Civic Literacy Requirement

The State of Florida requires that all students graduating from Florida Atlantic University and other institutions in the State University System (SUS), as well as from any Florida College System (FCS) institution, fulfill a Civic Literacy Competency requirement. Beginning in Fall 2018, students entering a Florida public institution as a degree-seeking student for the first time need to demonstrate civic literacy through either taking a certain course or passing an exam. The 2021 Florida Legislature amended the statute and now requires students to complete both a civic literacy course and exam. The 2024 Florida Legislature have now added the Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE) as the only examination for students entering Fall Term 2024 and thereafter. Thus, there are four cohorts of students currently matriculated at Florida public institutions subject to varying requirements. As shown in Table 1, the exact civic literacy requirements are based on the academic term in which a student first enrolled in a Florida public institution.

Table 1: Civic Literacy Requirements by Cohorts of Students

Students Included in Cohort		Civic Literacy Competency Requirement
Cohort 1	Degree-seeking student initially entering the SUS or FCS before Fall 2018	None
Cohort 2	Degree-seeking students first entering the SUS or FCS in Fall 2018 - Summers (1 & 2) 2021	Complete a course or exam*
Cohort 3	Degree-seeking students first entering the SUS or FCS in Summer 3 2021 and thereafter	Complete both a course and exam*
Cohort 4	Degree-seeking students first entering the SUS or FCS in Summer 3 2024 and thereafter	Complete both a course and FCLE exam

*There are two exceptions for Cohort 2, 3, and 4 students only. High school students who pass the Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE) in high school are exempt from the postsecondary exam requirement. They are still required, however, to take the course. Also, certain accelerated mechanisms meet the course requirement (see Table 2).

Table 2: Current Options for Cohorts 2, 3, & 4

Options	Score	Cohort 2	Cohort 3	Cohort 4
Courses & Accelerated Mechanisms
POS 2041 if taken after Fall 2018 (including dual enrollment if taken after fall 2018)	Passing Grade	Course	Course	Course
AMH 2010 (including dual enrollment)**	Passing Grade	Course**	Course**	Course**
AMH 2020 if taken after Fall 2018 (including dual enrollment if taken after fall 2018)	Passing Grade	Course	Course	Course
Advanced Placement Government and Politics: United States Exam	3	Course & Assessment	Course & Assessment	Course & Assessment
Advanced Placement United States History Exam	4	Course & Assessment	Course & Assessment	Course & Assessment
Cambridge AICE History, US History, c. 1840-1990 (A-Level)	A - E	Course	Course	Course
IB History: History of the Americas	5 - 7	Course	Course	Course
Additional Assessments
CLEP American Government	50	Course & Assessment	Course & Assessment	Course & Assessment
CLEP History of the U.S. I	50	Course & Assessment**	Course & Assessment**	Course & Assessment**
CLEP History of the U.S. II	50	Course	Course	Course
SUS Civic Literacy Test - Civics (U.S. history and government) with supplemental questions *******	60 out of 100	Assessment	Assessment	Assessment
Florida Civic Literacy Examination (FCLE)	48 out of 80	Assessment	Assessment	Assessment

**If completed Fall 2024 and after

*** FREE workshops to prepare for the SUS Civic Literacy Test - Civics are offered throughout the year through the Center for Learning And Student Success (CLASS). This 3-part workshop series covers the founding of the U.S. and the U.S. Constitution and Amendments, structure of U.S. government, and landmark Supreme Court Cases. For more information on these FREE workshops and for specific dates/times, visit https://www.fau.edu/class/civicliteracy.php.

For any questions, please contact your academic advisor.

Civic Literacy Requirement

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