Frequently Asked Questions

Admission requirements vary depending if you are applying as a freshman or transfer student. Refer to the Undergraduate Admission’s website for more information. Students are required to register in at least one course the semester they are admitted otherwise their admission will be rescinded. Undergraduate Admission’s website.

Students who do not enroll in one or more courses for two major consecutive semesters (excluding Summer) are discontinued for non-enrollment. In order to become an active student, you must complete a readmission application via your myUCF account. Students are required to enroll in at least one course the semester they are readmitted. To navigate to the Readmission Application in the myUCF portal, log in to myUCF using your NID and password, then select: Student Self Service > Other Academic… > Readmission Application and click the Go button “>>”

Students who are on academic probation (UCF GPA is below a 2.00) and do not receive a term/semester GPA of at least a 2.00 are disqualified from UCF. They are required to sit out for at least two semesters before seeking readmission. Students seeking readmission through the College of Undergraduate Studies into an Interdisciplinary Studies major must make positive academic progress at another institution in hopes of receiving college support. If you have been disqualified and would like learn more about the readmission process, you must meet with the IDS readmission academic success coach. Students cannot be readmitted to one of our programs if they do not meet with our readmission academic success coach. Review this information and call our office at 407-823-0144 to make an appointment.

The Readmission Following Suspension: Disqualification, with a Grade Point Deficiency of Less than 30 Grade Points university policy is outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Many transfer students want to know what prerequisites to take. That depends entirely on the degree program and minor (if applicable) that you will be completing at UCF. Students transferring from our local Florida College System (FCS) partners should review recommended pre-requisite courses through this portal Pathway Degree List – UCF Connect.

Students in the Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies and Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies – Diversity Studies Track should speak with an academic success coach about which lower level courses may benefit them, although there are no required prerequisites.

You will need to check with Student Financial Assistance in Millican Hall Room 120, or call (407) 823-5285 or visit the Student Financial Assistance website.

No. In order for students to declare one of our majors, an appointment with an academic success coach is required in addition to a major declaration form. Students wishing to update one of the Areas of Study or Minor must meet with an academic success coach. Due to the unique nature of the program, there is no way for students to identify which IDS Areas and Minor they would like to pursue via their myUCF account.

To find your degree audit, log into your myUCF account. Student Self Service > Other Academic… > Degree Audit/myKnight Audit and click the Go button “>>”

For more information, visit the Registrar’s Website: http://registrar.ucf.edu/my-knight-audit

The myKnight Audit provides you with a snapshot of your progress to meet your degree requirements, including the courses you’ve completed and the classes you still need to take. It’s important that you review your degree audit on a regular basis. If there is a discrepancy, you need to report immediately. The myKnight Audit that will help you map your academic plan and keep you on course.

If your degree audit is incorrect, an academic success coach is your primary point of contact. However, you may also use Service Now (ucf.service-now.com) to report a discrepancy on your myKnight Audit.

The Office of the Registrar has detailed information on their website at: http://registrar.ucf.edu/rovd/docs/registrationoverview.pdf

Interdisciplinary Studies is appointment-based. Depending on the time of year, we may be able to schedule same-day appointments. We assist students either in-person or over the phone.

Prospective and current students may schedule an appointment by calling our office at 407-823-0144. If you prefer to make an appointment in person, we are located in Trevor Colbourn Hall, Suite 239. You may request an appointment (Note: this is a request, but does NOT schedule an appointment, it is merely a request) by filling out the following form: https://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4SkFzZ5cxIpt67P

Grade Forgiveness offers a student the opportunity to retake a course and earn a second grade that will be substituted for the previous grade. Students must be enrolled in the second attempt prior to applying for Grade Forgiveness and requests must be submitted no later than the last official day of class of the term the course is being repeated. The academic calendar will indicate what the last official day of class is for any given semester. Please note that Grade Forgiveness is a lengthy process and is not official until the end of the term.

Grade Forgiveness can only be requested for a course in which the original grade was a “C-” or lower. Should a student need to repeat a course due to a degree program requirement that necessitates a grade of “C” or higher, the student can request a Grade Forgiveness exception form from the Registrar’s Office.

For additional information, visit https://registrar.ucf.edu/grade-forgiveness/

To get started, you can visit UCF’s Experiential Learning office or go to their website and create a Handshake Account. If you coordinate an internship through this office, they will register you to receive credit hours for your work. An IDS academic success coach will have to approve it. Internships will not count for credit in your IDS Areas of Study, Minors, Certificates, Cognate, or Environmental Studies Concentrations. This is due to the fact that they are not graded and only courses with a “C” or better are eligible to count for Interdisciplinary Studies program requirements

Internships are academic courses that allow students to apply classroom theory in a practical work setting to gain personal, academic, and professional experience. They are always related to your major, they usually count for credit and they can be paid or unpaid. You should get an internship because the experience that you gain will give you an advantage when applying for jobs. 50% of interns as opposed to only 30% of students without major related internships get jobs related to their major after graduation. Students usually look for internships one semester toward the end of their academic program; however, freshman and sophomore students can also benefit from an internship.

Excess Credit Hour Surcharge

Some of your transfer courses may appear as UCF 1000, 2000, etc. in the “Course” column of your degree audit. This is normal, and occurs because UCF have not yet evaluated those courses to equate to specific UCF GEP, Gordon Rule, or other courses in the myKnight Audit. If you believe a course does match a course taught at UCF and it may count for UCF’s General Education requirements, Gordon Rule, or foreign language, complete an evaluation request through Academic Services: https://www.academicservices.ucf.edu/transfer-credit/

Additional information may be found here: http://registrar.ucf.edu/my-knight-audit

Visit Pre-Health Pre-Law Advising on campus or online.

No. We do not allow curriculum overlap.

No. ECO 2023 is a specific curricular requirement for the Environmental Studies Core and also serves as the pre-requisite to ECP 3302 Economics and the Environment in the Environmental Studies Fundamentals section.

No. We do not allow curriculum overlap.

Previously, we only allowed overlap of General Education courses with the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and the Bachelor of General Studies in Integrative General Studies. For our other programs, we have allowed overlap in the areas of study to the extent that it does not hinder completion of program exit requirements.

No.  IDS 3933 Cornerstone must be completed with a grade of “C” or better before taking IDS 4934 Capstone. A number of work products generated through completion of Cornerstone will be needed when completing Capstone so it is neither allowed nor feasible to try to complete both courses together in a single semester.

An overwhelming majority of the courses that students take with our degrees, minors, and certificates are housed in other departments and colleges. Therefore, the IDS program cannot grant overrides to students for courses that are not taught through Interdisciplinary Studies/College of Undergraduate Studies.

Students are required to satisfy the prerequisite(s) for courses they wish to enroll in. Some courses are restricted to students within a particular major, minor, or certificate. If a student receives a prerequisite error during the enrollment process, contact the Department that offers the course and ask about their override policies and procedures. Some colleges and departments may give preference to students in their programs and may decline your override request.

This varies for each student. At minimum, it will take two semesters for students to graduate due to our two required classes, IDS 3933 and IDS 4934. Under no circumstances can these courses be taken in the same semester. However, it may take longer depending on the minor and areas of study you select. At minimum, students must earn 30 credit hours at UCF in order to be awarded a degree. Students must also meet university graduation requirements:

• 120 credit hours
• 48 upper level credit hours (3000/4000 level)
• 2.00 UCF GPA (some minors require more than the minimum)

Multiple sections of these courses are taught in Summer, Fall, and Spring in a variety of modalities (face-to-face, mixed-mode, and online).

There are three main reasons why you may see a hold from Interdisciplinary Studies.

1. You have been admitted or readmitted to UCF and have not completed the major declaration progress. IDS Pending is not an academic program. Students are required to complete a hardcopy declaration with our office that lists their degree program and IDS Areas of Study/Minor.
2. You are on academic probation (your UCF GPA is below a 2.00). If you are on academic probation, you will receive an email at your UCF email account informing you that you have a hold placed on your record and explaining what you must do to have the hold lifted. Please respond to us as soon as possible after receiving this email so that you may proceed with course registration and schedule changes and any other processes you need to complete. The reason for these holds is to mandate advising appointments in order for students to fix problems in their course of study and be aware of issues that may be detrimental to their success at UCF.
3. IDS 3933 Hold. Cornerstone Experience in Interdisciplinary Studies, IDS 3933, is a required core course that must be completed in a student’s first semester declared in the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies and in the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies – TransGRaSS track. Failure to enroll and successfully complete this course with a “C” or better in your first semester in the major will result in a hold.

If you have one of these holds on your myUCF registration, please schedule an appointment to meet with a professional academic success coach in IDS to resolve the hold.

The Intent to Graduate form and two required surveys must be filled out by using myUCF Self Service > Student Center > Other Academic… > Intent to graduate – Apply.

The deadline to file your Intent to Graduate form is always the last day of classes prior to your graduating term. Although not mandatory, we do suggest that prior to filing your Intent to Graduate form that you meet with an IDS academic success coach as well as an academic success coach for any minors and/or certificates (if applicable based on program) to review your degree audit and make sure you have met all requirements for graduation.

Review this information for a detailed step-by-step breakdown on the process.

• File your Intent to Graduate (ITG) form via myUCF – once this step has been completed, your application will be in the “Applied” status and you will become eligible to enroll in either IDS 4939 Senior Seminar – General Studies Capstone [required for the Integrative General Studies major],  IDS 4934 Interdisciplinary Studies Capstone [required for the Interdisciplinary Studies major], or EVR 4940 Environmental Studies Capstone [required for the Environmental Studies major] the following day.
• Schedule an appointment to meet with an IDS academic success coach to ensure that you are enrolled in your remaining course work to fulfill program and degree requirements for your major as well as an academic success coach for any minors and/or certificates (if applicable based on program). While this step is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended.
• Follow the directions on the UCF Commencement website to order your cap and gown. Indicate College of Undergraduate Studies when placing your order.
• Mid-way through your graduating semester, the application for graduation will be moved from “Applied” to “Pending” status where it will remain while awaiting final term grades to post.
• Cap and gown pick-up is typically available a week or two before Commencement.  During that time period, you may also pick up your Interdisciplinary Studies/College of Undergraduate Studies graduation medallion from the IDS front desk in TCH 239.
• Students will complete their final examinations for their graduating semester and course grades will become available typically the day before or within a few days following Commencement.  Degree certification begins after final course grades are posted and typically take one to two weeks to certify all degrees.  Due to the intricate nature of degree certification and the volume of graduates each semester it may take several weeks to complete the degree certification process for the university.  Final transcripts with the notation that the degree has been certified and conferred will be available once the Registrar’s Office has completed final certification.
• Graduates are expected to receive their diploma at the mailing address provided on the Intent to Graduate form 8-10 weeks after Commencement.

EVR 4940 – Capstone Experience in Environmental Studies is a required course for students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and an optional elective for students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies  – Environmental Studies track. It may only be taken in your graduating semester. In order to register for EVR 4940, you must have completed IDS 3150 or EVR 3008 with a “C “or higher and have filed an intent to graduate. You must file an intent to graduate 24 hours before you will be able to register for EVR 4940. You will be dropped from this course if it is determined that you will not be eligible to graduate that term.

IDS 4934 – Capstone Experience is a required course for students pursuing the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, or the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies – Diversity Studies track. It may only be taken in your graduating semester. In order to register for IDS 4934, you must have completed IDS 3933 with a “C “or higher and have filed an intent to graduate. You must file an intent to graduate 24 hours before you will be able to register for IDS 4934. You will be dropped from this course if it is determined that you will not be eligible to graduate that term.

IDS 4939 – Senior Seminar – General Studies Capstone is a required course for students pursuing the Bachelor of General Studies in Integrative General Studies. It may only be taken in your graduating semester. In order to register for IDS 4939, you must have filed an intent to graduate. You must file an intent to graduate 24 hours before you will be able to register for IDS 4939. You will be dropped from this course if it is determined that you will not be eligible to graduate that term.

In order to graduate from UCF, students must file an Intent to Graduate (ITG) application electronically via their myUCF account. Students must file their ITG the semester prior to graduation. The UCF academic calendar will list important dates and deadlines for each term: http://calendar.ucf.edu

• Students hoping to graduate in Summer semesters typically file their ITG in early March.

• Students hoping to graduate in Fall semesters typically file their ITG in late June.

• Students hoping to graduate in Spring semesters typically file their ITG in October.

In order for students to graduate, all declared major(s), minor(s), and certificate(s) must be satisfied. Students cannot have any “I” (incomplete) or “IP” (in-progress) grades on their audit. If, after reviewing your intent to graduate, it is determined that you are not meeting your graduation requirements, your intent to graduate will be denied. If you are pursuing a Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies or Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies – TranGRaSS Track, you must drop IDS 4934 (IDS Capstone). If you are pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies, you must drop IDS 4893 (Env Stds Capstone).  These courses may only be taken your graduating semester.

The Registrar’s Office coordinates the Commencement program and ceremony. Additional information may be found on the Commencement website.

In the 2008-2009 academic school year, Interdisciplinary Studies was the 3rd most popular major at the University of Central Florida. Since then, we have continued to grow and change and are really looking forward to helping all future students become more well-rounded in their practices, create a sense of community among majors, help them reach their future goals, and connect them with employers. If you believe in our program and want to help our students, you can donate in three ways: You can directly support the IDS academic programs, support student scholarships in IDS, or support student scholarships for Study Abroad in IDS. To support these students and programs, you can call 1-407-882-2771, or mail to: Interdisciplinary Studies P.O. Box 161998 Trevor Colbourn Hall, Suite 239 Orlando, FL 32816-1998.

College of Graduate Studies

Millican Hall, Suite 230

4000 Central Florida Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32816

Phone: 407-823-2766

Fax: 407-823-6442