Undergraduate

UF Monuments and Buildings

FAQ, Information, and Policies

  1. Which Computer Science major should I apply to (CSE, DAS, CSC, UF Online CSC, or CPE-software/hardware combination degree)?

    Freshman Admission

    Freshman applicants (high school graduates) do not apply to the department at the undergraduate level, but instead apply to the University of Florida in general. Freshman admission requirements can be found here. All accepted freshman students are required to attend PREVIEW. At PREVIEW, students can declare the major of their choosing. Students will complete “Critical Tracking” requirements during their first year to ensure academic success in the major. The three-letter designation for the four-degree programs within the CISE Department are the following:

    Transfer Admission

    The College of Engineering and Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering admits qualified transfer students who have completed an Associate in Arts degree at a Florida public community or state college and who meet department requirements outlined below for each program. Students seeking admission from other universities or out-of-state schools may be considered for admission on a space-available basis. Transfer students are admitted in Fall, Spring, and Summer C terms. Transfer students apply to a specific program and are not permitted to change to a different major. Please note that each major/program has a separate and independent admission process. Students who wish to be considered for transfer admission must apply to that program and meet its requirements:

    • Computer Science – College of Engineering (CSE)
    • Digital Arts and Sciences (DAS)
    • Computer Science – College of Liberal Arts (CSC)
      • CSC Degree and Curriculum Information
      • Note: The CSC (and CSC Online) and CSE degree programs are virtually identical in the core Computer Science coursework. Both programs are Bachelor of Science and are equal in terms of the learning of the discipline of Computer Science, as well as career preparation and opportunities. CSE is under the rules, regulations, policies, and authority of the College of Engineering; CSC is under the rules, regulations, policies, and authority of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Students who wish to apply to the CSC program should review the College of Liberal Arts and Science’s (CLAS) Transfer page. Please note that CSE and CSC have a separate and independent admission process. Since the CSC degree is technically a degree program in CLAS, prospective students will need to contact an advisor in the Academic Advising Center.
    • UF Online Computer Science – College of Liberal Arts (CSC)
      • Note: Each major/program has a separate admission process, i.e., UF Online has a separate and independent process for evaluating applicants. That said, the CSC and CSE degree programs are virtually identical in the core Computer Science coursework. Both programs are Bachelor of Science and are equal in terms of the learning of the discipline of Computer Science, as well as career preparation and opportunities. CSE is under the rules, regulations, policies, and authority of the College of Engineering; CSC is under the rules, regulations, policies, and authority of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Students who wish to transfer into the CSC program should review the College of Liberal Arts and Science’s (CLAS) Transfer page and the UF Online Computer Science page.
    • Computer Engineering (CPE) (software/hardware combination)
      • Note: the Computer Engineering program is jointly administered by the Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering and the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering. Questions should be directed to the CPE advisor TBA or phone: 352-392-9758.
  2. Can I transfer to UF from another four-year university?
    Due to articulation agreements in the state of Florida, a strong preference for transfer admission is given to students who are completing an AA degree from a Florida State College or Community College. Transfer students from another four-year university must adhere to the following CISE policies when transferring in upper-division coursework. All transfer students are required to attend Transfer Preview. Transfer students apply to the major they intend on completing. College of Engineering policy is that transfer students may not change majors. The CISE department will not consider major changes for transfer students from other majors.

    Upper Division Transfer from an institution that is not in the Florida State College system.
    • All students who transfer from four-year institutions (e.g. other universities) must meet the general admission requirements of the university. In addition, students must meet the College of Engineering admission requirements to transfer directly into an engineering program. Students with 60 or more credits earned but less than 90 credits will be considered on a space-available basis.
    • Students with more than 90 credits earned and applying from a non-Florida state/public college are generally not considered for admission.
    • All students transferring to UF must complete a minimum of 60 credits of acceptable 3000/4000-level coursework at UF to receive a degree from this college.
    • Unless previous arrangements have been made for course certification by faculty of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, only engineering courses taken in programs accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology will be considered for transfer to this college.
  3. Can I change my major after I get accepted to UF?
    Incoming Freshmen will have ample time during their first year to learn about and potentially choose a different major. This will occur as they work with First Year Advising. College of Engineering policy for transfer students, however, does not allow for major changes. The CISE department will not consider or support major changes for transfer students into our major.
  4. What are the Transfer deadlines for the College of Engineering (CSE and DAS)?
    Transfer deadlines for Gator Engineering majors are as follows:

    • Summer A/C admission: February 1
    • Summer B admission: February 1
    • Fall admission: May 15
    • Spring admission: September 15

    *You are responsible for providing the most up-to-date transcript with grades in the 6 of the 7 required pre-professional (Critical Tracking) courses by the transfer application deadlines listed above.*

  5. What are the minimum qualifications for being considered as a transfer student?
    Admission to programs in CISE is highly competitive and space-limited. Each year we deny more applicants than we admit. In order to be considered a viable transfer applicant, you must meet all of the following criteria:

    • Your application and all supporting credentials (including and especially updated transcripts) must be received by the posted deadline.
    • You have completed a minimum of 60 transferable credits prior to UF matriculation (please note that applicants from Florida’s State Colleges must complete their Associate of Arts degree prior to matriculation); we do not accept lower-division transfers.
    • You have met UF’s foreign language requirement by either: 1) completing 2 years of sequential foreign language classes in high school or 2) completing a minimum of 8‐10 college‐level credits.
    • You have a minimum 2.0 cumulative (overall) GPA at the school where you are earning your Associate of Arts degree. Note that while 2.0 is the official minimum, historically, a competitive GPA is one that is solidly at 3.0 or higher.
    • You have completed at least 6 of the 7-8 Critical Tracking courses (see below) at the time of application.
    • You have a minimum 2.5 averaged Critical Tracking GPA.
    • You have earned a minimum grade of C in each critical tracking course.
    • You have no more than 2 attempts in any one tracking course (drops and withdrawals count as attempts). No more than three courses with more than one attempt.

    *Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Our programs have limited transfer slots, making transfer admissions extremely competitive. For more information, contact a professional advisor listed for your major of interest (see contact information below).*

  6. What transfer admission policies or other important information should every transfer student know?
    • Transfer admissions are major‐specific; thus, transfer students may not change their major after they matriculate to UF. Also, you may only apply to one major at a time. It is thus critical that you commit to one major before you apply.
    • Some majors require more or fewer tracking courses, or allow tracking substitutions. Please refer to the detailed program information provided above for major‐specific details. It is critical that you meet the exact requirements for the particular major to which you’re applying or you will not be considered for admission.
    • It is your responsibility to make sure that your transcripts containing your most recent grades arrive by the posted deadline. Sometimes it takes longer than you expect for transcripts to be sent to another school. When you apply, make sure you send updated transcripts just as soon as your most recent grades have posted, and follow up with both your current school and with UF Admissions to make sure they were sent and did arrive.
    • A student must fulfill the exact hour requirement for the various degree requirements. If a student has courses whose content matches UF coursework, but the hours are lower than the UF credits per course, the student must make up for the shortfall. For instance, the conversion from a quarter to a semester system produces course credits, which do not meet the hourly requirement. For example, a student transferring from a quarter system may have 2.6 credits for Calculus I, when the Computer Science program requires 4.0 credits for Calculus I. This difference of 1.4 credits must be satisfied by taking an additional Math course. Students who experience a shortfall with hours in particular courses will need to see an advisor to make arrangements for making up for the shortfall.
    • CISE undergraduate students can request to transfer in a maximum of four courses toward required core Computer Science or required Computer Science elective coursework, dependent upon courses being deemed equivalent by the Department. For evaluation of transfer courses for Course Equivalency in CISE, transfer students admitted to any of the undergraduate programs offered by CISE (including the UF Online programs) are required to submit Course Equivalency Requests for desired CS courses by the end of their first semester at UF. See below for Course Equivalency request process.
    • Course Equivalency Request process: Using the Course Equivalency Request form (click here for COP 3502 or here for other CS courses), students must provide all relevant evidence and documentation of the non-UF course (i.e. course description, syllabus, assignments, instructor contact info.) with the request form as well as the specific UF course for which equivalence is requested. The Course Equivalency Request form and accompanying documentation must be submitted to the Undergraduate Coordinator (email: ugadvisors@cise.ufl.edu) who will pursue appropriate evaluation.
    • A typical international transfer student would have on average 86 (seven semesters) credit hours of coursework remaining because of the lack of General Education courses required in most international degree programs. A typical domestic transfer student from another academic institution would have on average 77 (six semesters) credit hours of coursework remaining.

    Please visit these links for more information on incoming student transfers.

Would you like more Information?

Interested students should contact a CISE Academic Advisor or visit the CISE Student Services Center (Suite 2300 Malachowsky Hall). ugadvisors@cise.ufl.edu