Undergraduate Academic Information

Application Requirements

First Time in College and High School Dual Enrollment Applicants

A completed, and reviewable, application for admission will consist of the following documents:

• A completed university web-based application or the Common Application
• Transcripts (official or unofficial) from all accredited secondary institution*
• College placement exam results from at least one of the following sources: the College Board (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT)**

It is recommended, but not required, that students also submit the following:

• One letter of recommendation
• An essay (minimum of 250 words)

*Final, official transcripts are required upon confirmation of enrollment for fully matriculating admitted students. A General Education Development Test (GED) may be used in lieu of high school transcripts in the application process.

**SAT or ACT results are not required for international applicants (they are test-optional).

Although an admission interview (in person or virtually) is not required, campus visits and interviews with admission counselors or alumni are highly recom­mended. An interview, midyear grades or additional testing may be requested at the discretion of the Office of Undergraduate Admission. An application can be reviewed for a decision with a completed application, transcripts and standardized test scores as a minimum.

Florida Tech will review applications on a rolling admission basis and will accept applications throughout the school year. A student may submit an application any time after June 1 of the year prior to their desired enrollment. It is recommended that applicants for the fall semester submit all application materi­als as soon as possible after starting their senior year in high school and completing the SAT or ACT. Each applicant will be notified of an admission decision as soon as possible after the applicant’s record is determined to have enough information to make an informed decision. At any point in the application process, a denied admission decision may be made if it is determined the applicant does not have the potential for academic success at the university or it is determined that the applicant has knowingly falsified information on the application.

Home-Schooled Applicants

A home-schooled applicant must submit a transcript of academic work that is approved by the state Department of Education from whichever state the applicant resides. The transcript must include an assessment of the level attained in mathematics and science. In addition to the transcript of work, the student must provide written proof the curriculum meets state requirements; a self-descriptive, one-page essay that includes academic, community and athletic accomplishments, career goals and work experience; and SAT or ACT scores. Home-schooled applicants may provide a GED in lieu of a department of education approved transcript. 

Applicants who present a GED must also present secondary school records and standardized test scores (SAT or ACT).

Transfer and Nonmatriculating* Applicants

A completed, and reviewable, transfer or nonmatriculating application will consist of the following documents:

• A completed university web-based application or the Common Application
• Official or unofficial transcripts from all accredited colleges or universities attended**
• Proof of high school graduation (a copy of a diploma or final high school transcript)

*Nonmatriculating students are classified as transient, continuing education or senior citizens and should provide a university web-based application and all past college or university transcripts for evaluation.

**Final, official transcripts are required upon confirmation of enrollment for all matriculating admitted students.

**If a transfer student has completed less than 24 total semester hours of work, a final high school transcript and SAT or ACT scores are required (domestic transfer applicants only). 

Admission Requirements

First Time in College

The Office of Undergraduate Admission carefully reviews all candidates for admission, using evaluation criteria to determine a student’s ability to complete several years of rigorous study. Applications are reviewed with reference to specific degree programs or for admission to first-year programs in General Engineering  or General Science  (College of Engineering and Science ), or General Studies  (College of Psychology and Liberal Arts ).

Specific requirements for admission will vary based on the applicant’s chosen major. The following are guidelines upon which decisions are based:

Science and engineering (STEM) applicants should complete four years of mathematics, the minimum level including trigonometry, math­ematics analysis, analytical geometry or precalculus (some form of precalculus mathematics beyond Algebra II). Science and engineering applicants are also expected to have taken at least three years of science (four years is preferred), to include physics and chemistry. The university will recommend students take the most rigorous mathematics and science curriculum offered by the high school.

Applicants for aeronautics, business, psychology and liberal arts (non-STEM) must complete at least three years of mathematics. A fourth year of mathematics is highly recommended. Applicants for these majors must also complete at least three years of science, with a fourth year recommended.

Minimum Admission Criteria for First Time in College (FTIC)

• Understanding the diversity of national and international grading scales, a B average or better is preferred.
• Math coursework should be beyond Algebra II and can include trigonometry, analytical geometry, math analysis, precalculus and calculus or similar coursework. Science coursework should include biology, chemistry and physics as appropriate for the desired major.
• For STEM applicants, a math sub-score of 530 or higher on the SAT, 22 or higher on the ACT Math and 26 STEM sub-score is preferred. SAT or ACT scores are not required for international applicants.

All admission decisions are made on an individual basis and all circumstances are considered. Applicants who do not meet these minimum standards may be admitted to the university after determination of potential for success by an admission committee (including the executive director of admission or vice president for enrollment management) and/or a representative from the academic department of the applicant’s chosen major. Participation in special classes, clubs or teams that involve research projects or opportunities and advanced problem-solving techniques is encouraged. With the concurrence of the vice president for enrollment management, the executive director of admission reserves the right to make the final admission decision based on an applicant’s determined potential for academic success.

Transfer and Nonmatriculating Students

Applicants must demonstrate readiness to succeed in a challenging academic curriculum or course. The transcripts from prior colleges and universities attended are the most important element of the application. Previous college-level coursework, appropriate for the major the applicant applied for, must indicate a readiness for continued studies in an applicant’s chosen academic program.

The minimum expected standards for all transfer applicants, based on academic ability indicators include a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 or higher on a 4.00 scale with 24 or more completed semester credit hours for transfer admission consideration. If a transfer or nonmatriculating applicant has earned less than 24 total semester credit hours, they must also provide a copy of their final high school transcript and SAT or ACT results for evaluation and admission consideration.

International Students on the Melbourne Campus

Florida Tech is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students. Florida Tech provides a certificate of eligibility (I-20) to all admitted international students. The form is used to apply for the F-1 student visa. It also verifies to U.S. immigration officials the student is academically qualified to attend Florida Tech and has sufficient funds to cover the first year of study and that subsequent funds will be available for the future. Students must demonstrate proof of financial support. Students are required to attend for one full semester when entering the United States on a Florida Tech-provided I-20 form. Florida Tech will not release a student to another educational institution until the student completes one semester at Florida Tech (see “Office of International Student and Scholar Services” in the Institution Overview  section).

Special High School or Community College Dual Enrollment

Upon application, Florida Tech may grant special status to an outstanding junior or senior enrolled in a high school in Brevard County or an outstanding community college student from Eastern Florida State College or Indian River State College. Enrollment is on a reduced tuition basis and allows students to take up to a maximum of 12 semester credit hours in total. Registration is on a class-by-class space-available basis.

Admitted Students on Melbourne Campus

Merit-based scholarships are determined at the time of admission to Florida Tech and are based on past academic performance (SAT or ACT results and GPA). To maximize opportunities for all types of assistance including federal, state and university need-based grants, it is recommended that students submit a FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1 the year prior to the academic year in which they wish to enroll. A copy of the student aid report should be sent to Florida Tech (list the Florida Tech Title IV code (001469) on the FAFSA).

Florida Tech subscribes to the College Board candidates’ reply date of May 1. A $300 nonrefundable tuition deposit is required as a means of confirming a student’s intent to enroll at Florida Tech. If the student is admitted after April 1, or for the spring or summer term, a tuition deposit is required within 30 days of the date on the acceptance letter. The deposit guarantees a place in the entering class in the indicated major/program and is applied to the student’s account.

Entering first-year students can qualify for advanced standing by earning academic credit through any of the following programs:

• Advanced Placement Exams (AP) administered each May by the College Board
• International Baccalaureate (IB), based on an IB diploma, or a score of four or higher on the HL IB examinations
• Cambridge Advanced-Level Examinations (A-levels)
• Advanced Cambridge International Examinations (AICE)
• Dual enrollment at an accredited college, university or community college

Official results of these examinations or college transcripts must come directly to Florida Tech from the examination board or college attended. The credit Florida Tech awards for each examination can be found on the university’s Credit by Exam and Transfer Information webpage.

Examinations for Credit or Placement

Placement Examinations for Melbourne Campus Students

Placement examinations are administered to new freshmen online through the Admitted Student Portal before and during the orientation period each semester. Academic credit can be earned on the basis of these examinations if the result is placement into a more advanced course than an entry-level course in the same field, as designated in the student’s published program.

There are two mathematics examinations given for specific majors. These examinations are given through the Admitted Student Portal before enrollment or once the student arrives on campus. A low score can affect the student’s placement into chemistry. A very high score can result in an invitation for further testing to determine if additional credit is warranted.

The communication examination is required for new freshmen, and for all new transfer students except those who have received transfer credit for COM 1101 Composition and Rhetoric .

Many students entering Florida Tech are sufficiently proficient to qualify for advanced placement above the entrance level. Currently, those advanced placements are in chemistry, physics and computer science. A qualified student should contact the academic program, academic advisor or the Student Success and Support Center to discuss advanced placement examinations in these areas.

International Students

International students do not take the communication placement examination. They are initially registered in WRI 0100 English Writing Review  and may be placed in COM 1101 Composition and Rhetoric  based on an in-class writing sample generated during the schedule adjustment period at the beginning of the semester or term.

Diagnostic Assessments for Florida Tech Online Students

All undergraduate degree-seeking students are required to complete certain diagnostic assessments during the first 8-week term. Academic credit is not earned on the basis of diagnostic assessments. The assessments aid in the placement of the student in the correct level of courses as designated in the student’s published program plan.

As a requirement for ASC 1006 Mastering eLearning , all degree-seeking students must complete diagnostic assessments as assigned, without regard to transfer credits awarded or transfer credits under evaluation. Any transfer credit officially awarded will supersede scores received through diagnostic assessments.

Equivalency Examinations for Melbourne Students

These examinations are administered by academic departments to allow an undergraduate student to demonstrate proficiency in courses offered at the university. They are used with new students to evaluate advanced standing and to reconcile issues involving transfer credits. Specific limitations apply:

• Students may not take an equivalency examination for any course
  • for which they have been evaluated by a prior placement or equivalency examination;
  • in which they have received a grade, including an F, W (withdrawal) or AU (audit); or
  • in which they are currently enrolled beyond the first week of classes.
• Students may not take an equivalency examination for any course during the semester in which they have petitioned to graduate.
• Equivalency examinations are not available for some courses. Information about excluded courses is available in each academic unit office. All humanities elective courses are excluded.
• Equivalency examinations are not available for graduate-level courses, even if the purpose would be to apply the credit toward a bachelor’s degree, nor are equivalency credits earned for an undergraduate course applicable toward a graduate degree.

Credit by Examination

Florida Tech awards credit for the examinations listed below as determined by the student’s score. Information on the scores required and the examinations accepted are found on the Credit by Exam and Transfer Information webpage and may be described below.

• ACE examination credit
• Advanced Placement program (AP)
• Assessment and Qualification Alliance (AQA)
• Cambridge A-Level Exam credit
• Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE)
• College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) credit
• DANTES examination credit
• Edexcel Foundation examination credit
• International Baccalaureate examination credit
• Northern Ireland Council CCEA
• Oxford, Cambridge and RSA examination credit (OCR)
• Welsh Joint Education Committee examination credit

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Florida Tech grants academic credit for subject examinations only. To receive credit, the minimum score must be equal to or above the recommended percentile as published by the American Council on Education (ACE) and based on Florida Tech transfer credit policy. CLEP examinations are not administered on the Florida Tech campus.

Florida Tech expects students to take any CLEP examination before enrollment. Although a student may take these examinations while enrolled at Florida Tech, they may do so only with the permission of their major department and college dean. Credit earned from CLEP is excluded from the three-course limit that applies to the study at another institution policy. Students must take CLEP examinations before their last term of enrollment. Contact the registrar’s office (Florida Tech Online students contact their Florida Tech academic department) for further information.

International Examinations

Credit is awarded for grades of 4 or higher in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program for higher-level examinations and certain standard-level examinations for IB diploma holders. Based on a review of the subject areas and scores, credit is also awarded for receiving a C or better for the following: 

• British GCE examinations at the advanced level (A-level)
• Assessment and Qualification Alliance (AQA)
• Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum Examination and Assessment (CCEA)
• Edexcel Foundation examination credit
• Oxford, Cambridge and RSA examination credit (OCR)
• Welsh Joint Education Committee Examination Credit (WJEC)

Credit is also awarded for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) when two units are completed with grades of 1, 2 or 3 and the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (A-level). Credit may be awarded for the Advanced International Cambridge Examinations, Cambridge Pre-U Examinations and AP/Cambridge Capstone Program.

ACE/DANTES Examination Credit

Credit is only considered for military courses when listed on an official Joint Services transcript or for military training credit listed on an official Coast Guard Institute transcript. Credit is awarded based on ACE recommendation and Florida Tech transfer credit policy.

Credit is considered for DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) and CLEP subject area examinations through DANTES listed on an official DANTES transcript. Credit is awarded based on ACE recommendation and Florida Tech transfer credit policy.

Florida Tech expects students to take any DANTES examinations before enrollment. Although a student may take these examinations while enrolled at Florida Tech, they may do so only with the permission of their major department and college dean. Credit earned from DANTES is excluded from the three-course limit that applies to the study at another institution policy. Students must take DANTES examinations before their last term of enrollment. Contact the registrar’s office (Florida Tech Online students contact their Florida Tech academic department) for further information.

Transfer Credit

Undergraduate transfer credit may be awarded for courses taken at a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting agency in the United States, or with equivalent recognition in the case of a college or university elsewhere. Flight credit is transferable subject to FAA rules for transferability between schools.

Any student who transfers to Florida Tech with an associate of arts degree from an accredited institution in the U.S. automatically meets Florida Tech’s humanities core requirement for two 3-credit humanities core courses. Transfer students should see the School of Arts and Communication for applicable course substitutions in the case of transferring to Florida Tech with less than an associate degree.

Credit at the junior or senior level (3000- and 4000-level courses) may be awarded for courses taken at an accredited community college only when there is a formal agreement between the community college and Florida Tech. In the absence of a formal agreement, the maximum course level granted toward transfer credit is sophomore-level (2000-level course). Elective credit may be awarded. The student should contact his or her academic department for information regarding the possibility of an appropriate academic department course substitution.

Transfer credit requires a grade of at least C- or equivalent and a determination that the work is equivalent to that given at Florida Tech in course content and hours. Florida Tech operates on the semester system. To convert credit hours transferred in from a quarter-system institution into semester credit hours, the number of quarter hours is divided by 1.5.

Florida Tech uses ACE recommendations as guidelines when reviewing all United States military and transfer credit. Transferability and applicability will vary based on the student’s major requirements and/or degree program. All transfer courses, including military credit, are required to adhere to the overall academic standards and requirements of the university. 

A course that includes a significant writing or speaking component must be taught entirely in English to be eligible for transfer. Credits can be transferred without being applied toward the student’s desired degree. Grades and grade points are not transferable. Florida Tech’s forgiveness policy is not applicable toward transfer credits.

Credit will not be given for courses listed on a transcript when credit was received by examinations such as equivalency, advanced standing or other examinations; courses without a grade or carrying grades but not credit hours; courses which are developmental in nature; vocational/technical courses; or for internships, seminars, practicums or experiential learning. Credit may not be given for courses completed more than 10 years before Florida Tech enrollment. Transfer credit for grades of P or S is subject to approval.

Requests for Transfer Credit

All requests for transfer credit, including credit earned by taking AP examinations, subject area CLEP examinations, etc., must be submitted to the registrar. All official transcripts and documents must be submitted before the completion of the first semester of enrollment (two 8-week terms for Florida Tech Online). Requests for additional transfer credit must be made before the end of the second semester. Requests for advanced standing must be submitted to the appropriate academic unit head no later than 45 days after initial registration.

If the course equivalency is questionable, credit may be granted by equivalency examination.

The official certification of transfer credit is performed by the registrar’s office based on evaluations performed by the academic units responsible for the subject matter areas represented by the transfer courses, except for courses for which there is no corresponding Florida Tech program. In the latter case, the registrar is the sole approving authority. Official transfer credit is reported on the transcript in terms of equivalent Florida Tech course identifications, if any, and otherwise as electives, either with the subject area identified (e.g., physical science elective) or as undesignated transfer credits. The use of any transfer credit, other than credit for a specific Florida Tech course, in meeting degree requirements is subject to the approval of the faculty responsible for the degree program. Transfer students are encouraged to provide the registrar with college catalog(s) and/or course syllabi and names of textbooks used in courses to help assure a thorough transfer credit evaluation.

Certification of transfer credit is based on official transcripts bearing the correct seals and authorized signatures from all former institutions. A transcript is considered official only when the issuing institution sends the transcript directly to the Florida Tech undergraduate admission office or the registrar’s office. The registrar’s office coordinates the process by working with the academic unit overseeing the subject matter to certify how the course may be transferred and provides notice of the official evaluation.

While Florida Tech makes every effort to complete the official certification of transfer credit before the student’s arrival at Florida Tech, university policy allows one semester in which to complete this process. The academic college reserves the right to review transfer credit evaluations for errors and make corrections within 60 days from the date of transfer credit evaluation notice. Once the evaluation is complete, students may appeal the decision by providing the registrar’s office with a syllabus of the course in question from the term during which the course was taken.

International University Transfer Credit

Undergraduate transfer credit may be awarded for courses taken at an international college or university that is recognized as being degree-granting by that country’s educational governing authority. The student may be required to contact the country’s educational governing authority to request that official documentation be sent from the educational governing authority directly to the Florida Tech registrar’s office.

A student requesting transfer credit for academic work completed at an international educational institution must request that official transcripts be sent directly to the admission office from all previous institutions, showing all courses taken, dates and grades. A transcript is considered official only when the issuing institution mails the transcript directly to Florida Tech’s undergraduate admission or registrar’s office. Official course descriptions and/or syllabi are also required. In the case of transcripts and course syllabi that are not in English, official English translations are required. Florida Tech reserves the right to require the student to request an independent evaluation and/or recommendation regarding the international institution, performed by an agency specified by Florida Tech. Students who need an English translation of their academic documents may contact University Language Services (ULS) . 

While Florida Tech makes every effort to complete the official certification of transfer credit before the student’s arrival at the university, university policy allows one semester (two 8-week terms for Florida Tech Online) in which to complete this process. Transfer credit criteria mentioned in the section above apply to transfer credit from international institutions. 

Four-Year Guarantee

A four-year guarantee is offered to the incoming Melbourne campus freshman class. Florida Tech guarantees that a student who meets the following requirements will earn a bachelor’s degree in four years.

• Declare a major as an incoming freshman and continue in that major until graduation.*
• Consult the designated academic advisor before registering each semester.
• Follow the curriculum plan presented in the university catalog by taking and passing each course in the semester indicated.
• Maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher.

*Students needing prerequisite coursework and those initially enrolled in nondegree programs (General Engineering, General Science or General Studies) do not qualify for this guarantee.

Grading and Honors

Undergraduate Grading System

Distinguished Student Scholars

Following each fall semester (or fall-2 for Florida Tech Online students), all undergraduate students who have a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher and have completed more than 52 credit hours at Florida Tech are recipients of Distinguished Student Scholar recognition.

Dean’s List

Melbourne campus undergraduate students who earn 12 or more graded undergraduate credit hours or Online Learning undergraduate students who earn 6 or more graded undergraduate credit hours in a semester with a semester GPA of at least 3.4 are considered to be dean’s list students for that semester. Developmental courses beginning with a zero (i.e., WRI 0110) are not included in dean’s list calculations and are not applied toward any Florida Tech degree.

The dean’s list designation will be listed on the student’s transcript. A congratulatory letter from the student’s dean confirming this designation will be provided by request to the dean’s office.

Forgiveness Policy

The forgiveness policy is a system by which an undergraduate student may repeat an undergraduate course. A course may be forgiven if the student’s initial attempt of the course resulted in an earned grade of D or F. Only the last grade received for this course will be used in the cumulative grade point average and in evaluating the fulfillment of graduation requirements. All grades received in any course, including those retaken under the forgiveness policy, are retained and recorded on the transcript. Credits, where the forgiveness policy has been applied to a course, will be removed from both the term and overall GPA.

The forgiveness policy includes honors sections. Honors sections may be replaced by the equivalent nonhonors section.

An undergraduate student is allowed to apply forgiveness to undergraduate courses a maximum of five (5) times during their Florida Tech career. No forgiveness is allowed for subsequent retakes above the maximum of five; all subsequent grades are averaged into the cumulative GPA. The forgiveness policy does not apply to graduate courses, even if taken by an undergraduate student, or to undergraduate courses taken by a graduate student. The forgiveness policy cannot be applied after a degree has been awarded, unless the course is a degree requirement for a subsequent degree.

A Request to Retake a Course form must be completed for every course retaken under the forgiveness policy. To be applied, this form is due in the registrar’s office no later than Friday of the twelfth week of classes for fall or spring semester, Friday of the third week before the end of regular classes for a summer term, and no later than Friday of the fifth week of classes for Florida Tech Online students. This form is a binding agreement between the student and Florida Tech. Once applied to a repeated course, forgiveness cannot be reversed.

Accelerated Master’s Programs

Undergraduate students who meet certain requirements may be eligible to participate in accelerated master’s programs that entail completing both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years. High-achieving students are strongly recommended to discuss this option with their advisors. Accelerated programs are not available in all majors or colleges. Students who have been admitted to an approved accelerated or fast-track master’s program may apply up to six 5000-level (graduate) credit hours to both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Graduation Honors

At graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients achieving high academic performance are recognized according to their cumulative grade point averages. In the case of multiple bachelor’s degree recipients (multiple diplomas), the honors must be earned separately for each degree received and are determined by the program GPA based on courses that apply to the specific degree. In computing the cumulative GPA for graduation honors, transfer credits do not apply. Academic honors are listed on the student’s diploma and transcript. The honors are determined as follows:

Honors College

Florida Tech’s Honors College recognizes the talents and initiative of high-performing Melbourne campus students. Students in the Honors College have the opportunity to enroll in interdisciplinary seminars, advance study in their disciplines, work with faculty members on independent research projects, and participate in social and cultural activities that foster a global mindset, civic engagement and professional and personal development.

Melbourne campus students are invited to apply for admission to the Honors College based on their GPAs and test scores. In order to be admitted to the Honors College, students must demonstrate a record of achievements in academics and extracurricular activities.

If department/program honors are available in their majors, Honors College students must meet department/program honors requirements, which contribute toward university honors requirements.

Students interested in applying for admission can find more information on the Honors College website. 

University Honors Requirements

Honors College students may attain university honors in one of the three tiers outlined below.

Mercury Scholars (Honors)

• 3.2 university GPA and 3.0 honors GPA
• 15 honors credits
  • One honors seminar taken during the freshman or sophomore year
  • Up to 6 credits of research experience, including honors research and undergraduate research
  • Honors courses, honors sections, or honors options across colleges and programs
  • Up to 6 credits of graduate coursework (up to two graduate courses)
• 20 honors activity hours
  • Co- and extra-curricular activities
  • Honors lectures and special events

Gemini Scholars (High Honors)

• 3.5 university GPA and 3.2 honors GPA
• 21 honors credits
  • One honors seminar taken during the freshman or sophomore year 
  • Up to 9 credits of research experience, including honors research and undergraduate research
  • Honors courses, honors sections, or honors options across colleges and programs
  • Up to 6 credits of graduate coursework (up to two graduate courses)
• 24 honors activity hours
  • Co- and extra-curricular activities
  • Honors lectures and special events

Apollo Scholars (Highest Honors)

• 3.7 university GPA and 3.5 honors GPA
• 27 honors credits
  • One honors seminar taken during the freshman or sophomore year 
  • Up to 9 credits of research experience, including honors research and undergraduate research
  • Honors courses, honors sections, or honors options across colleges and programs
  • Up to 6 credits of graduate coursework (up to two graduate courses)
• 28 honors activity hours
  • Co- and extra-curricular activities
  • Honors lectures and special events

University Honors Requirements

Honors credit hours can be earned in honors courses, honors options, and honors research. Honors College students take a range of honors courses that satisfy the general education core and program requirements.

Honors Seminar: The honors seminar is a 2000-level interdisciplinary course that highlights the relationship between the humanities, social sciences and STEM fields and features guest lectures by faculty across disciplines. The honors seminar is required of all Honors College students. Students read primary and secondary sources on the topic and complete numerous writing assignments, including a research paper. Honors seminar satisfies one 3-credit humanities (HU) elective.

Honors Sections: Honors sections of core and elective courses offer distinct approaches to the material and require students to explore issues and problems in depth. Such courses are often discussion-oriented rather than lectures and involve research projects to facilitate the analysis, synthesis and understanding of scholarly work. 

Honors Options: Honors options allow faculty members to add requirements to nonhonors courses or sections. Honors options can be added to any course, although options are ideal for upper-level electives. The student and faculty member submit a contract outlining the additional work for the course. The contract must be submitted to and approved by Honors College administrators at the beginning of the semester (by the add/drop deadline).

Research Experience: Honors research, undergraduate research experience, honors symposium poster presentation, conference paper or poster presentation or paper publication can contribute up to 3 credits toward honors credit hours. The honors research and honors special topics courses are offered by academic units and require instructor and/or academic unit head/chair approval. Conference paper and poster presentations and paper publications may be eligible for either activity hours or credit hours, but not both.

Studies-Related Assistance

Student Success and Support Center

The Student Success and Support Center (SSSC) provides peer tutoring services and writing assistance to Florida Tech students. Tutors assist with a wide range of subjects and courses offered at the university. The SSSC also provides examination proctoring for students eligible for services through the Office of Accessibility Resources or through an arrangement with the dean of students. 

The SSSC offers free educational support to all Florida Tech students, with the goal of helping them achieve academic success. 

The center houses a wealth of services including accessibility resources, a chemistry resource center, a math advancement center, CS Help Desk, the Writers’ Den, peer tutoring and supplemental instruction, testing services, and academic resources for students, parents and faculty:

• One-to-one, one-hour tutoring sessions in most undergraduate courses, particularly mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer science, engineering, business, and psychology
• One-to-one assistance from English instructors who help students improve communication skills by answering questions and reviewing written work
• One-to-one assistance in core self-management skills such as goal setting, time management, note-taking methods, and exam-review strategies
• Supplemental instruction sessions in cooperation with academic departments for challenging courses such as General Chemistry 1, General Chemistry 2, and Physics 1
• Study groups of three or more students who meet in advance of exams to prepare with materials provided by departments
• Community outreach to local sixth- through twelfth-grade students who need help in mathematics and science
• Academic alerts that allow faculty to report concerns while bringing it to the attention of advisors and SSSC staff for academic interventions and student support
• Counseling for students who need help with their studies or with campus life as it relates to their studies
• Midterm progress reports to students
• Liaison between students and academic units

Florida Tech Online

Online tutoring is available to students via a service called Smarthinking. Students can access this service by clicking on the Resources tab within their course site. Students can get live, online tutoring, as well as reviews and comments about essays and reports. Information about this service is available on the Pearson website.

The learning management system (LMS) makes weekly notifications to students when they have not shown satisfactory progress in an assignment.

Graduation Requirements

To receive an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree, a cumulative Florida Tech grade point average of 2.0 or higher is required. In the case of a student seeking two or more associate or bachelor’s degrees (see Dual Majors and Additional Degrees), a program GPA of at least 2.0 is required in each program for which a degree is awarded, as well as the overall GPA of at least 2.0 that is required for the award of any associate or bachelor’s degree (see Grade Point Average for the definitions of program and overall GPA).

A student is not permitted to graduate unless all financial obligations have been satisfied. All program requirements must be completed no later than 24 hours before commencement exercises. Program requirements completed after the deadline will cause a delay in the awarding of the degree.

Students should petition to graduate and attend the commencement ceremony for the term program requirements are met. Melbourne campus and education center students attend the spring ceremony if requirements are met in spring and the fall ceremony if the requirements are met in summer or fall. Florida Tech Online students participate in the Melbourne commencement ceremony in spring if they satisfy requirements during spring-1 or spring-2 and the fall commencement ceremony if they satisfy requirements during summer-1, summer-2, fall-1 or fall-2.

All required documentation such as course substitution forms, transfer credit, defense or final program examinations must be received by the registrar’s office (undergraduates) or the Office of Graduate Programs (graduate students) before the end of the term.

Residency Requirements for Graduation

To earn an associate or bachelor’s degree from the university, no less than 25 percent of work must be completed while enrolled and attending Florida Tech. The 25 percent requirement cannot be waived.

The university reserves the right to change requirements for graduation when it is decided that such changes are necessary. Students are typically graduated according to the degree requirements in effect at the time of their admission unless attendance has not been continuous.

Undergraduate Core Requirements

The common purpose of all undergraduate programs at Florida Tech is to impart an understanding of our current technology-centered civilization and its historical background. All students seeking an undergraduate degree are therefore required to complete a general education core.

Associate Degrees

For those seeking an associate-level degree, the general education core requirements are:

Communication (6 credit hours)

Requires COM 1101 Composition and Rhetoric  or WRI 1001 First-Year Writing 2  and COM 1102 Writing About Literature .

Humanities (3 credit hours)

Students seeking an associate-level degree are required to satisfy the following humanities requirement. Transfer credit for nonequivalent HUM courses may be substituted for this requirement only if the transferred course is a survey course with content reasonably consistent with the HUM courses listed in this section, including survey courses focusing on different world regions.

Select one of the following 3-credit courses (humanities/fine arts):

• HUM 2051 Civilization 1: Ancient Through Medieval  
• HUM 2052 Civilization 2: Renaissance Through Modern  
• HUM 2053 Introduction to Asian Civilization  
• HUM 2054 Introduction to Asian Civilization 2  
• HUM 2141 World Art History 1: Pre-History to Early Global Awareness  
• HUM 2142 World Art History 2: Early Modern to Post-Colonial  
• HUM 2211 British Literature and Culture  
• HUM 2212 British and American Literature 1  
• HUM 2213 British and American Literature 2  
• HUM 2331 America History: Pre-Columbia to Civil War Era  
• HUM 2332 American History: From Reconstruction to the Present  
• HUM 2551 Survey of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy  
• HUM 2552 Survey of Modern and Contemporary Philosophy  

Mathematics (Natural Science/Mathematics) (3 credit hours)

• Any 3 credits of MTH courses at the 1000 level or higher or
• EST 2703 Statistics/BUS 2703 Business Statistics  

Physical and/or Life Sciences (Natural Science/Mathematics) (3 credit hours)

• Any 3 credits from AVS, BIO, CHM, ENS, MAR, MET, OCN, PHY, SPS or SUS prefixed course or
• EDS 1021 , EDS 1022 , EDS 1023 , EDS 1031  or EDS 1032  

Social/Behavioral Sciences (3 credits hours)

Any three credits from the following list (courses may not be repeated for credit)

• AHF 1101 Introduction to Aviation Psychology  
• BUS 1301 Basic Economics  
• BUS 2303 Macroeconomics  
• BUS 2304 Microeconomics  
• COM 2425 Introduction to Communication  
• CRM 1000 Introduction to Criminal Justice  
• EEC 2303 Introduction to Macroeconomics  
• EEC 2304 Introduction to Microeconomics  
• HON 2001 Honors Seminar  
• HUM 2053 Introduction to Asian Civilization  
• HUM 2054 Introduction to Asian Civilization 2  
• HUM 2085 Critical Approaches to Humanities and Social Sciences  
• HUM 2140 World Architecture  
• HUM 2141 World Art History 1: Pre-History to Early Global Awareness  
• HUM 2142 World Art History 2: Early Modern to Post-Colonial  
• HUM 2331 America History: Pre-Columbia to Civil War Era   
• HUM 2332 American History: From Reconstruction to the Present  
• HUM 2385 Special Topics in World History  
• HUM 2401 Introduction to Law  
• HUM 2480 Introduction to Political Science  
• HUM 2490 Introduction to International Politics  
• PSF 2551 Survey of Forensic Psychology  
• PSY 1411 Introduction to Psychology  
• PSY 1461 Psychology of Adjustment and Personal Growth  
• PSY 1462 Substance Abuse  
• PSY 2442 Adult Development and Aging  
• PSY 2444 Cross-Cultural and Ethnic Psychology  
• PSY 2445 Psychology of Women  
• PSY 2446 Sport Psychology  
• PSY 2541 Group Behavior  
• SOC 1000 Introduction to Global and Multicultural Awareness  
• SOC 1101 Human Behavior Perspective  
• SOC 1102 Global Perspective  
• SOC 1551 Introduction to American Criminal Justice  
• SOC 2541 Juvenile Delinquency  
• SOC 2551 Social Problems  
• Any 3000- or 4000-level course with the (SS) or (HU/SS) tag in the course description for which all prerequisites have been met

Other Restrictions

In addition to the 18 credit hours of the general education curriculum described above, there is a requirement that all new Melbourne campus students complete the 1-credit course, FYE 1000 University Experience , during the first year. New transfer students on the Melbourne campus with 30 or more earned credit hours are not required to complete FYE 1000 and should consult with their academic program chairs or advisors for an appropriate substitution. Florida Tech Online students are required to enroll in ASC 1006 Mastering eLearning   during the first term.

Bachelor Degrees

For those seeking a baccalaureate-level degree, the general education core requirements are:

Communication (9 credit hours)

Requires COM 1101 Composition and Rhetoric  or WRI 1001 First-Year Writing 2 , COM 1102 Writing About Literature  and select one additional 3-credit communication course.

Humanities (9 credit hours)

Undergraduate students seeking a baccalaureate-level degree are required to satisfy each of the following three humanities areas. Transfer credit for nonequivalent HUM courses may be substituted for one or both of the humanities requirements listed in this section only if the transferred course is a survey course with content reasonably consistent with the HUM courses listed in this section, including survey courses focusing on different world regions.

Select one of the following 3-credit courses (Humanities/Fine Arts):

• HUM 2051 Civilization 1: Ancient Through Medieval  
• HUM 2053 Introduction to Asian Civilization  
• HUM 2141 World Art History 1: Pre-History to Early Global Awareness  
• HUM 2211 British Literature and Culture  
• HUM 2212 British and American Literature 1  
• HUM 2331 American History: Pre-Columbian to Civil War Era  
• HUM 2551 Survey of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy  

Select one of the following 3-credit courses (Humanities/Fine Arts):

• HUM 2052 Civilization 2: Renaissance Through Modern  
• HUM 2054 Introduction to Asian Civilization 2  
• HUM 2142 World Art History 2: Early Modern to Post-Colonial  
• HUM 2212 British and American Literature 1  (may not be repeated for credit)
• HUM 2213 British and American Literature 2  
• HUM 2332 American History: From Reconstruction to the Present  
• HUM 2552 Survey of Modern and Contemporary Philosophy  

Three additional credits from any HU designated course: 

• 3000- or 4000-level strongly recommended

Mathematics (Natural Science/Mathematics) (6 credit hours)

• Any 6 credits of MTH courses 1000 level or higher, or
• EST 2703 Statistics /BUS 2703 Business Statistics  
• PSY 4514 Psychological Research Methods and Statistics 2  

Physical and/or Life Sciences (Natural Science/Mathematics) (6 credit hours)

• Any 6 credits from BIO, CHM, ENS, MAR, MET, OCN, PHY, SPS, or SUS prefixed course, or
• EDS 1021 , EDS 1022 , EDS 1023 ,  EDS 1031  or EDS 1032  
• AVS 1101 ,  AVS 1102 , AVS 1201 , AVS 1202 , AVS 2101 , AVS 2102 , AVS 2222 , AVS 2402 , AVS 3201 , AVS 4000 , AVS 4402      

Social/Behavioral Sciences (3 credit hours)

• Any 3 credits from the following list (courses may not be repeated for credit)
  • AHF 1101 Introduction to Aviation Psychology  
  • AHF 3101 Introduction to Human Factors  
  • BEH 4025 Applied Behavior Analysis and Exceptional Learners  
  • BUS 1301 Basic Economics  
  • BUS 2303 Macroeconomics  
  • BUS 2304 Microeconomics  
  • COM 2425 Introduction to Communication  
  • COM 4425 Mass Communication Law and Ethics  
  • CRM 1000 Introduction to Criminal Justice  
  • EEC 2303 Introduction to Macroeconomics  
  • EEC 2304 Introduction to Microeconomics  
  • EDS 3131 Perspectives on Science and Mathematics  
  • EDS 4060 Educational Strategies for ESOL  
  • HON 2001 Honors Seminar  
  • HUM 2053 Introduction to Asian Civilization  
  • HUM 2054 Introduction to Asian Civilization 2  
  • HUM 2085 Critical Approaches to Humanities and Social Sciences  
  • HUM 2140 World Architecture  
  • HUM 2141 World Art History 1: Pre-History to Early Global Awareness  
  • HUM 2142 World Art History 2: Early Modern to Post-Colonial  
  • HUM 2331 American History: Pre-Columbian to Civil War Era  
  • HUM 2332 American History: From Reconstruction to the Present  
  • HUM 2385 Special Topics in World History  
  • HUM 2401 Introduction to Law  
  • HUM 2480 Introduction to Political Science  
  • HUM 2490 Introduction to International Politics  
  • HUM 3027 History and Culture of China  
  • HUM 3272 Serial Killers in Fiction  
  • HUM 3273 Environmental Literature and Society  
  • HUM 3276 Science Fiction Literature and Film  
  • HUM 3301 Historiography  
  • HUM 3333 American Military History  
  • HUM 3334 History of Flight and the Space Age  
  • HUM 3343 World War II in Film: Europe  
  • HUM 3344 World War II in Film: The Pacific  
  • HUM 3351 History of Science and Technology: Ancient and Medieval  
  • HUM 3352 History of Science and Technology: Renaissance to Present  
  • HUM 3385 Special Topics in History  
  • HUM 3401 Constitutional Law 1  
  • HUM 3402 Constitutional Law 2  
  • HUM 3410 Geopolitics and World Geography  
  • HUM 3420 International Law and Politics  
  • HUM 3485 Special Topics in Social Science  
  • HUM 3541 Philosophy of Law  
  • HUM 3571 Engineering Ethics  
  • HUM 3685 Special Topics in Law  
  • HUM 4301 History of Science and Technology in Warfare  
  • PSF 2551 Survey of Forensic Psychology  
  • PSF 3511 Introduction to Crime Analysis  
  • PSF 3551 Integrated Theories of Crime  
  • PSY 1411 Introduction to Psychology  
  • PSY 1461 Psychology of Adjustment and Personal Growth  
  • PSY 1462 Substance Abuse  
  • PSY 1463 Human Sexuality  
  • PSY 2442 Adult Development and Aging  
  • PSY 2444 Cross-Cultural and Ethnic Psychology  
  • PSY 2445 Psychology of Women  
  • PSY 2446 Sport Psychology  
  • PSY 2541 Group Behavior  
  • PSY 3441 Social Psychology  
  • PSY 3442 Psychology of Personality  
  • PSY 3531 Child Psychology  
  • PSY 3541 Psychology of Leadership  
  • PSY 3543 Psychology of the Workplace  
  • PSY 3551 Introduction to Child Advocacy  
  • PSY 3641 Political Psychology  
  • PSY 3761 Abnormal Psychology  
  • PSY 3772 Childhood Disorders  
  • PSY 4462 Clinical and Community Psychology  
  • PSY 4701 Experiential Child Advocacy Studies Training Seminar 1  
  • PSY 4702 Experiential Child Advocacy Studies Training Seminar 2  
  • SOC 1000 Introduction to Global and Multicultural Awareness  
  • SOC 1101 Human Behavior Perspective  
  • SOC 1102 Global Perspective  
  • SOC 1551 Introduction to American Criminal Justice  
  • SOC 2541 Juvenile Delinquency  
  • SOC 2551 Social Problems  

Other Restrictions

In addition to the 33 credit hours of the general education curriculum described above, there is a requirement that all new Melbourne campus students complete the 1-credit course, FYE 1000 University Experience , during the first year. New transfer students on the Melbourne campus with 30 or more earned credit hours are not required to complete FYE 1000 and should consult with their academic program chairs or advisors for an appropriate substitution. Florida Tech Online students are required to enroll in ASC 1006 Mastering eLearning  during the first term.

Courses listed under more than one prefix or listed as interchangeable (i.e., MTH 1001 Calculus 1  and MTH 1010 Honors Calculus 1 ) may not be repeated for credit under the alternate prefix or interchangeable course name/number.

Core requirements for the associate degree in Florida Tech Online are as described in this catalog for each degree program and include the minimum undergraduate core requirements as described above.

Courses in the general education curriculum do not narrowly focus on those skills, techniques and procedures specific to a particular occupation or profession. 

Scholarly Inquiry Requirement

All undergraduate students are required to plan, undertake and report on a scholarly project in an area of their own choosing that is approved by the instructor of the Q-designated courses in their program of study. All research projects are undertaken during the junior and/or senior year (may be the third or fourth year for Florida Tech Online students). Courses within the scholarly inquiry plan are designated as Q in the Degree Programs  and Course Descriptions  sections.

Cultural Competency

As part of its ongoing quality enhancement plan, Florida Tech’s Cultural Competency Certificate is a noncredit program allowing Melbourne campus students to certify their preparation for the global workforce through academic courses, cocurricular activities and cultural and diverse experiences. Through the program, students develop cultural awareness and learn how to identify and understand inherent differences between people’s worldviews, which helps facilitate effective communication and behavior with others, personally and professionally. Students choosing to participate in the certificate program believe in the importance of becoming informed, creative and productive global citizens. This certificate is noted on undergraduate students’ transcripts and is an invaluable credential to highlight on résumés and CVs. Courses used to fulfill the certificate are designated as CC in the Course Descriptions  section.

Cooperative Education Credits

Students participating in the university’s cooperative education program (CWE 1001 Co-op Education/Internship Experience 1 , CWE 2001 Co-op Education/Internship Experience 2 , CWE 3001 Co-op Education/Internship Experience 3  and CWE 4001 Co-op Education/Internship Experience 4 ) receive free elective credits. College of Engineering and Science students can use CWE 3003 Engineering Co-op/Internship Experience  for a maximum of three credit hours of technical elective. All participating students are classified as full-time students when working full time.

The applicability of these credits toward degree requirements is limited and dependent on the degree being sought and the nature of the work experience.

Electives

The following definitions of electives pertain to all degree programs at Florida Tech. The student should consult these definitions when selecting appropriate courses to satisfy the electives listed under program requirements. The counsel and consent of the student’s academic program chair or advisor is important in the final selection.

Engineering Design Elective

Engineering design is the process of devising a system, component or process to meet desired needs. It is a decision-making process, often iterative, in which the basic sciences, mathematics and engineering sciences are applied to convert resources optimally to meet a stated objective. Among the fundamental elements of the design process are the establishment of objectives and criteria, synthesis, analysis, construction, testing and evaluation. Central to the process are the essential and complementary roles of synthesis and analysis. Each engineering design course includes some of the following features: development of student creativity, use of open-ended problems, formulation of design-problem statements and specifications, consideration of alternative solutions, feasibility considerations, detailed system descriptions and a variety of realistic constraints, such as economic factors, safety, reliability, aesthetics, ethics and social impact. A list of approved engineering design electives is normally available in each engineering department office.

Engineering Science Elective

Engineering sciences have their roots in mathematics and basic sciences but carry knowledge further toward a creative application. These studies provide bridges between mathematics, basic science and engineering practice. A list of approved engineering science electives is normally available in each engineering department office.

Flight Training

Flight training is available to any Melbourne campus student and may be used as elective credit in many degree programs with program chair or advisor approval. FAA Private Pilot Certificate training requires only two courses totaling 5 semester hours of credit.

Foreign Languages

Students who have had less than two years of foreign-language study at the secondary level may enroll in elementary language courses at Florida Tech. Students who have had two or more years of foreign-language study at the secondary level and students who transfer one year of foreign-language study to Florida Tech from another college or university must enroll in intermediate courses. Native or multilingual speakers of foreign languages may not enroll in elementary or intermediate courses; they may, however, enroll in advanced-level courses. The head of the School of Arts Communication will make final decisions regarding the placement of students in foreign-language courses.

Free Elective

Any 1000-level or above course taken at Florida Tech or courses that were taken elsewhere if transfer credit is awarded by Florida Tech may be used as a free elective. Courses can be combined to satisfy the specified free elective credits (e.g., three 1-credit courses can satisfy one 3-credit listing in a degree program) or vice versa (one 3-credit course for three 1-credit courses). No more than a total of four credit hours of free elective credits earned for physical education activities and/or health education can be applied toward meeting degree requirements.

Humanities Elective

Courses concerned with human culture including literature, history, philosophy, religion, linguistics, professional ethics and foreign languages other than a student’s home language meet the requirements for humanities electives. Courses in art, music and drama, other than performance courses, also meet these requirements. These courses are designated as humanities (HU) or humanities/social science (HU/SS) electives in the Course Descriptions  section.

A foreign language is considered to be the student’s home language if it is the formal or commonly used language of the student’s country or community, or if it was the language used as the medium of interaction in all or part of the student’s pre-university education.

Humanities elective credits may not be granted by equivalency examinations.

Liberal Arts Elective

A liberal arts elective is any course offered by the School of Arts and Communication (HUM, COM, LNG, MUS) or any psychology course (PSY). Certain BUS and EDS courses may also be considered liberal arts electives as determined by the student’s academic unit.

Restricted Elective

A restricted elective is an elective selected from a specified academic discipline. The academic discipline is included in the specification of the elective, e.g., Restricted Elective (Chemistry) or Restricted Elective (CHM). The level of the elective may also be specified by the academic unit.

Social Science Elective

Studies of society and of the relationship of the individual to society including anthropology, psychology, sociology, economics, political science, history, linguistics and social responsibility meet the requirements for social science electives. These courses are designated as SS or HU/SS electives in the Course Descriptions  section.

Social science elective credits may not be granted by equivalency examinations.

Technical Elective

A technical elective is a course in any field of science or engineering, subject to department or program approval. Courses classified as mathematics, basic science, applied science, engineering science, engineering design or some combination of these satisfies the requirement. These courses should be at a level appropriate to the level at which they appear in the program.

Academic Policies

The following represents an abbreviated presentation of some of the more commonly encountered policies affecting undergraduate students at Florida Tech (see also other definitions in this section). Most can be found on the Florida Tech website. Academic policies are subject to change.

Attendance

Melbourne Campus

Students registered for a course are expected to attend scheduled classes, activities and/or laboratory sessions. Attendance requirements and any consequences for nonattendance (grade implications, missed work, etc.) are at the discretion of the instructor and are provided in the course syllabus.

If circumstances require a student to report late for a class or to leave before the class is over, prior notification should be given to the instructor if possible. Repeated occurrences may result in the student being temporarily denied admission to the classroom.

The professor of military science of the Army ROTC unit has sole authority to determine attendance regulations in ROTC classes.

Florida Tech Online

The learning management system (LMS) tracks student attendance electronically. In order to participate in a class or access class materials, students are required to log into the system with a unique username and password.

Attendance for Florida Tech Online classes is required. Nonattendance may also be recorded by the student’s failure to log in to registered classes, failure to take part in discussion boards or forums, failure to respond to an instructor’s email or any combination of these.

Course Loads

Melbourne Campus

Students may register for a maximum of 21 semester credit hours for any fall or spring semester and 13 semester credit hours for any summer term. Registration in excess of that described above requires the prior written permission of the dean of the appropriate college.

Florida Tech Online

Students may register for a maximum of 6 semester credit hours for any term (7 credits is allowed when registered for ASC 1006 Mastering eLearning ). Registration in excess of that described above requires students to contact their representative.

Classification of Students

All new students are classified as freshmen unless they have completed sufficient transferable credit hours at another college or university to qualify for advanced standing at Florida Tech. The university operates on the semester system, and course credits are computed on that basis. For those students who have completed college work elsewhere, classification is based on credit hours accepted at Florida Tech rather than the amount of work presented.

Melbourne campus undergraduate students are classified by student level as follows:

Florida Tech Online Students

Florida Tech defines the academic year for Florida Tech Online undergraduate programs as 24 credit hours over 32 weeks of instruction. Students are classified by year as:

All new students are classified as first-year unless they have completed sufficient transferable credit hours at another college or university to qualify for advanced standing at Florida Tech. The university operates on the semester system and course credits are computed on that basis. For those students who have completed work elsewhere, classification is based on credit hours accepted at Florida Tech rather than the amount of work presented.

Dual Majors and Additional Degrees

The dual major is recognized any time a student completes all degree requirements for two bachelor’s degree programs. On completion of the requirements for both programs, the student receives one diploma noting both majors (e.g., “Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Science”). A student may become a candidate for a second bachelor’s degree (two diplomas) when at least 15 credit hours of additional Florida Tech work beyond the requirements of a single degree in the major requiring the higher number of credits and all requirements listed for both degree programs have been completed.

A student admitted to an associate degree may become a candidate for a second or subsequent associate degree when at least 9 credit hours of additional Florida Tech work beyond the requirements of a single associate degree in the major requiring the higher number of credits, and all requirements listed for both degree programs have been completed.

Florida Tech Online students may pursue a concurrent dual degree only from within the Florida Tech Online programs currently offered. Florida Tech Online students may not seek a second degree from an academic unit outside Florida Tech Online while currently fulfilling requirements for the first degree. A student may only enroll consecutively for a second degree from another academic unit at Florida Tech.

In the case of a student admitted to a bachelor’s degree who satisfies all the requirements for an associate degree, either in the current or a different major, while enrolled as a bachelor’s degree-seeking student, the associate degree may be awarded on the endorsement of the appropriate academic unit. Associate degrees will not be awarded after the bachelor’s degree when no additional courses are required to fulfill the associate degree. 

Minors

Florida Tech offers minor programs in several areas of study. Colleges/departments may designate minors that require 18 to 21 credit hours of selected coursework, excluding the core courses COM 1101 Composition and Rhetoric , COM 1102 Writing About Literature , and the humanities (HUM) core courses from the published core list. The intent of the minor is to encourage and recognize value-added study in an academic field chosen in consultation with the student’s minor advisor.

No more than 9 credit hours applied to the minor may be named courses in the major and at least nine must be taken on the Melbourne campus (see below for the online minor offered to Florida Tech Online students). If the proposed minor includes nine or more credit hours of courses also named as required in the student’s major, to complete the minor requirements, the student must take additional courses not named as required in the major. A minor program GPA of at least 2.0 is required to receive recognition for the minor on the student’s diploma. The minor is awarded at the same time as the bachelor major. Additional restrictions may be placed by the college/department offering the minor.

Minors may be chosen from within or outside the student’s major college or department. Minors are indicated on the student’s transcript and resulting diploma. Requests to pursue a minor require the approval of the minor program plan by both the bachelor major and minor program advisors. The request for a minor must be made before filing the petition to graduate and be indicated on the petition. Students are only able to declare up to two minors. 

Florida Tech Online offers a minor in human resources management for its online students. All other minors are offered only in the classroom on the Melbourne campus. Information about each minor program offered at Florida Tech may be found within the college/department section offering the minor.

Prerequisite Requirement for Registration

To ensure proper completion of prerequisite courses, any Melbourne campus student who fails or receives an incomplete for a course that is a listed prerequisite for a course in which they register for the following term will have that course automatically dropped as soon as the incomplete or failing grade is posted to the student’s record. The student should work with his or her advisor to update their program plan or request to retake the failed prerequisite.

Study at Other Institutions

The university expects undergraduate students who are earning a Florida Tech degree to take the majority of their courses at Florida Tech. However, students who meet course eligibility requirements are allowed to transfer up to three courses from another university to their Florida Tech degree. Financial aid recipients may wish to consult their financial aid counselor before requesting to study at another institution. All requirements affecting the transfer of credits taken elsewhere for application toward a Florida Tech undergraduate degree apply. 

International students on the Melbourne campus should contact ISSS and their sponsors for special exceptions to the policy. 

To be eligible to study at another institution the following criteria must be met: 

• The student has successfully completed the prerequisites of the course.
• The Melbourne campus student is registered for a maximum of 13 credits during the summer term, including main campus courses, online courses and courses at another institution.

Restrictions when requesting to study at another institution: 

• Students may not apply the Florida Tech forgiveness policy to a course taken at another institution.
• Students without prior permission will receive no credit for a course taken at another institution.
• Students will receive no credit for a course taken elsewhere if the student was ineligible for any reason to take the equivalent course at Florida Tech.
• To be eligible for transfer, a course that includes a significant writing or speaking component must be taught entirely in English.

The student must request an official transcript be sent by the other institution directly to the Florida Tech registrar’s office. Any student in their final year or term must request official transcripts be sent immediately upon completion of the course or as near as possible to the end of the Florida Tech term in which they plan to graduate to avoid having their graduation date delayed until the following term.

Change of Major

During their studies, students receive exposure to a number of different academic subjects, and some are attracted to programs different from their initial choices. A change of major is possible if the student requests the change online and has the request approved by the new academic unit head. After a change of major, courses unrelated to the new program will not be used in computing the student’s cumulative GPA. However, all earned grades and credits remain on the transcript.

Following a change of major, the degree requirements in the new major may be based on either the student’s original catalog or the catalog in effect at the time of the change of major, or on a catalog between those two, subject to the approval of the academic unit head, as indicated on the submitted request.

The policy above applies equally to Florida Tech Online students, with the exception that a change of major will not change a transfer credit evaluation.

Undeclared Major on Melbourne Campus

A new student may be uncertain about the specific academic program he or she wishes to pursue. The undeclared major gives a new student the opportunity to explore the general area of interest more broadly for a limited time before choosing a specific major.

Three freshman-year undeclared major programs are available on the Melbourne campus: General Engineering  or General Science  (College of Engineering and Science ) and General Studies  (College of Psychology and Liberal Arts ). The general studies program is for those who may wish to pursue a major in business administration, communication, humanities or psychology. More information on these programs may be found under each college in the Degree Programs  section.

Undergraduates Applying Graduate Courses to Bachelor’s Degree

Undergraduates may receive written authorization to take a graduate class (5000-level) and apply it to their bachelor’s degree requirements. Once a course is approved for use in a degree program and is recorded on the transcript, no reversal is permitted.

Undergraduates accepted into accelerated master’s programs (fast track) may apply up to six 5000-level (graduate) credit hours to both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accordance with Florida Tech policy.

Probation and Dismissal

Academic Warning

Academic warning status will be applied to an undergraduate student with a term GPA between 1.50 and 1.99 who has attempted no more than 21 credit hours at Florida Tech. A Melbourne campus student on academic warning is not permitted to register for more than 15 academic credit hours without the approval of the student’s dean and will be enrolled in ASC 1005 Strategies for Success  when applicable. The student’s academic performance is reviewed at the end of the warning term. 

Academic Probation

Academic probation status is applied to an undergraduate student with a term GPA of less than 1.50 regardless of the number of attempted credit hours, or a cumulative GPA of less than 2.00 after 21 attempted credit hours. A Melbourne campus student on academic probation is not permitted to register for more than 15 credit hours without the approval of the student’s dean and will be enrolled in ASC 1005 Strategies for Success  when applicable. The student’s academic performance is reviewed at the end of the probationary term. The probationary status is continued if the cumulative GPA is less than 2.00 and falls within the minimum standards shown here.

Note: Credit hours above include transfer credits, credits by examination and all Florida Tech credits earned.

Academic Dismissal

A student whose cumulative GPA does not reach the level defined above is academically dismissed at the end of the probationary term, with the exception of a student who has been reinstated and is meeting all reinstatement conditions.

Melbourne Campus

A summer grace period is available to a student who would normally be academically dismissed at the end of a spring term probationary period but who has registered for the summer term by the last day of spring term’s final examination week. Such a student will not be academically dismissed but will be reevaluated at the end of the summer term. A student who fails to meet previous reinstatement conditions does not qualify for the summer grace period and will be academically dismissed at the end of the spring term. The grace period is not available to students enrolled in 8-week online terms.

Academic Dismissal Notification/Right of Appeal

The registrar will send notification of academic dismissal from the university to the student.

An academically dismissed student may be reinstated for educationally sound reasons by special action of the Academic Standing Committee of the college in which the student is enrolled. A letter requesting reinstatement should be submitted to the committee through the registrar. A student who has been away from the university for four or more consecutive semesters (12 or more 8-week terms) and was dismissed after the last term of enrollment must submit a letter of appeal for reinstatement. The letter is sent to the undergraduate admission office along with the application for readmission.

Students reinstated by the Academic Standing Committee may be subject to special requirements as determined by the committee. Failure to meet the conditions specified at the time of reinstatement will result in a second dismissal, with the student retaining the right to request another reinstatement, although such requests are normally granted only in extraordinary cases.

Disciplinary Dismissal

The university reserves the right to dismiss any student at any time if there is just cause and such action is consistent with the policies outlined online in the student handbook.

Any student dismissed for disciplinary reasons will not be entitled to receive any refunds, will forfeit all fees and deposits and will receive failing grades for all courses scheduled during the semester unless recommended otherwise by the designated conduct officer and approved by the dean of students.

Students are expected to be familiar with the code of conduct and university discipline system detailed in policies online in the student handbook.