Writing Requirement

The University of Florida requires all students to complete a writing requirement. AICE, AP, CLEP, and IB examination credit as well as dual enrollment or transfer credit may count toward this requirement.

To graduate, students must complete courses that involve substantial writing for a total of 24,000 words.

Courses that count toward this requirement will be in one of three categories:

• "2" - Coursework with at least 2,000 words
• "4" - Coursework with at least 4,000 words
• "6" - Coursework with at least 6,000 words

Some sections of qualified courses may not offer substantial writing in a particular term. In the schedule of courses, the course sections and amount of writing credit awarded (2, 4, or 6 thousand) are identified for a given term.

The writing course grade assigned by the instructor has two components: the writing component and a course grade. Therefore, to receive writing credit, students must satisfactorily complete the writing component and receive a minimum grade of C (2.0) for the course. It is possible to not meet the writing requirement and still earn a minimum grade of C in a class, so students should review their degree audit after receiving their grade to verify receipt of credit for the writing component.

Courses intended to satisfy the writing requirement may not be taken S-U.

The writing must be evaluated on content, organization and coherence, effectiveness, style, grammar, and punctuation. Assignments must be returned to students with a grade and comments that address the students’ writing skills. Consequently, feedback on all assignments should be provided by the last day of class, or if provided electronically, by the end of finals.

Evaluation of writing is based on individual work. Class notes, quizzes and in-class writing assignments or essay examinations may not be counted. Team-written documents may not be counted for credit unless clear individual sections are identified for grading, such that an individual student’s writing may be evaluated and graded. Drafts cannot be counted separately from final drafts as part of the total number of words completed during the course.

Students may not take the same course multiple times to meet the writing requirement, unless the course allows for multiple registration based upon rotating course content.

All courses that require writing will not necessarily count toward the writing requirement. In writing requirement courses, students will be evaluated as described above.