College of Science

Dean Hamid K. Rassoul, Ph.D.

Senior Associate Dean
Michael S. Grace, Ph.D.

Overview

The College of Science consists of five degree-granting departments: biological sciences, chemistry, education and interdisciplinary studies, mathematical sciences, and physics and space sciences. The interdisciplinary science program allows students to enroll in a wide variety of science and engineering courses, supplemented by certain core courses and several carefully chosen humanities electives. An undergraduate program in biochemistry is administered jointly by the biological sciences and chemistry departments, and an undergraduate major and minor in sustainability is offered by the education and interdisciplinary science department. In addition, a graduate-only program in operations research is offered by the mathematical sciences department.

A student who wishes to postpone the selection of a major can enroll for up to two semesters under either a General Science (see this section) or General Studies (School of Arts and Communication ) curriculum. These curricula are designed to be somewhat less intense than the normal freshman curriculum to allow students more time for acclimation to college life.

The normal course load taken by students in the College of Science is 16 or 17 credit hours. Students can enroll for lighter loads and are strongly encouraged to do so if difficulty is experienced in keeping up with all coursework when a full load is attempted, even though the duration of the program would, of necessity, be extended from eight to nine or more semesters. A student registered for 12 or more credit hours is considered full time. Students with cumulative GPAs below 2.0 are not allowed to register for more than 15 credit hours in a semester.

Fast Track Master’s Program for College of Science Honors Students

This program allows undergraduate students with the honor student profile (i.e., high school GPA of 4.0, SAT score of at least 1300 and a class rank in the top five percent) to complete a master’s degree from any department within the College of Science in one year by earning graduate-level credit hours during their senior year, and applying up to six credit hours to both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The program is available to undergraduates who have completed a minimum of 35 credit hours at Florida Tech with an earned GPA of at least 3.4, and who have completed at least 95 credit hours toward their undergraduate degree by the time the approved student begins taking graduate-level courses. The credit hours are treated as transfer credit (GPA does not apply) when applied toward the master’s degree. Interested students should consult the dean’s office or the department heads in the College of Science for more information about this program.

Cooperative Education

Students in some curricula in the College of Science are encouraged to participate in the cooperative education program, although the availability of co-op employment opportunities varies considerably from field to field. By alternating periods of work experience in their chosen fields with academic semesters spent on campus as full-time students, participants in this program are able to earn funds needed to further their education while gaining valuable practical experience and a knowledge base that is useful in better defining career goals. The length of time needed to earn the degree is extended by an amount comparable to the number of semesters spent away from the campus. Students in this program should pay special attention to scheduling their courses well in advance to avoid conflicts between off-campus periods and the semesters when required courses are offered.