Beyond120 courses are designed to help prepare you for the experiential learning opportunities and to teach you how to make the most of them. These courses are available to any student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and can serve as an effective foundation for your career journey. Contact beyond120@advising.ufl.edu for additional information or assistance with course selection.
Professional Development Coursework
These courses are designed specifically for College of Liberal Arts and Sciences students. See the Course Flyer for more information.
SLS1006 – Global Pathways: Preparing for International Engagement – 1 credit hour
Prepares students for study abroad and other international experiences. Identifies program and funding opportunities that meet student interests and goals. Cultivates intercultural competencies. Facilitates design of globalized program of study that integrates personal, academic, and professional development. Appropriate for students in Liberal Arts and Sciences who have not studied abroad.
Fall 2024 Syllabus (PDF, 299 KB)
IDS1054 – Introduction to Research in the Liberal Arts and Sciences – 1 credit hour
This course will help students acquire research skills and access research opportunities. Topics covered will include formulating research questions, evaluating sources, accessing university resources, cultivating professional relationships with faculty, presenting at conferences, and drafting project proposals. Students will also engage with the wider research community at UF through visits to archives and special collections, laboratory tours, and conversations with faculty guest speakers and experienced undergraduate researchers.
Fall 2024 Syllabus (PDF, 358 KB)
IHS1100 – Introduction to the Pre-Health Process – 1 credit hour
This course will provide guidance on how students can prepare to be a healthcare professional and apply to health graduate programs. It will also introduce students to current topics in healthcare in a holistic, mind-body-spirit context including exploration of the patient/family experience, and one’s self as related to healthcare issues and topics. The use of the word ‘medicine’ in this course is all encompassing to include all healthcare professions.
SLS1409 – Professional Pathways in the Liberal Arts and Sciences – 1 credit hour
This course serves as an introduction to personal and professional development. Students engage with multiple theories of career development, practice transferable skills, cultivate professional abilities such as resume-writing and interviewing, and identify the connections between these skills, themselves, and industries of interest.
Fall 2024 Syllabus (PDF, 415 KB)
IHS3102 – Pre-Health Pathways – 2 credits (Spring Semester)
Consistent/continual personal and professional growth is the core to preparation for health career professions. PH Pathways offers pre-health students opportunities for analysis, engagement, and assessment of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and critical reasoning pre-professional competencies defined by healthcare professional schools. Creation of a professional school ‘application portfolio’ demonstrate knowledge, skills and qualifications needed for competitive applicants. Students will leave this course with an in-depth understanding of personal competitiveness for application, the application process and content, and several components of the application complete.
Spring 2023 Syllabus (PDF, 458 KB)
IHS3935 – Human Dimensions of Health – 3 credits (Fall Semester)
Pre-requisite: UT 3 or sophomore standing.
This course is intended for students pursuing admission to pre-health professional graduate schools. Through the use of the humanities, social sciences, multi-media, case studies, guest speakers and discussion, this course will introduce students to a variety of healthcare topics and issues. In a holistic context, this course distinguishes characteristics of healthcare professions, articulates components of patient/family experiences, and identifies one’s strengths and challenges.
SLS3226 – The Art of “Adulting” in the Liberal Arts and Sciences – 1 credit hour
What does it mean to come of age as a young professional in today’s society? How do characteristics, challenges, perspectives, and responsibilities change as today’s students enter adulthood? This course explores these questions by grounding the contemporary concept of “adulting” in the Liberal Arts and Sciences. Students will engage with mythology, media, and historical perspectives to examine time management, personal finance, career development, civic participation, and other challenging but crucial elements of contemporary adult life.
Spring 2023 Syllabus (PDF, 305 KB)
SLS3342 – Strategic Self-Marketing in the Liberal Arts and Sciences – 1 credit hour
This course will assist students in the process of becoming a more confident and competitive professional. By the end of this course, students will be able to understand the process of influencing and motivation others, identify successful leadership and management strategies, understand the principles of brand identity, and develop situational and cultural awareness in the workplace.
IDS4930 – Careers for Social Impact – 1 credit hour
Careers for Social Impact is a 1-credit upper elective course designed for Liberal Arts and Sciences undergraduate students who want to use their careers to create positive change. It provides a comprehensive introduction to high-impact careers and industries spanning for-profit, nonprofit, and governmental settings (e.g., social entrepreneurship, healthcare, law, education, public service, social service, humanitarian assistance, advocacy, sustainability, etc.). Students will not only learn about these career paths, but also start articulating whether and how they might intersect with their own unique strengths, values, and goals. Through in-depth discussions, lectures, conversations with guest speakers, and micro-experiences, this course aims to equip students with the tools to identify and start building sustainable, meaningful, and impactful careers.
Fall 2023 Syllabus (PDF, 241 KB)
IDS4930 – College Beyond Campus: Town and Gown Relations in Action – 1 credit hour
This course invites students to learn about college beyond campus: the historical context, ongoing challenges, and potential of “town and gown” relations between communities and nearby institutions of higher education, with a focus on Gainesville and the University of Florida. By incorporating new ideas and perspectives through discussions, lectures, case studies, and conversations with guest speakers, this course will encourage students to critically understand their role as neighbors and active citizens. At the end of the course, students will have developed the skills to identify and contribute to more collaborative community-engaged approaches in their academic, personal, and professional lives.
Spring 2024 Syllabus (PDF, 251 KB)
IDS4930 – Communicating Your Research in the Liberal Arts and Sciences – 1 credit
This course is designed for undergraduate researchers who have a research proposal developed or project underway and are eager to put their work out into the world. Students will learn effective research communication strategies, sharpen their oral and written communications skills, practice presenting, and develop useful resources like research abstracts and poster presentation texts.
IDS4930 – Grad School 101 – 1 credit hour
This course is designed for anyone who is thinking about graduate school in the future and would like to enhance their preparation and make a more informed decision. The course provides an opportunity to gain a better understanding of graduate programs, plan ahead, and reflect on whether graduate school is the right path for you. Students will learn about the graduate school application process, different types of graduate programs, the day-to-day life of graduate students, and how to effectively prepare for a future in graduate study today.
IDS4930 – Industry Insights – Entrepreneurship in Gainesville – 3 credit hours
Gainesville is the key to the Southeast and the heart of Florida. With the University of Florida, one of the preeminent universities in the county, and recognized college, Santa Fe College, top notch talent have launched and advanced companies at the forefront of multiple fields. With many students locked in the university bubble (13th to 34th and Archer to University), this class will take you outside into the rich Gainesville innovation ecosystem. Each week, we will focus on a field of interest, ask what are the biggest issues and opportunities within this field, highlight how the Gainesville entrepreneurial community has played a role, then visit with the companies and people that advanced this space.
IDS4930 – Industry Insights – Shark Tank in the Healthcare Industry – 3 credit hours
This course provides an in-depth look at the management of private healthcare practices. Students will explore the often-overlooked operational, financial, and organizational aspects while learning about the key challenges and decision-making processes involved in running a successful healthcare practice. Topics will include professional liability insurance, hiring and firing, marketing, work-life balance, business planning, and fundraising. Guest speakers, including physicians, administrators, and healthcare marketers will share real-world insights from their areas of expertise. The course is designed for students interested in pursuing careers as a physician, working in healthcare management, medical administration, or entrepreneurship in healthcare.
IDS4930 – Law and Literature – 3 credit hours
Although we may not realize it, the law permeates our everyday lives in tangible and significant ways. This course will look at potential legal issues in certain literary texts. The focus of the course will entail analyzing these legal issues, taking a position on them, and writing persuasive legal briefs in support of these positions. Students will perform virtual mock trials, hearings, and depositions both during and at the end of each unit and present the arguments made in their legal briefs before a live jury.
Spring 2023 Syllabus (PDF, 232 KB)
IDS4940 – Beyond120 Pre-Health Scholars (PHS) Internship – 0-1 credit hours
People learn best when they are encouraged to ask questions and express their opinions on course content. This is especially true in courses that deal with provocative or contemporary issues. Understanding them is essential to make economic, cultural, and societal contributions to today’s complex world. Guidelines can help instructors and students as they work together to fulfill the mission of the University of Florida, which includes the exploration of intellectual boundaries, the creation of new knowledge, and the pursuit of new ideas.
Fall 2022 Syllabus (PDF, 284 KB)
IDS4944 – International Internship – 0-6 credit hours
International Internships provide students with opportunities to integrate classroom knowledge, skills and methods with professional roles, responsibilities and activities in supervised settings abroad. IDS4944 is a 0-6 credit, web-based course designed to complement your international internship experience through guided reflection. This course is offered for academic credit, graded on a pass/fail basis, and fulfills upper division elective credit requirements.
If interested in pursuing internship credit through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, please review and submit the application below to crichmond@advising.ufl.edu. We encourage you to apply early.
Later applications may be accepted. However, you may be assessed a $100 late registration fee if this is your only course. Your International Center application must also be completed prior to the deadline so we can add IDS4944 to your schedule before the end of regular registration. To begin the application process with the International Center please contact the study abroad advisor for the region in which your internship will be located.
Fall 2024 Syllabus (Subject to change. Note there is flexibility with assignment dates if needed to accommodate your internship dates.)
IDS4940 – Liberal Arts and Sciences Internship – 0-3 credit hours
Internships provide students with opportunities to integrate classroom knowledge, skills and methods with professional roles, responsibilities and activities in supervised settings. IDS4940 is a 0-3 credit, web-based course designed to complement your internship experience through guided reflection, critical analysis, and synthesis. This course is offered for academic credit, graded on a pass/fail basis, and counts toward upper-division electives.
CLAS students interested in enrolling in IDS4940: Liberal Arts and Sciences Internship must submit the completed IDS4940 Application Form by the posted application deadline for the semester.
Beyond120 Career Readiness Modules
Self-enroll in the Beyond120 Career Readiness Modules
Here you will find interactive lessons that cover a range of skills to assist with your professional development. The lessons are grouped by the eight career readiness competencies identified by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. New lessons are added all the time, so check back frequently for more content. Among the competencies covered are:
- Resilience and Grit
- Professional Materials
- Decision Making
- Communication for Professional Development
- Goal Setting
Student Testaments
“Professional Pathways was an engaging and practical course that taught me how to better navigate my professional future both in college and in the corporate world. My greatest takeaways were tips and guidance on choosing a field, building an appropriate resume, and presenting myself effectively during an interview, all ubiquitous challenges that every student will face as he or she moves toward a career in adult life. I can’t recommend the course enough!”
– Jude
“Professional Pathways” course
“The Art of Adulting was one of the most beneficial classes I’ve ever taken. I learned that everyone’s journey into adulthood is different, and this course helps you figure out what your path to what being an adult looks like. I highly encourage you to take this course.”
– Sofia
“Art of Adulting” course
“Introduction to the Pre-health Process has prepared me for a future in medicine not only by showing me how to develop myself for the application process, but also by helping me understand why I personally aspire for this career. Each of us has a unique passion driving us, and the better we understand it the more our paths fall into place. In this way, Introduction to the Pre-health Process makes you a more competitive applicant as you better understand yourself and what you can bring to medicine.”
– Morgan
“Introduction to the Pre-Health Process” course
