(1) Each state university board of trustees, community college board of trustees, and district school board shall plan and adopt policies and procedures to provide articulated programs so that students can proceed toward their educational objectives as rapidly as their circumstances permit. State universities, community colleges, and school districts shall exchange ideas in the development and improvement of general education, and in the development and implementation of student acceleration mechanisms. They shall establish joint programs and agreements to facilitate articulation, acceleration, and efficient use of faculty, equipment, and facilities.

(2) Articulation Coordinating Committee. The Commissioner shall establish an Articulation Coordinating Committee which shall report to the Commissioner and consist of eighteen (18) members. The committee shall have four (4) standing members from the Department of Education to represent the state university system, the community college system, public workforce education, and the public pre-K-12 schools. Fourteen (14) are appointed by the Commissioner for two-year terms: three (3) members representing the state university system; three (3) members representing the state community college system; one (1) member representing career education; three (3) members representing public schools; two (2) members representing nonpublic postsecondary institutions; one (1) member representing nonpublic secondary education; and one (1) member representing students. The Commissioner will appoint a chair from the membership. Ten members of the committee shall constitute a quorum. No business may be transacted at any meeting unless a quorum is present. The Committee shall:

(a) Function as the statewide pre-kindergarten through university advisory committee and accept continuous responsibility for community college-university-school district relationships.

(b) Develop suggested guidelines for interinstitutional agreements between and among public schools, community colleges, and universities to facilitate interaction, articulation, acceleration, and the efficient use of faculty, equipment, and facilities.

(c) Establish groups of university-community college-school district representatives to facilitate articulation in subject areas.

(d) Conduct a continuing review of the provisions of this rule and make recommendations to the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors for revisions.

(e) Review instances of student transfer and admissions difficulties among universities, community colleges, and public schools. Decisions shall be advisory to the institutions concerned.

(f) Examine statewide data regarding articulation, recommend resolutions of issues, and propose policies and procedures to improve articulation systemwide.

(g) Recommend the priority to be given research conducted cooperatively by the Department of Education with individual institutions. Such research shall be encouraged and conducted in areas such as admissions, grading practices, curriculum design, and follow-up of transfer students. Research findings shall be used to evaluate current policies, programs, and procedures.

(h) Review and make recommendations to institutions for experimental programs which vary from official transfer policy.

(I) Collect and disseminate information on successful cooperative programs between and among educational institutions.

(j) Establish and maintain a standard format to record the performance and credits of postsecondary students. Each such transcript shall include all courses in which a student enrolls each term, the status in each course at the end of each term, all grades and credits awarded, College-Level Academic Skills Test scores, and a statement explaining the grading policy of the institution. The Articulation Coordinating Committee shall collaborate with the Division of Public Schools in the development of a standard format on which district school systems shall record the performance and credits of students.

(k) Document, maintain and publish a current listing of limited access, capstone, and career ladder degree programs.

(l) Document, maintain, and publish the statewide associate in science to bachelor of arts / bachelor of science articulation agreements between the community colleges and the state universities. The agreements must be consistent with the policies of the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education and shall be reviewed by the Department of Education.

(m) Document, maintain, and publish statewide applied technology diploma to associate in applied science/associate in science degree articulation agreements between the career education centers and the community colleges.

(n) Maintain and review annually the accelerated articulation mechanism examinations, minimum scores guaranteed for transfer, maximum credits guaranteed to transfer, and recommended course equivalencies

(o) Perform such other duties as may be assigned in law or by the Commissioner.

(3) General education.

(a) Each public postsecondary institution shall establish a general education core curriculum, which shall require thirty-six (36) semester hours of communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences for students working toward a baccalaureate degree.

(b) After a state university or community college has published its general education core curriculum, the integrity of that curriculum shall be recognized by the other public postsecondary institutions. Once a student has been certified by such an institution on the official transcript as having completed satisfactorily its prescribed general education core curriculum, regardless of whether the associate degree is conferred, no other public postsecondary institution to which he or she may transfer shall require any further such general education courses.

(c) If a student does not complete a general education core curriculum prior to transfer, the general education requirement becomes the responsibility of the new institution.

(4) Associate in Arts (A.A.) Degree. The associate in arts degree is the basic transfer degree of the community colleges. It is the primary basis for admission of transfer students from community colleges to upper division study in a state university. Every associate in arts graduate of a Florida community college shall be granted admission to an upper division program consistent with Section 1007.23, Florida Statutes. Admission to the student's preferred public postsecondary institution or program is not guaranteed. The associate in arts degree shall be awarded upon:

(a) Completion of sixty (60) semester hours of college credit courses in an established program of study, exclusive of courses not accepted in the state university system, and including a general education core curriculum of thirty-six (36) semester hours of college credit in communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences with the remaining twenty-four (24) semester hours consisting of appropriate common program prerequisite courses and electives.

(b) Achievement of a grade point average of at least 2.0 in all courses attempted, and in all courses taken at the institution awarding the degree, provided that only the final grade received in courses repeated by the student shall be used in computing the average. The grade of "D" shall transfer and count toward the associate and baccalaureate degrees in the same way as "D" grades obtained by native students in the receiving state university or receiving community college. Whether courses with "D" grades in the major satisfy requirements in the major field may be decided by the receiving university or receiving community college. The 60 hours that comprise a completed Associate in Arts degree shall be accepted in total upon transfer to an upper division program at another public postsecondary institution.

(c) Completion of the requirements for English and mathematics courses adopted by the State Board of Education in Rule 6A-10.030, FAC. and the Board of Governors; and

(d) Achievement of the minimum standards for college-level communication and computation skills adopted by the State Board of Education in Rule 6A-10.0312, FAC and the Board of Governors.

(5) Associate in Science (A.S.) Degree. The associate in science degree is the career education degree of the community colleges. It is a two-year degree intended to prepare students for the workforce.

(a) The associate in science degree shall be awarded upon:

1. Completion of the minimum number of semester hours of college credit courses in an established program of study as required in Rule 6A-14.030(2), FAC.,

2. Completion of a minimum of fifteen (15) semester hours in the general education core curriculum in the subject areas of communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences which meet the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges criteria. English and math courses must meet the requirements adopted by the State Board of Education in Rule 6A-10.030, FAC and the Board of Governors. No physical education credit will be included in the general education block of credit.

3. General education courses not taught in accordance with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges criteria for programs designed for college transfer shall not be included in the associate in science degree.

(b) Appropriate courses within associate in science degree programs will articulate to baccalaureate degree programs.

1. Achievement of the minimum standards adopted by the State Board of Education in Rule 6A-10.0312, FAC. and the Board of Governors, will be required by the time the student earns 36 semester hours at the senior institution in upper division work.

2. Completion of common prerequisites will be required for the baccalaureate degree or as otherwise outlined in program-specific statewide agreements.

3. Courses taken as part of the associate in science degree to meet the general education requirements will transfer and apply toward the 36 credit hours required for the baccalaureate degree. No additional general education credit hours can be required except to complete the total 36 general education hours.

(c) Capstone Degree Articulation Agreement. A capstone agreement that is entered into by a specific public or private postsecondary institution provides for the acceptance of a specific associate in science degree from any Florida community college and applies it as a block of credit toward a specified baccalaureate degree. The quality and content of the associate in science degree is respected as the technical component of the baccalaureate degree and the remainder of the program is designed to complete general education requirements and provide management skills to assist in job progression. Every associate in science degree graduate of a Florida community college program that articulates with a capstone degree program in a specific Florida public or private postsecondary institution shall be guaranteed admission to that program except for limited access programs and those requiring specific grades on particular courses for admission. All associate in science degree graduates who articulate under the capstone agreement shall be treated equally, regardless of the community colleges from which they receive their degrees. The general education component of the associate in science degree shall be accepted in total as a portion of the general education requirement upon transfer to the capstone program in a specific Florida public or private postsecondary institution.

(d) Career Ladder Degree Articulation Agreement. The Career Ladder agreement integrates specific associate in science degree programs with identified baccalaureate degree programs statewide. Each associate in science degree program must meet specific requirements as prescribed in the agreement and public postsecondary institutions are required to honor the transfer of credit toward the specified baccalaureate degree. Graduates of a Florida community college associate in science degree program with an agreement that is documented and maintained by the Articulation Coordinating Committee shall be granted admission to a public postsecondary institution in the program designated to articulate with their degree, except for limited access programs and those requiring specific grades on particular courses for admission. Admission to the student's preferred public postsecondary institution is not guaranteed. Each State University System institution shall develop admissions criteria to ensure that associate in science degree students are evaluated on an equal basis with associate in arts degree graduates and native university students for admission into Career Ladder programs designated as limited access and those requiring specific grades on particular courses for admission.

1. The associate in science degree shall be awarded based on all of the requirements contained in subsection (5)(a)of this rule and in accordance with the articulation agreement provisions maintained by the Articulation Coordinating Committee.

2. The statewide associate in science to baccalaureate degree program articulation agreements between public postsecondary institutions shall be documented and maintained by the Articulation Coordinating Committee. The Department of Education, in consultation with institutions, shall review periodically, as necessary, but no more than once a year, the provisions of the state articulation agreements and the prescribed curricula to ensure the continued effectiveness of the articulation between the A.S. and B.A./B.S. programs. Any recommendations for revisions to the state articulation agreements will be forwarded to the Articulation Coordinating Committee for review. The revisions may be approved after the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education make independent determinations that the recommended revisions are consistent with board policies.

(6) Applied Technology Diploma (ATD. The ATD consists of a course of study that is part of an associate in science (A.S.) or an associate in applied science degree (A.A.S.), is less than sixty (60) credit hours, is approximately fifty (50) percent of the technical component (non-general education), and leads to employment in a specific occupation. An applied technology diploma program may consist of either technical credit or college credit.

(a) Students must have a high school diploma, a high school equivalency diploma, or a certificate of completion pursuant to Section 1003.433 (2)(b), Florida Statutes; or in the case of a student who is home educated, a signed affidavit submitted by the student's parent or legal guardian attesting that the student has completed a home education program pursuant to the requirements of Section 1002.41, Florida Statutes, to be admitted to an applied technology diploma program. Within six (6) weeks of entry, students in applied technology diploma programs of 450 or more hours must be tested pursuant to Rule 6A-10.040, FAC., and, if below minimum standards for completion from the program as defined in the program standards document adopted in Rule 6A-6.0571, FAC., must receive remedial instruction. The minimum standards must be at least the equivalent of a score of ten (10) on all sections of any basic skills test approved in Rule 6A-10.040, FAC. Students must successfully complete all remedial instruction before completing the Applied Technology Diploma.

(b) Community colleges may offer either college or career credit toward the applied technology diploma. Career centers may offer only career credits.

(c) All faculty providing instruction must have at least a baccalaureate degree or an associate degree with demonstrated competencies in the specific instructional program area as defined by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

(d) The information related to the guaranteed transfer of credit between an applied technology diploma program and associate in science or an associate in applied science degree must be documented and maintained by the Articulation Coordinating Committee shall include the following:

1. The total number of clock or credit hours within the program.

2. The associate in science or associate in applied science degree into which the applied technology diploma is guaranteed to transfer.

3. The number of college credit hours guaranteed to transfer.

4. An effective date.

(e) The transfer of the applied technology diploma to an associate in science or associate in applied science degree is guaranteed for a period of three (3) years following the date of the award of the applied technology diploma.

(f) Applied technology diploma students entering an associate degree program shall meet the admissions standards stipulated in Section 1007.263, Florida Statutes. Additional admissions requirements for limited access programs may be established by the community college boards of trustees.

(7) Credit by Examination.

(a) General Provisions.

1. For examination programs listed in subsections (b) through (h), examination specifications and content information shall be submitted to the Statewide Course Numbering System for course equivalency recommendations.

2. A list of examinations, minimum scores for guaranteed transfer credit, maximum credits guaranteed to transfer, and recommended course equivalents shall be maintained by the Articulation Coordinating Committee and reviewed annually.

3. Transfer of credit by examination is guaranteed for up to forty-five (45) credits, provided that credit was awarded in accordance with the Articulation Coordinating Committee's recommended minimum scores and course equivalents.

4. Transfer of examination credit over forty-five (45) credits is at the discretion of the receiving institution.

5. Credit by examination may not duplicate credit previously earned through postsecondary courses or through examination.

6. No grades or grade points shall be assigned for credit by examination.

7. Institutions may award credit for examinations that are not listed in this rule or that do not have recommended course equivalents, minimum scores, and maximum credits. Acceptance of transfer credit so awarded is at the discretion of the receiving institution.

(b) College Level Examination Program (CLEP) of the College Board.

1. The transfer of credit awarded on the basis of scores achieved on examinations in the College Level Examination Program is protected by this rule only for examinations taken in an administration authorized by CLEP.

2. For examinations taken after July 2001, transfer of credit is mandatory for all CLEP examinations. For all CLEP examinations, credit must be awarded at a minimum in accordance with the credit-by-examination equivalencies determined by the Articulation Coordinating Committee.

3. For examinations taken prior to July 1, 2001, transfer of credit under the terms of this rule is mandatory provided that the award of credit is consistent with the CLEP recommendations or scaled scores determined to represent student achievement at or above the fiftieth (50) percentile on the combined men-women sophomore norms in use prior to 1978, with no letter grade or grade points assigned.

(c) College Board Advanced Placement Program (AP). For all AP examinations, credit must be awarded at a minimum in accordance with the credit-by-examination equivalencies determined by the Articulation Coordinating Committee. Transfer of Advanced Placement credit under terms of this rule is also mandatory, provided that the award of credit is consistent with the Articulation Coordinating Committee's recommended minimum scores and maximum amount of credit guaranteed to transfer.

(d) International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program. For all IB examinations, credit must be awarded at a minimum in accordance with the credit-by-examination equivalencies determined by the Articulation Coordinating Committee. Transfer of International Baccalaureate credit under terms of this rule is also mandatory, provided that the award of credit is consistent with the Articulation Coordinating Committee's recommended minimum scores and maximum amount of credit guaranteed to transfer. The award of credit for students who completed IB Diploma program examinations before April 1993 shall be determined by the public postsecondary institution.

(e) Advanced International Certificate of Education Program (AICE). Transfer of Advanced International Certificate of Education credit under terms of this rule is mandatory, provided that the award of credit is consistent with the Articulation Coordinating Committee's recommended minimum scores and the statutory maximum amount of 30 credits.

(f) Excelsior College Examinations, formerly known as the Regents College Examinations or the Proficiency Examination Program (PEP). Transfer of credit under terms of this rule is mandatory provided that the award of credit is consistent with the Articulation Coordinating Committee's recommended minimum scores and maximum amount of credit guaranteed to transfer with no letter grades or grade points assigned.

(g) Defense Activity of Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs). Transfer of credit under terms of this rule is mandatory provided that the award of credit is consistent with the Articulation Coordinating Committee's recommended minimum scores and maximum amount of credit guaranteed to transfer with no letter grades or grade points assigned.

(h) United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI). The award of credits for students who successfully completed USAFI courses or exams before 1974 shall be determined by the public postsecondary institution.

(8) Pre-professional course responsibility. Lower division programs in state universities and community colleges may offer introductory courses to enable students to explore the principal professional specializations available at the baccalaureate level. Such courses shall be adequate in content to count toward the baccalaureate for students continuing in such specialization. However, deciding major course requirements for a baccalaureate, including courses in the major taken in the lower division, shall be the responsibility of the institution awarding the baccalaureate degree.

(9) Limited access programs. Community college and state university transfer students shall have the same opportunity to enroll in baccalaureate limited access programs as native students. Baccalaureate limited access program selection and enrollment criteria shall be established and published in catalogs, counseling manuals, and other appropriate publications. A list of limited access programs shall be filed annually with the Articulation Coordinating Committee.

(10) A state university may accept non-associate in arts degree credit in transfer based on its evaluation of the applicability of the courses to the student's program at the university.

(11) State universities and community colleges shall publish with precision and clarity in their official catalogs the admission, course, and prerequisite requirements of the institution, each unit of the institution, each program, and each specialization. Any applicable duration of requirements shall be specified. The university or college catalog in effect at the time of a student's initial collegiate enrollment shall govern upper division prerequisites, provided the student maintains continuous enrollment as defined in that catalog unless otherwise specified.

(12) The Department and all public universities, community colleges, and school districts shall maintain the electronic exchange of student transcripts and associated educational records, including acquisition of and access to test scores of students in the standard format established by the ACC.

(13) All postsecondary courses offered for college credit, career credit, college preparatory credit, or career-preparatory credit as they are defined in Rule 6A-10.033, FAC., shall be entered in the statewide course numbering system. Each course shall be assigned a single prefix and a single identifying number in the course numbering system.

(14) When a student transfers among postsecondary institutions that are fully accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and that participate in the statewide course numbering system, the receiving institution shall award credit for courses satisfactorily completed at the previous participating institutions when the courses are judged by the appropriate common course designation and numbering system faculty task forces to be academically equivalent to courses offered at the receiving institution including equivalency of faculty credentials regardless of the public or nonpublic control of the previous institution. The award of credit may be limited to courses that are entered in the statewide course numbering system. Credit so awarded shall satisfy institutional requirements on the same basis as credits awarded to native students.

Specific Authority 1001.02(2)(n), 1007.23(1), 1007.27(9) FS. Law Implemented 1007.01(2), 1007.23(1), 1007.27(9) FS. History - New 5-5-75, Amended 10-7-75, 6-8-76, 8-22-77, 12-26-77, 3-28-78, 5-10-78, 7-2-79, 2-27-80, 5-27-81, 1-6-83, 4-5-83, 6-28-83, 1-9-85, Formerly 6A-10.24, Amended 8-4-86, 5-18-88, 5-29-90, 7-30-91, 10-4-93, 5-3-94, 1-2-95, 9-30-96, 6-15-9, 12-13-99, 8-14-2000, 10-16-2001, 9-22-2003, 12-18-2005.

(1) The competence to be demonstrated by students upon successful completion of two (2) credits of secondary instruction in one (1) foreign language is:

(a) Modern languages.

1. The ability to understand, with some repetition, simple questions and statements.

2. The ability to read and understand the information presented in a simple paragraph.

3. The ability to pronounce the language well enough to be intelligible to native speakers.

4. The ability to ask and answer questions and maintain a simple conversation in areas of immediate need on very familiar topics.

5. The ability to deal with everyday situations such as greetings, leave-takings, buying food, and asking directions.

6. The ability to write a short paragraph on a familiar topic.

7. The ability to demonstrate limited social competence in the foreign culture by showing comprehension of common rules of etiquette, customs and sensitivities, and a knowledge of contributions to the arts and humanities by the people who speak the target language.

(b) Classical languages.

1. The ability to read and understand materials ranging from low to medium levels of difficulty; that is, adapted text.

2. The ability to give a reasonably accurate account of the contents of the reading material by answering questions, paraphrasing, translating, or summarizing.

3. The ability to demonstrate knowledge of history, culture, and contributions to the arts and humanities of ancient civilizations.

(2) Eight (8) to ten (10) semester credits in one (1) foreign language at the postsecondary level shall be considered to produce the competence specified in Subsection (1) herein. Therefore, students who have earned at least eight (8) semester credits in one (1) foreign language at the postsecondary level shall have met the foreign language requirement for university admission. Credit awarded on the basis of scores on the foreign language subject matter examinations in the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) pursuant to Rule 6A-10.024(6)(b), FAC., shall count toward the eight (8) to ten (10) semester credits. The examination, minimum scores for awarding credit, and minimum credit to be awarded are:

	Minimum	Minimum
French
Level 1	50	3
Level 2	62	6
German
Level 1	50	3
Level 2	63	6
Spanish
Level 1	50	3
Level 2	66	6

(3) An alternate method for students to demonstrate equivalent foreign language competence is by means of a minimum score of four hundred forty-three (443) on the Latin examina tion published under the title of MAPS by The College Board, which represents the 1985 national mean of college bound seniors minus one (1) standard deviation. For students to demonstrate equivalent foreign language competence by examination in foreign languages not listed herein, the examinations and standards may be determined by the institution.

Specific Authority 1001.02(1), 1007.262 F.S. Law Implemented 1001.02, 1007.261, 1007.262 F.S. History - New 2-23-88, Amended 10-17-89, Amended 11-13-90, 10-4-93, 11-21-2005.

(1) Baccalaureate upper-lower divisions. The following procedure shall be followed to distinguish lower division (freshman or sophomore) courses from upper division (junior or senior) courses. University and community college curriculum committees shall deliberate course proposals. Institutional procedures for study, review, and decision making shall be followed. The procedures shall include deciding the level at which the courses shall be classified.

(a) Criteria to identify baccalaureate lower division shall include:

1. General education courses required to earn an associate of arts degree and for which there is consensus that the courses should be offered within the first two (2) years of baccalaureate programs.

2. Introductory courses open to all students.

3. First course in a sequence and in which nonmajors may enroll.

4. General survey courses open to all students.

5. Courses designated to meet requirements of Rule 6A-10.030, FAC.

6. Courses designated to teach the skills identified in Rule 6A-10.031, FAC.

7. Physical education activity courses.

8. Courses offered in the first two (2) years of a required four-year sequence program major and the first year of a required three-year sequence program major.

(b) While not exhaustive, the criteria establish intent, which further guides decision making. The institution's recommendation regarding upper and lower division classification shall be indicated in the submission of the course for entry in the statewide course numbering system. Should any institution object to the level designated, it may appeal to the Articulation Coordinating Committee after first attempting resolution with the statewide course numbering system.

Specific Authority 1001.02(1), 1007.24(2) FS. Law Implemented 1001.02, 1001.03, 1007.22, 1004.65 FS. History - New 7-13-83, Formerly 6A-10.242, Amended 1-4-94, 11-21-2005.

Continue - Rule Index