BS in Computer Science

What is a Computer Science Degree?

Computer science focuses on the fundamental theory of computing. Far more than mere programming, computer science encompasses the fundamentals of algorithmic thinking and explores how to design, develop, and test software and information systems.

Whether you want to develop new methods of human-computer interaction, design intelligent systems, or program high-powered software applications, a computer science degree from Florida Tech develops a strong background in computer systems with experience in programming and information management.

Accreditation

The undergraduate computer science program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Small Classes — Personalized Attention from Internationally Renowned Faculty

Florida Tech is known for its small class sizes and low faculty-to-student ratio, creating a tight-knit learning community where professors give individualized attention. Students are often with the same faculty advisor throughout their college experience and find it easy to interact with professors for consultation and mentoring. Because we are one of the top computer science schools, Florida Tech professors provide financial support to about 10% of students through research grants they direct—a true testament to Florida Tech’s student-centered organizational culture.

Florida Tech’s faculty are active and internationally known researchers with expertise in computer security, intelligent systems, computer vision, complex networks, and distributed negotiations. Research being done by our faculty involves students in projects related to machine learning, computer vision, biologically inspired computing, data mining, cyber security, cryptography, speech recognition, and more.

Located in the Heart of Florida’s High-Tech Corridor

Florida Tech is the perfect place for a Computer Science degree. The 130-acre campus is located on the Space Coast (so named because of the presence of NASA and the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral just north of us), minutes away from the Indian River Lagoon, the most diverse estuary in North America.

The area has the fifth-largest high-tech workforce in the country, with more than 5,000 high-tech corporations and government and military organizations located nearby. This workforce also provides an abundance of internship and employment opportunities.

Florida Tech is just over the causeway from the Atlantic Ocean with its 72 miles of beautiful beaches, and a short trip to the Florida Keys or the Orlando theme parks. We also have a rich campus life that includes a wide range of intramural and collegiate sports, clubs, and social activities.

Build Lasting Professional Relationships through Campus Organizations

Beyond the classroom, students earning a computer science degree build leadership and professional experience through exciting participation in academic organizations like Upsilon Pi Epsilon (computer science honor society), student government, or over 100 other student organizations.

Outside the classroom, students join the student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), a professional student organization that encourages members to network with other computer scientists from around the country. ACM also holds workshops and a “CS Fest” to promote interest in the field. You can also take part in ACM's Annual International Collegiate Programming Contest. In the last decade, programming teams have consistently placed in the top ten of the southeast region. Florida Tech has advanced to the world finals five times in the past 15 years in what is also referred to as the “Battle of the Brains” because it brings together the best student problem-solvers from all over the world.

Members of Florida Tech's chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (better known as FIT-IEEE) stress the importance of education, networking, research, and friendship during their studies. They also compete in robotics competitions and other team-based projects.

Video gamers and science fiction fans can also join the Florida Tech Society for Science Fiction and Fantasy (FITSFF) to take part in gaming competitions, science fiction movie-watching nights, and other group activities to make connections with students from other departments with similar interests.

It All Started With 37 Cents

Florida Tech was founded in 1958 as "Brevard Engineering College." It all started as an idea in the mind of Jerome P. Keuper, a visionary physicist working at Cape Canaveral.

As university lore would have it, Keuper expressed his desire to create a scientific and technological university to a friend over drinks at a local pub. Overhearing the conversation, a fellow patron pushed 37 cents in change across the bar and said, “There’s your first donation, Jerry. Now, go and build that college.”

So, Keuper did. And what started with 37 cents as a night school for the early “missilemen” of the U.S. space program is now a comprehensive national research university recognized worldwide for excellence in preparing students for careers of the future.

Core Values

• Research for the Benefit of All Humankind
• Education for a Lifetime of Success
• Global Citizenship for a Better World

Mission Statement

Florida Institute of Technology’s mission is to provide high-quality education to a culturally diverse student body in order to prepare students for entering the global workforce, seeking higher-education opportunities, and serving within their communities. The university also seeks to expand knowledge through basic and applied research and to serve the diverse economic, cultural, and societal needs of our local, state, national and international constituencies.

In support of this mission, we are committed to:

• Promoting student development by fostering and sustaining a productive institutional culture of assessment that leads to the continuous improvement of academic and administrative programs
• Developing an organizational culture that values and encourages intellectual curiosity, a sense of belonging and shared purpose among faculty, students, and staff, and the pursuit of excellence in all endeavors
• Recruiting and developing excellent faculty to become leaders in their respective fields and internationally recognized scholars
• Achieving recognition as an effective, innovative, technology-focused educational and research institution
• Recruiting and retaining an excellent, highly select, and culturally diverse student body
• Continually improving the quality of campus life for all members of the university community
• Providing personal and career growth opportunities for both traditional and nontraditional students and members of the faculty and staff
• Securing and maintaining professional accreditation for all appropriate programs

We Are Florida Tech

What we are is a private, coeducational, residential, research-intensive, doctoral-granting university located in Melbourne on Florida’s sunny “Space Coast.” But who we are is so much more. We are a community of researchers, scholars, and learners hailing from all around the world. We are engineers, aviators, innovators, leaders, educators, athletes, and astronauts. We have the brains of rocket scientists and the hearts of Panthers. We are Florida Tech.

We Are Relentless

Florida Tech is a university of leaders and learners—a diverse community of students, staff, faculty, and alumni who are united in the relentless pursuit of greatness.

We Are International

Students from more than 90 countries worldwide choose to live and learn at Florida Tech, making us a truly global university. When we say #YouAreWelcomeHere, we mean it.

We Create The Future

One of the primary tenets of Florida Tech’s mission is advancing science and technology for the benefit of Earth and all of its inhabitants. So, that’s what we do.

We Have Panther Pride

You may feel it the first time you visit the campus, the day you graduate, or at some point in between. But when you do, you’ll see that Panther Pride is more than school spirit. It’s a family.

We Make Connections

Florida Tech is proud to be part of the Brevard County community and welcomes its neighbors to explore the many personal, professional, corporate, and cultural opportunities we have to offer.

We Are STEM

There's a reason Florida Tech is known as Florida's STEM University™. To put it simply: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are in our DNA. This makes STEM a driving force behind who we are, what we do, and why we exist.