FAQ

Freshmen and sophomores with less than 52 earned credit hours must go to the Office of Undergraduate Studies(University Center A3400) or call 644-2451 to declare their major as religion. 

Students with Upper Division Status (after completion of liberal studies requirements, CLAST and at least 52 credit hours) who wish to change their major to religion must:

1. Obtain a signed approval form from the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (110 Longmire Building). 
2. Obtain an approval signature on that form from the dean of the college or school from which the student wishes to transfer. 
3. Personally submit the original copy of the approved change form to the Office of the University Registrar.

Students are welcome to declare religion as a major before speaking with the religion advisor. However, the department of religion encourages students to set up an appointment with the religion advisor after declaring the major, to introduce themselves and briefly discuss their academic interests.

The department recommends that students meet with their religion advisor once a semester and expects all students to do so at least once a year.

Students who wish to declare a minor in religion should inform the college or school in which their major is housed.

http://www.academic-guide.fsu.edu/Maps/Mapreligion.html. Please note: the academic map is intended only as a general guide and majors are strongly urged to discuss their plan of courses with the advisor.

Seminars are courses with limited enrollment (usually no more than 25) that emphasize active and informed participation. In contrast to the traditional lecture format, the seminar format encourages students to learn from the creative insights that inevitably arise as a result of student interaction. Moreover, instructors in these courses are less likely to evaluate your work on the basis of exams than on the basis of in class presentations and final seminar papers.

Insofar as successful completion of a seminar reflects a level of mastery beyond successful completion of lecture courses, all majors are required to take at least one course in a seminar format before graduation.

3 hours (one course) of major coursework may also be used to partially satisfy Liberal Studies (Humanities) requirements.

According to University regulations, no courses used in satisfying major, foreign language, or Liberal Studies requirements may also be counted toward the minor.

The College of Arts and Sciences requires that B.A. students complete course work through the 2000 level (2200 or equivalent) of a classical or modern foreign language. For students beginning a foreign language at FSU, this translates into three courses (12 credit hours--usually 1120, 1121, and 2200). Students who plan to continue a language that they began in high school or at a junior college can begin later in the sequence and meet the requirement with only 4 or 8 hours of coursework.

All students who entered the university after January 1, 2003 and who are taking their first FSU course in French, German, or Spanish in the Spring Semester 2004 or later are required to take a placement test (unless the student has no prior experience with the language). The Assessment Services Test Center (University Center Bldg. C, Rm 1200) will test students on a walk-in basis throughout the academic year.

Students who plan to begin or continue a language other than French, German, or Spanish are placed according to the following criteria:

• After one year or less of foreign language study in a high school, the student is advised to enter ARA, CHI, FRE, GER, ITA, JPN, KOR, POR, RUS, or SPN 1120, or GER, ITA 1130. 
• After two years of foreign language study in a high school, the student is advised to enter ARA, CHI, FRE, GER, ITA, JPN, KOR, POR, RUS, or SPN 1121, or GER, ITA 1131. 
• After completing three years of foreign language study in a high school, the student may enter at the 2000 level. 
• After completing four or more years of foreign language study the student may enter at the 2000 level or above.

If you believe your proficiency level is already at the 2000 level, you can register for the CLEP exam and receive up to 8 hours college credit, the equivalent of a 1121 or 1131 (Elementary II) level course. (But remember that you cannot register for the exam if you have ever registered for a course in that language at the college level.) Also if your CLEP score is high enough, the Modern Language Department may be able to exempt the final 4 required hrs of your language requirement.

As with Greek and Latin, Biblical Hebrew and Modern Hebrew can fulfill the foreign language requirement for the B.A. degree. To fulfill this requirement, students must complete one of the following course sequences:

• Greek: GRE 1120, GRE 1121, and GRE 2230 
• Latin: LAT 1120, LAT 1121, and LAT 2230 
• Biblical Hebrew: HEB 1120, HEB 1121, and HEB 2230 
• Modern Hebrew: HBR 1120, HBR 1121, and HBR 2200

Because FSU at this time only offers two semesters of language instruction in Sanskrit and Tibetan, those courses cannot be used to fulfill the foreign language requirement for the B.A. degree.

Students are welcome to take 3000- and 4000-level courses at any point in their studies. However, we strongly encourage first- and second-year students to speak with the religion advisor about specific courses at those levels before registering.