LOWER DIVISION REQUIREMENTS After the deadline students may petition to drop a course provided they can docu- ment sufficient reasons to drop, usually hardship or medical condition occurring after the deadline. Failure to attend a class will not be accept- ed as constituting a drop; the only procedure for dropping a class is the proper processing of a schedule change form, which the student must initiate. Withdrawing from the University: Students dropping their entire course load must contact the Office of Student Services, as dropping the entire load constitutes withdrawal from the uni- versity and must be handled by withdrawal procedures established by the registrar. With- drawal is subject to the published catalog dead- lines. Student Petitions: A student who feels that university regulations cause a particular hard- ship or injustice may petition for waiver of the regulation. Information on procedures for sub- mitting such a petition is available in 215 Criser Hall. Correspondence/Extension Work: A student will not be permitted to register for and work on correspondence courses while enrolled at the university unless special permission is obtained from 358 Little Hall. In order for special permis- sion to be granted, the student must be in good academic standing and may not apply more than 6 semester hours of correspondence credit toward a university degree. Class Attendance: The university recognizes the right of the individual professor to make attendance mandatory where appropriate. After due warning, professors may suspend students with failing grades from individual courses for excessive absences. In some "high demand" courses a student may be dropped by the instructor if he/she misses the first two hours of class. CLEP and Advanced Placement: Students who obtain credit via CLEP or Advanced Place- ment must do so before starting college, or, at the latest, prior to the end of their first term at the university. Some credit by examination may not serve to accelerate students' programs because the specific course requirements of their majors are not satisfied by general subject mat- ter credit. Dean's List: At the end of the fall and spring terms, the Dean's List regularly recognizes out- standing academic achievement. Inclusion on the list is awarded to students who earn a grade point average of 3.5 on a minimum of 15 hours, exclusive of hours taken under the S-U option. Information For Preprofessional Students PreLaw Programs While any undergraduate specialization will prepare a student for law school, the beginning law student must possess the fundamental skills necessary for effective oral and written commu- nication. The student who lacks writing skills should study advanced English composition. Any course that tests one's ability to organize a body of data and reason from it will be beneficial. PreLaw students should consult the current PreLaw Handbook available from the Law School Admission Council and the Association of American Law Schools which is available in most bookstores. Freshmen and transfer students planning careers in law should so indicate on their regis- tration student data sheets each term. In addi- tion to serving as a central source of information on all matters relating to prelaw advisement, the Office of Preprofessional Education in 358 Little Hall acts as a clearinghouse for information and LSAT/LSDAS materials relating to prelaw preparation and application procedures. The office serves as a central office for collecting and forwarding letters of evaluation for applicants to law schools. Files for letters of evaluation should be set up in the office early in the year in which applications to law school will be sent (usually the spring term of the junior year). Premedical, Predental, and Preoptometry Programs The University of Florida allows a premedi- cal, predental, or preoptometry student to major in any program offered by any department or college within the university. Students planning careers in medicine, den- tistry, and optometry should so indicate on their registration student data sheets each term. In order to inform themselves fully of require- ments, procedures, and other factors relating to preprofession preparation, students should obtain a current copy of the Preprofessional Handbook available through the Office of Pre- professional Education, 358 Little Hall. In addition to serving as a central source of information on all matters pertaining to the pre- professional curricula, the Office of Preprofes- sional Education acts as a clearinghouse for information and application forms relating to medical, dental, and optometry school require- ments and admission procedures. The office serves as a central office for collecting and for- warding letters of evaluation and certification to the professional schools selected by the appli- cants. The preprofessional student must satisfy the following core requirements (usually prior to application to professional schools): Required Core Courses: A complete general chemistry sequence terminating with CHM 2046-2046L, or CHM 2051C. A complete organic chemistry sequence terminating with CHM 3211-CHM 3211L, or CHM 3216 and CHM 3216L. At least 8 semester credits in biology (usually BSC 2010-BSC 2010L, and BSC 2011-2011L). A complete physics sequence (terminat- ing with PHY 3054 and PHY 3056L or PHY 3042). One year of college mathematics includ- ing at least one term of analytic geometry and calculus (MAC 3311) and at least one semester of statistics (STA 3023). One year of college-level English. These courses will also meet the basic requirements for schools of chiropractic, osteo- pathic, and podiatric medicine. Students should consult the catalogs of the schools to which they intend to apply for any additional requirements or suggested courses. A list of suggested elective courses for preprofes- sional students is available in the Office of Pre- professional Education. The list includes courses in biochemistry, chemistry, microbiolo- gy, and zoology which should be taken in addi- tion to the required courses. Besides meeting the preprofessional course requirements, students are urged to gain some experience in the health care delivery environ- ment of their career choice. Such experience may be obtained by participation in the pro- grams of the National Preprofessional Honor Society (Alpha Epsilon Delta), the Minority Pre- professional Association (MPA), and the Pre- professional Service Organization (PSO) at the University of Florida. More details about these programs and applications are available at the Office of Preprofessional Education. Students in upper-division colleges must be certain that they are also making satisfactory progress towards a recognized major in the col- lege. CLEP Credit: It is generally agreed that receipt of CLEP credit does not imply the equiv- alent of educational experience received in any university-level course; therefore students should plan on taking courses in every area in which they have been granted CLEP credit, especially in English. Unless advised otherwise, begin with introductory level courses or courses at the 2000 level for which you are certain that you possess the prerequisites. Optimum Timetable For Preprofessional Students 1st Year: Chemistry, Calculus, and General Education requirements. 2nd Year: Core Biology, Organic Chemistry, and General Education requirements. 3rd Year: Physics, requirements for your major, and additional Biology or Chemistry courses. January: Contact Office of Preprofes- sional Education to begin application procedures. February: Begin studying for MCAT/DAT, and begin collecting letters of evaluation with the Office of Preprofessional Education. April: Take MCAT/DAT. 4th Year: Finish major requirements and addi- tional preprofessional classes. Fall and Spring: Interview with pro- fessional schools. Maintain good GPA and course loads.