University of Florida - Academics

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

With about 1,700 professors here, it can be difficult to characterize them as a single group. For the most part, though, they are extremely interested in their subjects and in sharing with whoever will listen, which can sometimes mean that you get your ear talked off. Usually, it just means that they’re really easy to approach and totally interested in helping you get everything you can out of their classes. UF does not have its reputation as one of the top universities in the Southeast for nothing, and the intensity of the schoolwork here can be a real surprise for the whiz kids who show up in August having gotten As all through high school without a whole lot of studying.

At some schools, you can have either breadth or depth: a lot of majors with only a few faculty and classes in each, or a more restrictive choice of majors with tons of professors and plenty of courses. UF, however, offers both. You can go from animal science/pre-vet to wildlife ecology to math to history to English and education (which, believe it or not, is exactly what I did) and encounter cool, interesting, very well-regarded professors, an array of classes so wide that it’ll take you a few minutes to sort it all out, and professional support from advisors and career counselors the whole way. All of these positive aspects won’t just fall in your lap, of course—this is too big a place for anyone to hold your hand for four years—but if you take some responsibility for your own education, all your academic dreams can be met at the University of Florida.

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Students Speak Out

gatorgirl1 says: University of Florida 2016 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies, and Humanities

I'm not gonna lie, UF is a... I'm not gonna lie, UF is a challenging school academically compared to other public universities. UF was named a "Public Ivy" by U.S. News, so that just shows how competitive UF is. In the end, it's definitely worth all the hard work to get a degree from here. 12345 Academics: May 23, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

I have had a wide variety of... I have had a wide variety of teachers, just like at any school. Some teachers lecture to large classes, while others teach smaller, seminar-style classes. In order to really get to know my teachers, I’ve gone to office hours. I have found that most teachers are interested and are willing to help when students make the effort to talk. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

A few instructors even use their... A few instructors even use their own textbooks, so they really know what they’re talking about. It really depends on what field you plan on studying. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

You will have TAs for some smaller... You will have TAs for some smaller classes, and they’re usually cooler about skipping class and giving off Fridays, because they’re still students also. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

For the most part, the teachers... For the most part, the teachers here are fabulous. Of course, you can always find a slave-driver or a snoozer, but if you talk to an upperclassman in your major, he or she can tell you whose class to take and who to avoid like the plague. 12345 Academics Report

Facts

Did You Know?

Whether you know what you want to study or not, UF has got what you need—the university is among the nation’s top three schools in terms of number of majors offered on a single campus. There are almost 100 undergraduate majors, over 200 graduate programs, and professional programs in dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, and law.

A lot of people will talk about these crazy, gigantic lecture hall courses with six million people in them. And while it may be true in the first couple of years (a science major is likely to be in bigger classes), only about 10% of 2,890 undergraduate course sections offered in fall 2002 had more than 100 people signed up for a class. 70% of undergraduate course sections, on the other hand, had less than 40 to a class (and hey, that’s not even counting the extra space you get from people who skip every class).

There is a chance you will end up in a large class at some point. To help you get more from this type of course, go to the big lecture with the professor a couple of times a week, then a “discussion section” about once a week in which a TA goes over homework, gives quizzes, and answers questions.

If you earned the popular Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, expect to be “testing out” for some of your credits. In an attempt to save the state some money, students are required to submit College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) scores, meaning the state has to pay for fewer places in general-education courses. IB, AP, and dual-enrollment scores can sometimes take the place of CLEP scores, but you shouldn’t worry about any of this until you meet with an academic advisor during the summer orientation program (Preview).

Several business courses are offered via TV and the Web. You can watch them from your dorm, in the computer labs, or off-campus if you have cable. One warning: there is a great temptation to tape them and watch them “later.” If there is a chance that you will succumb to procrastination and never get around to watching 18 hours of ECO 2023 during the last week of the semester, you should just go to class in the mornings.

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