For Students

Civic Literacy Requirement

WHAT IS THE CIVIC LITERACY INITIATIVE?

Beginning with the 2018 Summer B session, Florida legislation (s. 1007.25) requires undergraduate degree-seeking students who enroll in any Florida public college or university to meet the Civic Literacy requirement. This is a degree requirement that must be completed before graduation. There are different requirements based on when you start at an institution, so please review, and discuss any questions with an academic advisor.

Requirements Based on When a Student Starts as a Degree-Seeking Student at a Florida Public College or University*

Cohort 1 - Started Before The 2018 Summer B session: Exempt from the civic literacy requirement

Cohort 2 - Started During 2018 Summer B through 2021 Summer A: Complete the state civic literacy exam OR approved course (or their equivalent)

Cohort 3 - Started Summer B 2021 or later: Complete an approved state civic literacy assessment AND approved course (or their equivalents)

*Out-of-state students and students pursuing an additional bachelor’s degree are NOT exempt from this requirement unless they are in cohort 1.

Options for Meeting Civic Literacy requirements**

Course Requirement can be satisfied by: POS 2041 Introduction to American Government or AHM 2020 US History since 1877 (completed starting Fall 2018 or later)

Assessment Requirement can be satisfied by: Civic Literacy test (internal in USF) or the Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FLCE)*

Board of Governors regulation 8.006 permits students to use approved accelerated mechanisms to meet civic literacy requirements. Only the approved options below qualify.

Accelerated Mechanism Score Required Requirement Met
Advanced Placement (AP) Government and Politics: United States 3 or higher Course & Assessment
Advanced Placement (AP) United States History 4 or higher Course & Assessment
Cambridge AICE History: U.S. History, c. 1840-1990 (A-level) A-E Course only
CLEP American Government 50 or higher Course & Assessment
CLEP History of the United States II: 1865 to present 50 or higher Course only
Dual Enrollment POSX041 or AMH X020 Passing Grade Course only
International Baccalaureate (IB) History of America 5-7 Course only

*High School Civic Literacy: Students graduating from Florida public high schools may receive credit for the civic literacy assessment with a passing score (60% or better) on the Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FLCE). This must be documented in the student’s official high school transcript and does not exempt students from the course requirement.

**Transfer from Florida public colleges (FCS) or universities (SUS): Students who have fully completed Civic Literacy at a FCS or SUS can receive Civ Lit credit towards their USF degree. Both the exam and course requirement must be documented on the official transcript sent to USF. If only one requirement is complete (the course OR the exam), the student can receive credit for that portion (if documented) but must still complete the remaining requirement at USF to completely satisfy civic literacy.

About the Florida Civic Literacy Test

The University of South Florida offers the Florida Civic Literacy Test online through Canvas free of charge. If a student has not met the assessment portion of Civic Literacy, they will be automatically registered for ORG03439: Civics one week prior to their first semester at USF. 

The test spans 100 questions compiled by the Florida Board of Governors covering topics on the institutions and functions of the U.S. government, principles of democratic governance, founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, and landmark Supreme Court decisions and their impacts. Study materials for the Civic Literacy Test are available in the Canvas course modules or access the Civic Literacy Library Guide provided by the USF Libraries.

Students must score 60% or higher and are allowed unlimited attempts. Once the student has earned a passing score, the completion will be documented in the Degree Works audit and the student will be automatically unenrolled from the course.

Students in need of accommodations to complete the Civic Literacy Test should contact Student Accessibility Services for assistance. 


FAQs

Are dual enrollment students exempt from Civic Literacy?

Dual enrollment students are not exempt from Civic Literacy. They can use POS 2041 or AMH 2020 dual enrollment courses to satisfy the course portion of the Civic Literacy requirement once enrolled at USF as a degree seeking student.

Will students who previously took the U.S. Naturalization/Citizenship Test to become a U.S. citizen be considered to have satisfied the Civic Literacy requirement?

No. Students who took the U.S. Naturalization/Citizenship Test to become a U.S. citizen will not have met the Civic Literacy requirement, as that process only requires prospective citizens to correctly answer ten (10) questions.

I took a US history (or US political science) course at an out of state school but the Degree Works audit still says I am required to take those courses. Do I have to take the courses again?

Transfer students who believe their American History or American Government course can be used meet the civic literacy course requirement must meet with an academic advisor to request a substitution. You will be required to provide a course syllabus which will be submitted by the advisor to the Office of Undergraduate Studies for review.

Can POSX041 or AMHX020 be used to meet General Education Core Social Sciences requirement and the Civic Literacy course requirement?

Yes but the course must be completed with a grade of "C-" or higher to satisfy both General Education and Civic Literacy. If credit is earned with a grade lower than "C-", the course will only satisfy Civic Literacy course requirement.