Graduate Catalog

Officers of Administration

Graduate School

Student Services

Career Resource Center

The Career Resource Center (CRC), on the first floor of the J. Wayne Reitz Union, is the central agency for career planning, employment assistance, and internships and cooperative education (co-op) for UF students. The Center provides a full range of services for all graduate students.

Graduate students wishing to explore career interests, gain experience through internship or co-op assignments, organize their job search campaign, or gain skills in portfolio development, resume/CV preparation, and interview techniques are invited to visit the Center. The Center has an extensive career library, with directories of employers and other career skills information. Graduate students seeking assistance resolving career planning or preparation issues can make appointments with one of the Center’s career counselors and advisers. The CRC also offers workshops that address the specific career decision-making and job search concerns of graduate students.

Career Resource Center program and service information can be accessed on-line at www.crc.ufl.edu. Specific pages geared toward graduate students' career concerns can be found at www.crc.ufl.edu/gradservices.

Significant on-campus interviews with representatives from business industry, government, and education are coordinated by the Center each year. Graduate students are encouraged to create a Gator CareerLink account early to participate in these interviews. Creating a Gator CareerLink account will also grant access to search internship, co-op and full-time employment listings.

During the academic year, the Center also sponsors a number of career fairs, workshops and employer information sessions that bring employers to campus to talk to students about careers and jobs. These sessions are open to all majors and are an ideal way for graduate students to make contact with potential employers. For more information call 352-392-1601 or visit www.crc.ufl.edu.

Counseling Center

The Counseling Center offers services to currently enrolled graduate students for personal, career, and educational concerns.

Professional psychologists and counselors offer short-term individual, couples, and group counseling. There is no charge for the Center’s confidential services. Topics of services for graduate students often include help with concerns related to academic success, time and stress management skills, anxiety and depression, personal and family relationships, adjustment to the culture, and other issues associated with transition.

Counseling Center faculty also provide a range of consultation and outreach programs to the campus community. Phone or in-person consultation is available for students, parents, faculty, and staff regarding any issues related to student development. Center faculty serve as program resources for a wide variety of student organizations and academic departments. The Center has an extensive training program for selected graduate students. Faculty teach undergraduate and graduate courses in the Departments of Psychology and Counselor Education.

All Center activities are conducted with sensitivity to the diversity of the students on a large, multicultural campus. For more information, phone (352)392-1575, or visit http://www.counsel.ufl.edu.

English Skills for International Students

UF has three English language programs to help international graduate students improve their proficiency in English. Applicants whose command of English is not as good as expected may be required by their academic units to attend the University of Florida English Language Institute (ELI), an intensive English program providing rapid gains in English proficiency. An ELI student may need 1, 2, or even 3 terms of full-time English study before entering Graduate School. For information about ELI, visit 315 Norman Hall, or the ELI website http://www.eli.ufl.edu.

The Academic Written English (AWE) program helps foreign graduate students improve their writing ability. Applicants are given a writing test if their verbal GRE scores are below 320 or who are admitted provisionally with scores lower than one of the following: TOEFL (computer=213, paper=550, web=80), IELTS (6), MELAB (77) or unsuccessful completion of the University of Florida English Language Institute program.

Students whose proficiency is too low (for successful performance in written tasks at the graduate level) must take EAP 5845. Another course, EAP 5846 (Research Writing) helps students learn to write in their fields of study. For information, contact the coordinator’s office, 4131 Turlington Hall, phone (352)392-0639 or see www.lin.ufl.edu/sw.html

The Academic Spoken English (ASE) (http://ase.ufl.edu) helps international graduate students with their oral communication skills in English. Course offerings in ASE are particularly relevant for those who expect to be Graduate Teaching Assistants at UF but whose oral proficiency can benefit from additional language work. Students who must raise TSE /SPEAK scores to be eligible to teach are advised to take EAP 5835, a course to improve general oral language skills. EAP 5836 is a required course for international graduate students (whose first language is not English) whose oral proficiency is good enough to qualify them to teach, but is not sufficient to exempt them from language/teaching supervision (SPEAK/TSE scores less than 55.) During the course of EAP 5836, international graduate teaching assistants are videotaped teaching, and their class work is discussed constructively by the ASE staff. EAP 5837 is an advanced oral skills course for those students interested in continuing to improve their interpersonal and professional communication in English.

Graduate Student E-mail Listserv and Website

The Graduate School communicates directly with enrolled graduate students’ via e-mail using GatorLink e-mail addresses. Messages contain time-sensitive information about important deadlines. An archive of messages is available at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/gradstudent-l.html.

Students must establish this free account and should regularly check their GatorLink e-mail. The Graduate School cannot maintain personal e-mail addresses. GatorLink has a website at http://www.gatorlink.ufl.edu to create and modify an account. Information about grants and fellowships, workshops, and other items relevant to graduate education are posted in the graduate student section of the student page at www.my.ufl.edu. Students should subscribe to this section and check it regularly.

Graduate Newsletter

Excel, the Graduate School newsletter, is published annually in the spring to highlight graduate education at UF. For more information or to contribute a topic, contact the Graduate School, phone 392-4646.

Graduate School Editorial Office

The Graduate School Editorial Office provides Format Requirements on the Editorial page of the Graduate School website (http://gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/editorial/introduction.html) to help students prepare the manuscript. The Graduate School Editorial Office offers suggestions and advice on deadlines, copyright considerations, reference systems, tables of contents, continuous text flow, preparing tables and figures, consistency and acceptable style, and other requirements.

The following procedures apply to the Graduate School’s editorial services to students.

• At first submission to the Graduate School Editorial Office, a thesis or dissertation should be near-final, completely formatted, and printed on plain paper (do not print 2-sided). In addition, master’s theses must already be defended.

• The thesis or dissertation must be of publishable quality and must be in a form suitable for publication, using the Graduate School’s format requirements.

• The department is responsible for quality and scholarship.

• Graduate Council requires the Graduate School Editorial Office, as agents of the Dean of the Graduate School, to briefly review theses and dissertations for acceptable format, and to make recommendations as needed. The Graduate School Editorial Office maintains a list of formatters, editors, and binders that students may hire. If needed, students should avail themselves of these services long before making first submission to the Editorial Office.

• Format requirements: http://gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/pdf-files/editorial-format.pdf

• Format examples: http://gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/editorial/format.html#samples

• Checklist for master’s theses: http://gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/pdf-files/checklist-thesis.pdf

• Checklist for doctoral dissertations: http://gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/pdf-files/checklist-dissertation.pdf

• Graduate School Editorial Office: http://gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/editorial/introduction.html

For more information, contact Ms. Anne Taylor, Coordinator, Graduate School Editorial Office160 Grinter Hall, Gainesville FL 32611-5500, phone (352)392-1282, fax (352)846-1855, e-mail taylora@ufl.edu, website http://gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/editorial/introduction.html.

Graduate Student Records

Graduate Student Records staff work with academic units to support students at all phases of their graduate careers, from admission through degree certification and graduation. The Office is responsible for keeping the official graduate student record and ensuring compliance with all Graduate Council and University policies.

The student and the supervisory committee chair must notify Graduate Student Records (106 Grinter, 392-4643) of any changes to the supervisory committee. Changes to a student’s committee are allowed until midpoint of the term of degree award if the defense has not occurred yet. No changes are allowed after the defense. For procedural details, contact the major academic unit.

Graduate Student Council

The Graduate Student Council was formed in 1989 to foster interaction among graduate students on campus and to provide an agency for coordinating graduate student activities and programs. The GSC seeks the improvement of graduate student education through active and permanent communication with the Graduate School, the University administration, and the Florida Board of Trustees. It also represents the interests of graduate students at the student government, administration, local, state, and national levels. GSC is a dues-paying member of the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students.

Graduate Student Handbook

The Graduate School summarizes useful information in the Graduate Student Handbook http://gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/students/introduction.html. An interactive graduate school calendar and planner is available at http://ufgradschool.premierplanner.org/. New students receive their copy at New Student Orientation. Returning students may obtain copies of the Graduate Student Handbook/Planner from their academic unit.

Housing

For graduate and undergraduate students with families: Apartment accommodations on the University campus are available for students with families. Applicants must have applied to the University and have a UF ID number and are urged to apply as early as possible because of the demand for housing.

For single graduate students: Graduate students are housed in graduate and family housing villages or in the Keys Residential Complex (available to graduate and upper-division students). To be considered for assignment to the Keys Residential Complex, you need to complete a residence hall housing application (this is a separate and different process from applying for graduate and family housing).

To be eligible to continue living in University housing, all resident students must make normal progress toward a degree as determined by their academic departments.

Applying for Housing

Each student must make personal arrangements for housing, either by applying to the Department of Housing and Residence Education for assignment to University housing facilities or by obtaining accommodations off campus. For information or to apply: www.housing.ufl.edu. For off-campus housing information: Dean of Students website, www.dso.ufl.edu/offcampus.

Residence Halls for Single Students

Various types of accommodations exist at UF including standard residence halls, apartments, and suites. The double room for two students in a standard residence hall is the most common type. Several of the larger rooms or suites are designated as permanent triple rooms. Carpeted and air-conditioned apartments for four are available in the Keys Residential Complex, the Lakeside Residential Complex, and Beaty Towers. Keys and Lakeside apartments include four single bedrooms, 2 baths, a kitchen, and a living room. Beaty Towers apartments include two bedrooms, a private bath, and a study-kitchenette. The Springs Residential Complex offers single-room suites and double-room suites with central heating and air conditioning and shared baths. Information about all facilities including rental rates is available online at www.housing.ufl.edu.

Graduate and Family Housing

The University operates five apartment villages for eligible students. To be eligible to apply for graduate and family housing, a student must be married and/or have legal custody of a dependent child(ren) before being offered an assignment OR be a single graduate student. The student also must meet UF admission requirements and be a degree-seeking student, as defined by the student’s college; and make normal progress toward a degree, as determined by the student’s college.

Most village apartments are unfurnished; limited furnished apartments are available in Corry Village only. Residents in all villages must furnish their own linens, dishes, rugs, curtains, or other similar items. Single graduate students may apply for a 1-bedroom apartment in any village. Married couples without children may apply for a 1- or 2-bedroom apartment in any village. Utilities are an additional expense and are billed with the rent. Students assigned to Maguire Village are subject to maximum income limitations as established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Maximum income ranges from $33,650 for one person to $55,800 for six persons. Documentation of income is required before taking occupancy in Maguire Village.

Corry Memorial Village (216 units) of brick, concrete, and wood construction contains almost an equal number of 1- and 2-bedroom apartments, with a few 3-bedroom units. Some apartments are furnished and most have window air-conditioning units. Community facilities include a meeting room and a laundry. Wireless internet is available in selected areas in the village.

Diamond Memorial Village consists of 208 apartments similar in construction to those in Corry Village. All Diamond apartments are unfurnished, and have central air-conditioning and heat and DHNet (Housing Ethernet). Special features include a community building and air-conditioned study-meeting room, laundry facilities, and a study cubicle in each 2-bedroom apartment. Tanglewood Village Apartments, about 1.3 miles south of the central campus, consists of 208 unfurnished efficiencies, and 1- and 2-bedroom townhouse units. All units have disposals, and 2-bedroom units have dishwashers. All 1- and 2-bedroom units have 1-1/2 baths. Community facilities include a large recreation hall, laundry facilities, and two swimming pools.

University Village South (UVS) and Maguire Village consist of 348 centrally heated and air-conditioned 1- and 2-bedroom unfurnished apartments. Community facilities include a pool, laundry, and meeting room. The kitchens are equipped with stoves and refrigerators. Diamond, Maguire, UVS, and Tanglewood have wireless internet available in and around the rooms and commons.

For Maguire Village only, the student must be part of a family with a combined gross annual income (including grants-in-aid, VA benefits, scholarships, fellowships, and child support payments) which does not exceed, during the period of occupancy, the following maximum income limitations: one person, $33,650; two persons, $38,500; three persons, $43,300; four persons, $48,100; five persons, $51,950; and six persons, $55,800.

For more information contact the Graduate and Family Housing Office.

Off-Campus Life

The Off-Campus Life Department in the Dean of Students Office offers many resources and services to a wide variety of students including students currently living in the community; students moving off campus; students living on campus; and graduate, undergraduate, and incoming students new to the Gainesville community. Services include the Off-Campus Life website (www.dso.ufl.edu/offcampus), Gator Guide to Off-Campus Life, apartment locator, one-on-one support for student and community issues and concerns, events for off-campus students, and educational programming to help students adjust to living in the community. The publications and website include information and resources on budgeting, finding the right place to live, apartment locator, leases, city codes, landlord laws, and community and campus resources. All services are free to students. For more information, stop by the Off-Campus Life Department in the Dean of Students Office, 202 Peabody Hall, phone (352)392-1261.

Ombudsman

The Office of the University Ombudsman was established by the state legislature and reports directly to the President. The Office helps students resolve problems and conflicts. It offers an informal avenue of redress for students’ problems and grievances that arise in the course of interacting with the institution. By considering the problems in an unbiased way, the Ombudsman works to achieve a fair resolution and works to protect the rights of all involved parties.

The Office of the Ombudsman deals with student concerns of an academic nature. Students must first contact the instructor, the academic unit chair, and the college dean before seeking help from the Ombudsman, although instances do exist where contact with the University Ombudsman first is beneficial.

In many instances, nonacademic issues can be easily and readily resolved for students merely by facilitating direct communication and effective listening. For other problems not related to academic issues, the Office of the Ombudsman helps students contact the appropriate campus office for dealing with their problems. For more information, visit http://www.ombudsman.ufl.edu.

Reading and Writing Center

The Reading and Writing Center is part of the Office of Academic Technology (formerly the Office of Instructional Resources). Located in mezzanine area of Southwest Broward Hall, the Center offers one-on-one tutoring and writing help for both undergraduate and graduate students. The Center often helps people with application essays and personal statements for graduate school applications. It also offers help on papers written for graduate school classes, and theses or dissertations. The Center guarantees 30 minute sessions (longer if staff are not busy) to look over a student’s writing. While multiple visits will give students feedback on the strengths and weaknesses in their writing, it is difficult to provide anything like a comprehensive reading of any document as long as most theses and dissertations. For information, visit http://at.ufl.edu/rwcenter, phone (352)392-6420.

Speech and Hearing Clinic

The UF Speech and Hearing Clinic (4th floor of Dauer Hall) offers therapeutic and diagnostic services to persons with speech, language, and hearing disorders and to persons with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Lessons for general accent reduction and diction may be arranged. These services are available to the University faculty and students. Therapy is scheduled between 8 am and 5 pm, Monday-Friday, with the Clinic being open in accordance with the University Calendar. Students are encouraged to visit the Clinic office at 452 Dauer Hall. A new clinic has been opened at 1405 NW 13th Street, Suites B&C, which provides the same services as the Clinic office at Dauer Hall other than speech/language/dyslexia therapy. For more information, visit http://www.csd.ufl.edu. To schedule an appointment, phone (352)392-2041.

Student Health Care Center

The Student Health Care Center (SHCC) is an accredited outpatient clinic that provides primary medical care, mental health counseling, health education, disease prevention, wellness promotion and various specialty services. You can make convenient appointments with your own healthcare provider within 24 hours if you simply phone first. The Center is staffed by a large number of healthcare professionals. Physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, dietitians, psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health counselors are available at the SHCC to meet your needs. All registered students are eligible for SHCC services. Postdoctoral students, semester-off students and spouses may also receive care at the SHCC if they pay an optional health fee each semester.

Student Government-sponsored health insurance plans are available for students to purchase if they are not covered by their own health insurance policy. New in 2007, the University now provides health insurance for graduate students who are on certain fellowships, or assistantship appointments, based on their FTE assignment. Students with either Student Government or GatorGradCare health insurance plans must use the SHCC for their health care needs. Students without health insurance are still eligible to utilize SHCC services; however health insurance coverage is strongly recommended for all students.

The Student Health Care Center (SHCC) also offers a pharmacy, clinical laboratory, and radiology services. Additional services include immunizations, foreign travel consultation, women’s health care, physical and massage therapy, specialized programs for students with eating disorders and alcohol and substance abuse, an acute care/urgent clinic, and a sports medicine clinic. In addition, students can phone their individual medical team and talk with a registered nurse to discuss medical concerns and questions. The health-promotion staff offers counseling and extensive campus-outreach programs.

There is no charge for office visits with SHCC clinical staff, health education, or mental health services. Fee-for-service charges are assessed for laboratory tests, X-rays, medical procedures, medications, physical therapy, massage therapy, and consultation with health care specialists. CPR and first-aid classes are also available for a fee. All services are housed in the Infirmary (on Fletcher Drive, on campus).

Limited SHCC services are also available at SHCC at Shands and SHCC at Corry Village satellite clinics.

For current services, hours, and special events, visit http://www.shcc.ufl.edu

HIV infection: The University’s policy is to assess the needs of students, faculty or staff with HIV infection on a case-by-case basis. With permission of the affected individual, the director of the Student Health Care Center will help coordinate resources and services. The confidentiality of an individual’s HIV status, and the individual’s welfare, is respected. Breach of confidentiality of information obtained by a University employee in an official University capacity may result in disciplinary action.

Based on current medical information on risk of infection, the University does not isolate persons with HIV infection or AIDS from other individuals in the education or work setting. Furthermore, the University supports the continued participation, to the fullest extent reasonably possible, of these individuals in the campus educational/work environment. It is also the policy of the University to provide education that seeks to prevent the spread of HIV infection. Those individuals at risk for the HIV infection are encouraged to get tested; those who are infected are urged to seek treatment. With current advances in HIV/AIDS treatment, early intervention is crucial to maintaining well being and delaying complications of the illness. In keeping with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the University considers HIV/AIDS to be a disability. Students or employees who are disabled with HIV infection or AIDS can use existing support services.

UF International Center (UFIC)

The mission of the University of Florida International Center (UFIC) is to enhance the educational experience and environment of UF's students, faculty and staff by promoting a global perspective. Located in 170 HUB, Stadium Road, the International Center helps bring the world to UF and bring UF to the world. The International Center is the University of Florida’s liaison with foreign and domestic embassies and consulates and is responsible for maintaining compliance with federal regulations pertaining to international students, faculty and scholars. For more information, contact the appropriate person at UFIC: phone (352)273-1540, fax (352)392-5575, e-mail ufic@ufic.ufl.edu, website http://www.ufic.ufl.edu.

International Student Services provides support services for international students through immigration document preparation, orientation, immigration services, and various workshops. These services include advising international students on academic, immigration, financial, cultural, and personal issues. All new international students are required to check-in with the International Center.

Faculty and Scholar Services offers administrative, liaison, and support services for foreign national faculty, scholars, researchers and professionals. Additionally, Faculty Scholar Services ensures that the university is in compliance with immigration laws and regulations affecting immigration statuses for sponsored foreign nationals and visiting scholars by providing technical and advisory information to the university community. Support services include assistance with immigration regulations compliance, pre-arrival procedures, and orientation to the campus and community.

Study Abroad Services administers a wide range of programs that give students the opportunity to live and study abroad while fulfilling degree requirements. Students can choose among faculty-led summer programs, exchange programs, and independent programs for the summer, a semester, or an academic year as well as spring break, Thanksgiving break and other programs. Various scholarships and other financial aid can be applied to help finance the international academic experience. UF exchange programs enable students to pay UF tuition while studying abroad. Study Abroad program assistants advise applicants on all aspects of UF approved programs, provide pre-departure orientations, and process the foreign transcript on return of the student. Study Abroad program details are available in the UFIC library or on the UFIC website.

Program Development helps UF faculty and students develop programs in international applied research, technical cooperation, workshops, outreach, and other international activities. Working closely with other centers, academic units, and colleges, PD promotes programs and projects that capitalize on the strengths of UF’s faculty and staff. UFIC administers the World Citizenship Program, an international internship program, which places students with nongovernmental organizations around the world. UFIC houses a Peace Corps recruiting office and maintains a country specialist database that contains faculty expertise in particular countries and that anyone can search by country(http://www.ufic.ufl.edu/csd/index.asp).

Workshops for Teaching Assistants

The Graduate School and the Office of Academic Technology (AT) Teaching Center offer an orientation and a series of workshops for teaching assistants to improve their instructional skills. The orientation and “getting started” workshop are mandatory for all graduate students starting teaching assignments. Some topics included in the workshop series are presentation skills, course and lecture planning, techniques for improving student attention and motivation, group dynamics, testing and grading, use of technology to enhance learning, and how to elicit and interpret feedback. TAs who complete a significant percentage of the workshops are awarded certificates. Participants may request videotaping of their classroom presentations and student feedback on strengths and weaknesses. To register or for more information go to Resources for Teaching Assistants at http://www.teachingcenter.ufl.edu, call the AT Teaching Center, 392-2010, or visit the office on the ground level, Southwest Broward Hall. Teaching at the University of Florida: A Handbook for Teaching Assistants: is available at http://www.teachingcenter.ufl.edu/materials/ta_handbook_web.pdf.