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Academic Advising Center

Transient Study

Transient study refers to taking courses from another institution while you are still pursuing a degree from UF. Eligibility:
  • You must have a minimum UF GPA of 2.0.
  • You must be on-track for your current major.
  • You must see an advisor if you have any academic holds.
  • You must meet the prerequisites to take the course(s) through UF, even though you’re applying to take the course(s) elsewhere.
  • You may not be enrolled at both UF and another institution during Fall or Spring (Spring or Summer for IA students). Requests to be enrolled at two institutions for these terms must be submitted with a College Petition.
  • You must not break the residency requirement.
    • The residency requirement means that your last 30 credits/hours towards your degree must be completed through UF. If you are applying for transient study in a Summer and intend to graduate that Fall or perhaps that following Spring, transient study may not be a good option.
    • If you take a web-based course through another institution while taking an on-campus course at UF (or web-based through UF and on-campus at another institution) in the same semester, the UF course will not count towards residency. The last 30 hours must be continuous, and this counter starts with coursework taken in a semester in which you are taking exclusively UF credits.
Policies:
  • Under most circumstances, students who have already transferred 60 credits from a public/state college may not apply additional public/state college credits toward their degree.
  • Only credits from public Florida universities (SUS institutions), count towards the Summer Requirement. Courses may be taken through on-campus or web-based coursework. Courses taken at private institutions, out-of-state institutions, or state/community colleges do not fulfill this requirement unless taken through a study abroad program.
  • If you are taking a course in Summer that is a prerequisite for a UF course in Fall, you will not be able to register for the UF course until you receive a final, passing grade in the prerequisite course. Be sure to send your transcripts from that institution to UF after grades post.
  • Grades from non-UF courses will not count towards your UF GPA. They will, however, count towards your critical tracking or pre-professional GPAs, if applicable.
  • Pre-health students should review the Pre-Health transient information.
  • UF Online and PaCE pre-transition students will need to seek college approval via College Petition. Please meet with your advisor to discuss.
  • Taking courses required for your major may require additional approval from the undergraduate coordinator of your major’s department. If your application is denied for this reason, please contact the undergraduate coordinator and request approval for the course; they cannot review your application through Florida Shines, but they can email an advisor or make a note to reflect an approval.
  • Writing requirement credit is posted based on how the course is taught at the institution where the course is taken. Do not assume you will receive the same number of words the UF course offers. If you have questions about this, please ask the Office of the University Registrar.
  • Approval does not guarantee that the course(s) will count towards any specific degree requirement(s); rather, the approval grants permission to take the course(s).
Application:
  • For public institutions (universities or state colleges) in Florida, please complete an online application through FloridaShines.org.
      • Note that some institutions may require additional materials or application documents, so it is recommended that you check in with them prior to applying.
      • Log in with your GatorLink information.
      • Submit one application per term (i.e. one for Summer A, a second for Summer B).
      • Please include your UFID in the Student Comments section of the online form – this can help with processing time!
      • Please allow 5-7 business days for the form to be processed by the AAC.
    Florida Shines
  • For institutions that are not in Florida and/or are private, you must fill out by hand the UF transient form and the Transient Equivalency form. Once you have filled out both forms with department signatures, meet with an AAC advisor for final approval.
  • Send transcripts from that institution to UF when the final grade(s) posts. Over the course of the following semester, check and make sure that your transcripts have been received and that the coursework counts properly in your degree audit.