS 2161: What Is a Good Life?
- IDH 2703: Honors Leadership Development: Rhetoric and the American Way of Life
- ISC 2000: What Use is the Scientific Method?
Mathematics and English Language Proficiency
Mathematics Proficiency
All New College students must demonstrate the required basic proficiency in mathematics in one of the following ways:
- Satisfactory completion of a course that fulfills the Mathematics Core requirement.
- A score of 91 or above on the ACCUPLACER Elementary Algebra exam.
- A score of 3 on any Advanced Placement (AP) mathematics exam.
- A score of 4 or higher on an approved International Baccalaureate (IB) mathematics exam.
- A score of 50 or higher on a College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) mathematics exam.
- A passing score on the mathematics section of the College Level Academic Skills Test taken prior to July, 2009.
- A passing score on the FTCE General Knowledge Exam mathematics section or a score of 91 or higher on the mathematics portion of the Florida College-Level Entry Placement Test.
- A 2.5 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) in traditional postsecondary-level course work identified by the Florida State Board of Education and Florida Board of Governors as meeting the requirement to demonstrate college-level skills in mathematics. (Contact the Office of the Registrar for details.)
- Six-semester credit hour equivalents of mathematics course work completed at another accredited college or university, and deemed eligible toward transfer credit. (Contact the Office of the Registrar for details.)
Waivers for Basic Mathematics Proficiency and English Language Proficiency
Students may apply for a waiver if they do not satisfy the basic requirement(s) of Mathematics Proficiency and/or English Language Proficiency. Applications for waivers [not related to a documented specific learning disability] will be reviewed by the Waiver Committee. This committee will include the Provost, a faculty member in Mathematics, a faculty member in English, a third member of faculty outside of Mathematics and English, and an institutional test administrator. Petitions for waivers will be considered only after students have been provided test accommodations and other administrative adjustments to permit accurate measurement of the student’s proficiency in the subject area measured by the exam. The Committee reviewing the request shall review the student’s academic records and such other information as appropriate.
Any student with a documented specific learning disability (SLD), such that the student cannot demonstrate successful mastery of basic Mathematics Proficiency and/or basic English Language Proficiency, may apply for a waiver through the Office of the Provost.