BS in Physics

What is a Physics Degree?

Physics involves the study of natural phenomena observed in our world, from the subatomic scale to the vastness of the entire universe.

Whether you want to explore the mysteries of antimatter, aid in the development of laser technologies, or discover new energy sources, a physics degree from Florida Tech gives you the knowledge and hands-on experience you need for a physics career.

Gain Practical Experience

Physics degree students learn scientific skills in small classes with intensive faculty-student interaction. The learning environment is conducive to preparing students for real-world scientific work whether in academia or industry. Students learn to conduct and communicate research experiments, working with direct supervision by a faculty member in charge of the research. Opportunities in research include participation in experiment design and construction, data collection, and analysis.

The physics department is located in the F.W. Olin Physical Sciences building, a 72,000 sq. ft. facility equipped with state-of-the-art labs, clean rooms, a 3,000 sq. ft. high bay area, a rooftop observatory, teaching classrooms with full multimedia, smart whiteboards, and other facilities.

Why Pursue a Physics Degree at Florida Tech?

The physics program at Florida Tech has set the standard since 1958 with the very first space sciences program in the world, successfully preparing students for high-tech careers at top space agencies and research firms. According to the American Institute of Physics, Florida Tech’s program is one of the largest in the US in terms of the number of BS degrees awarded annually. In addition, Florida Tech ranks in the top 5% of all US institutions awarding undergraduate physics degrees to women.

At Florida Tech, you’ll have all the tools and resources that you’d expect to find at a larger university but in a smaller, more intimate setting.

Internationally Recognized Faculty — Personalized Attention

Florida Tech has a low student-to-faculty ratio of 11 to 1, a benefit, not every physics college can offer. In these small classes, students can work closely with their professors and receive focused attention, particularly when involved in research opportunities. The internationally recognized scientists in our physics program hold doctoral degrees from distinguished universities and are active in research that involves world-class experiments studying some of the most relevant topics in physics, including lightning, astronomy and astrophysics, experimental high-energy particle physics, and space physics.

Students are encouraged to participate in research right away, in their first year at Florida Tech. The academic environment is centered on preparing students for real-world scientific work, whether in academia or industry. This research-based focus gives students an opportunity to be published in scientific journals, and build leadership and professional experience through internships and professional organizations.

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

Florida Tech is the perfect place for a BS in Physics. 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.

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.