How to Apply to Mathematics at the University of Florida: BA and BS Degrees in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, with the Math Core Taken at UF, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the University of Florida (UF), undergraduate mathematics is offered by the Department of Mathematics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), with a BA in Mathematics and a BS in Mathematics. Here is what you need to know to apply, based on the UF catalog, the department’s website and the Office of Admissions, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Computer science has its own dedicated guide on this site and is not covered here; the catalog suggests minors in computer science, industrial and systems engineering, physics or statistics alongside the math major, which this guide mentions only in passing.

1. Degrees

• Two degrees: the catalog lists the major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science, 120 credits for the degree. The department says the difference between the two lies entirely in the mathematics courses selected.
• Credits and grades: each degree needs at least 39 credits of mathematics and approved electives, and all coursework for the major must be completed with grades of C or better. The catalog describes eight core courses plus four electives from an approved list.
• BA: the catalog says it is for students who want a career in a mathematical field or to teach mathematics at secondary level but do not currently plan graduate study in mathematics. The department says the BA has the most flexible electives, letting students choose up to three from areas such as computer science, industrial engineering, physics and statistics, and that it is the most efficient route to a dual degree with one of those majors; for students who come to the major late, the BA is usually the only feasible option.
• BS: the catalog says it is for students who wish to pursue graduate study in mathematics and for other strong students with a deep interest in mathematics. The department says its course selection is narrower, aimed at preparing for graduate school in mathematics.
• Tracks: the department site offers suggestions for building a secondary specialty (actuarial science, applied mathematics, computer science, financial mathematics, operations research, physics, statistics, data science, teaching), which are elective choices rather than separate admission tracks. The Department of Statistics offers an actuarial science minor and is not covered here.
• Related programs: UFTeach students complete the math BA or BS together with the UFTeach minor in mathematics teaching; a math minor exists separately. Mathematics majors who finish the major requirements by the end of the junior year can join the combination-degree program: in the senior year they take MAA 5228 and 5229 and MAS 5311 and 5312 (12 credits) that count toward the undergraduate degree and, if admitted to the graduate program, toward a master’s degree in mathematics; the catalog says one further full-time year of graduate school completes the master’s.
• Honors: the department says each major is designing an upper-division honors program and that mathematics will “soon” offer two upper-division honors courses each semester, aimed at giving participants a variety of research experiences. Entry conditions are not stated on the pages read. UF’s university-wide Honors Program is covered in section 4.

2. Admission: you apply to UF as a whole, then change or add the major

• When you apply: freshmen apply to UF only through the Common App. The freshman application pages read do not say whether you must choose a major at application or whether mathematics has its own admission line; this is not published there, so ask the Office of Admissions.
• Entry GPA and enrollment limits: the catalog and the department’s major pages list no GPA or enrollment limit for entering the math major and no declaration timetable; this is not published there, so ask the department’s undergraduate coordinator.
• Adding or changing a major: the department says forms such as add major or change of major go to the undergraduate coordinator from a @ufl.edu email, with the completed form and, for petitions and major changes, a personal statement and graduation plan; the coordinator signs electronically. UF-wide change-of-major rules were not read for this guide.
• Who advises on what: the department says questions about general education, foreign language, excess hours and AP/IB credit go to CLAS advising; the department’s coordinator handles mathematics course advising.

3. Prerequisites

• High school courses (UF-wide minimum): 16 academic units: 4 years of English (with substantial writing), 4 of mathematics (Algebra 1 or above), 3 of natural sciences (two with a laboratory), 3 of social sciences and 2 sequential years of one foreign language. Admissions adds that these are minimums, admission is competitive and most admitted students exceed them. The department and catalog pages read set no separate high school calculus requirement for the major; this is not published there.
• After you arrive: the department says the math major makes an abrupt transition from lower-division to upper-division courses, which are proof-oriented, and that majors should take MAS 3300 or MHF 3202 as soon as possible to prepare for and gauge their interest in upper-division mathematics.
• Core courses must be taken at UF: Linear Algebra, Abstract Algebra and the Advanced Calculus sequence must be taken at UF, even if a course with the same number was taken at another Florida institution.
• Placement tests and AP/IB credit: the department and admissions pages read give no conversion table; the department directs AP/IB credit questions to CLAS advising. Admissions says AP, IB and AICE courses receive an extra 1.0 weight in its GPA calculation, and pre-AP, pre-IB, pre-AICE and honors courses 0.5.
• Math competitions: the admissions pages read do not say how competitions are viewed. The department site lists a Putnam Competition and mathematical modeling contests among its opportunities for students; those pages were not read.

4. Deadlines and materials (freshmen)

• Deadlines (labelled 2026-27 on the site): Early Decision (binding) application deadline October 15, materials October 22, decision December 11, confirmation January 8; Early Action (non-binding) November 1, materials November 8, decision January 22; Regular Decision January 15, materials January 22, decision March 19. Confirmation for EA and RD is May 1; official test scores are due May 1 and final transcripts July 1.
• How to apply: Common App only. You may request Summer B or Fall entry; the term does not affect consideration, though space may mean an offer for a different term. You complete the personal essay, the UF supplement and the activities and honors sections, then create a Gator Portal after submitting and complete the STARS (self-reported transcript) and upload test scores.
• Application fee: $30, nonrefundable; a fee waiver can be indicated in the Common App.
• Testing: every applicant must submit SAT, ACT and/or CLT scores; UF has no test preference and superscores (the ACT Science section is no longer counted). Scores can be self-reported or sent by the testing agency; the SAT and TOEFL code is 5812 and the ACT code is 0758.
• Recommendations: the freshman application pages read do not list recommendation letters, or require a mathematics teacher; this is not published there.
• Honors Program and Innovation Academy: to apply to either, indicate it in the Common App and answer the additional essay; the Innovation Academy also asks you to choose one of its majors. The site says its students begin in the spring semester; whether mathematics is on its major list was not read.
• How applications are reviewed: UF uses a comprehensive review of high school academic performance (a core, weighted GPA), curriculum strength, test scores, extracurricular activities, the essay and personal background, with no single deciding factor. For the Class of 2030, the middle 50% of admitted students had a GPA of 4.5 to 4.7, ACT 32 to 35 and SAT 1420 to 1520, as of July 2026; UF stresses these are not minimum criteria.

5. US domestic applicants

• Tuition: UF’s cost page gives projected 2026-27 figures for new undergraduates (based on 30 credit hours): tuition and fees $6,440 in-state and $34,620 out-of-state. With books and materials ($1,220), transportation ($1,700), living expenses ($14,190; $4,600 living with parents) and miscellaneous ($2,224) plus $56 federal loan fees, the total budget is $25,830 in-state and $54,010 out-of-state. UF notes these are estimates and continuing students may pay less. The figures for fall 2027 entry are not published on the page read.
• Aid and scholarships: the admissions site has Scholarships and “UF Values You” pages that were not read for this guide; see UF Student Financial Aid and Scholarships (sfa.ufl.edu). Florida-resident admission preference or guarantees are not stated in the freshman rules read, and the residency-for-tuition page was not read; ask Admissions.
• Testing: the SAT, ACT or CLT is required; see section 4.

6. International applicants

• Process: Admissions says international applicants follow the same freshman process and receive the same comprehensive review; applicants with coursework outside the United States should apply well before the deadlines because processing takes time.
• Transcripts: at least four full years of your most recent secondary school transcripts, including courses in progress, in the original language plus a word-for-word certified English translation if not in English. Unofficial electronic transcripts are accepted for review; official ones are required on enrollment. Everything must arrive by the Materials Deadline of your application option.
• Credential evaluation: for non-US coursework UF also requires a course-by-course evaluation including a GPA calculation, from any current member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), also by the Materials Deadline.
• STARS: applicants who attended a school outside the US that does not use the US grading system, or studied a non-US curriculum, should not complete the STARS and submit the transcripts and evaluation instead.
• Testing: Florida Board of Governors rules require all first-year students to submit the ACT, CLT or SAT; see section 4.
• English: the freshman international page read gives no English test scores; this is not published there, so ask the Office of Admissions. The transfer international page says UF requires academic English proficiency, shown either by a full-time academic year (or an equivalent associate degree) at an accredited institution in the US or a country where English is the only official language, or by an exam: TOEFL iBT at least 80 (paper 550) or IELTS Academic at least 6.0 (marked with an asterisk whose note was not read), valid two years, sent electronically (TOEFL code 5812). It also lists countries exempt from the English requirement, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore; China is not on the list.
• Aid: UF’s financial aid office says students on F1, F2, J1, J2 or G-series visas are not eligible for federal aid administered by UF, but may be eligible for private or college-awarded scholarships. Proof-of-funds requirements were not found on the pages read.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admission pages read do not say how Gaokao results are used and give no China-specific guidance; this is not published there. UF requires the SAT, ACT or CLT from every freshman and does not say the Gaokao can replace it.
• Transcripts and credential evaluation: UF says applicants who studied outside the US at a school that does not use the standard US grading system submit transcripts for the most recent four years with English translation and a NACES course-by-course evaluation; the pages do not say country by country whether a Chinese school falls in that group, so confirm with Admissions. Requirements for the Huikao and similar records are not published on the pages read.
• International curricula: for AP, IB and A-Level students, Admissions describes the GPA weighting above; credit conversion is a question for CLAS advising (section 3).

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see section 5.
• Department opportunities: the department site lists NSF research experiences, the Robert Long Prize, the Kermit Sigmon Award, a journal of undergraduate research, mathematical modeling contests, a Directed Reading Program and the University Scholars Program; those pages were not read individually. The department holds an Undergraduate Mathematics Research Symposium each April (the seventh is announced for April 2027) where honors thesis students, USP and CSP scholars and others can present. Department-specific scholarship amounts are not published on the pages read.
• Outcomes: the department quotes UF’s Career Connections Center graduation survey: 55 students who graduated in 2016-17 with a mathematics BA or BS took part, and 27% went on to graduate school, 16% into computer science and IT, 13% into teaching, 12% into finance and business, 6% into engineering and research, 5% into law, office and administration, 4% into military service and defense industries and 17% into other employment. The page gives an average salary of $53,650 and average bonus of $9,833 (where applicable). These figures are from 2016-17 and are old; see UF’s graduation survey website for later data.

9. Transfer students

• How to apply: transfer students apply to a specific college and major, only one major, with a $30 nonrefundable fee; UF says admission as a transfer student is determined by the college and major, so check the prerequisites and minimum GPA. The GPA and the calculus and linear algebra prerequisites for mathematics or CLAS are not stated on the pages read; ask CLAS and the department. UF also warns that the chance to change majors after admission as a transfer student is extremely limited.
• Transcripts: a transcript from every institution attended; unofficial copies are accepted for review; non-US coursework needs a course-by-course evaluation and English translation. Applicants without 8 sequential semester hours of college foreign language need two sequential secondary-school foreign language courses or equivalent proficiency.
• Deadlines: UF says some programs have earlier deadlines or admit only in specific terms. The university dates on the page are still for 2026: spring 2026 September 15, summer 2026 February 15 and fall 2026 May 1 (materials October 1, March 1 and May 15). Dates for fall 2027 had not been posted on the page read, so check.
• Math course transfer: the department says many math courses can be taken elsewhere and transferred, with equivalency determined by the Undergraduate Coordinator, but the core (Linear Algebra, Abstract Algebra, Advanced Calculus sequence) must be taken at UF. Majors who take courses elsewhere as transient students can do so for other requirements, but not for the core.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Choose Early Decision (October 15), Early Action (November 1) or Regular Decision (January 15); apply through the Common App with the $30 fee; submit SAT, ACT or CLT scores and complete the STARS in the Gator Portal
• In-state and out-of-state costs differ widely (section 5); check sfa.ufl.edu and Admissions for aid and residency

International applicants (including China):

• Transcripts for the last four school years with English translation, plus a NACES course-by-course evaluation; SAT, ACT or CLT scores
• Freshman English score requirements are not published on the page read (the transfer page says TOEFL 80 or IELTS 6.0); ask Admissions how the Gaokao is used

After entry:

• Take MAS 3300 or MHF 3202 early; choose the BA or BS; 8 core plus 4 elective courses with grades of C or better; take the core at UF

Transfer students:

• Apply to a specific college and major with the $30 fee; fall 2027 deadlines to be confirmed; the math core must be taken at UF

Sources: University of Florida, Catalog: Mathematics BA/BS; Department: mathematics major; Department: BA and BS; Department: what can I do with a math major; Department: should I be a math major; Department: undergraduate advising; Department: undergraduate research symposium; Freshman application; Freshman dates and deadlines; Freshman requirements; Freshman international; Our decision process; Transfer application; Transfer dates and deadlines; Transfer international and English proficiency; 2026-27 cost of attendance; Information for international students. The freshman deadline page is labelled as the 2026-27 cycle (fall 2027 entry); the transfer dates page still shows 2026 terms and costs are 2026-27 figures. Check UF for the latest.