The Florida Senate

1007.25  General education courses; common prerequisites; and other degree requirements.--

(1)  The department shall identify the degree programs offered by public postsecondary educational institutions.

(2)  The department shall identify postsecondary career and technical education programs offered by community colleges and district school boards. The department shall also identify career and technical courses designated as college credit courses applicable toward a career and technical education diploma or degree. Such courses must be identified within the statewide course numbering system.

(3)  The department shall identify those courses that meet general education requirements within the subject areas of communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. The courses shall be identified by their statewide course code number. All public postsecondary educational institutions shall accept these general education courses.

(4)  The department shall identify those courses offered by universities and accepted for credit toward a degree. The department shall identify courses designated as either general education or required as a prerequisite for a degree. The courses shall be identified by their statewide course number.

(5)  The department shall identify common prerequisite courses and course substitutions for degree programs across all institutions. Common degree program prerequisites shall be offered and accepted by all state universities and community colleges, except in cases approved by the State Board of Education pursuant to s. 1001.02(2)(x). The department shall develop a centralized database containing the list of courses and course substitutions that meet the prerequisite requirements for each baccalaureate degree program.

(6)  The boards of trustees of the community colleges and state universities shall identify their core curricula, which shall include courses required by the State Board of Education. The universities and community colleges shall work with their school districts to assure that high school curricula coordinate with the core curricula and to prepare students for college-level work. Core curricula for associate in arts programs shall be adopted in rule by the State Board of Education and shall include 36 semester hours of general education courses in the subject areas of communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences.

(7)  An associate in arts degree shall require no more than 60 semester hours of college credit, including 36 semester hours of general education coursework. Except for college-preparatory coursework required pursuant to s. 1008.30, all required coursework shall count toward the associate in arts degree or the baccalaureate degree.

(8)  A baccalaureate degree program shall require no more than 120 semester hours of college credit, including 36 semester hours of general education coursework, unless prior approval has been granted by the State Board of Education.

(9)  A student who received an associate in arts degree for successfully completing 60 semester credit hours may continue to earn additional credits at a community college. The university must provide credit toward the student's baccalaureate degree for an additional community college course if, according to the statewide course numbering, the community college course is a course listed in the university catalog as required for the degree or as prerequisite to a course required for the degree. Of the courses required for the degree, at least half of the credit hours required for the degree shall be achievable through courses designated as lower division, except in degree programs approved by the State Board of Education.

(10)  Students at state universities may request associate in arts certificates if they have successfully completed the minimum requirements for the degree of associate in arts (A.A.). The university must grant the student an associate in arts degree if the student has successfully completed minimum requirements for college-level communication and computation skills adopted by the State Board of Education and 60 academic semester hours or the equivalent within a degree program area, with 36 semester hours in general education courses in the subject areas of communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences, consistent with the general education requirements specified in the articulation agreement pursuant to s. 1007.23

(11)  The Commissioner of Education shall appoint faculty committees representing both community college and public school faculties to recommend to the commissioner for approval by the State Board of Education a standard program length and appropriate occupational completion points for each postsecondary career and technical certificate program, diploma, and degree.

History.--s. 351, ch. 2002-387.