Frequently Asked Questions From Prospective Students

Florida Insitute of Technology

Questions for Us

• What is computer science?

  See the employment opportunities page under the General Information link, in particular the paper on career opportunities in information technology.

• How is computer science different from computer engineering?

  See the previous question and link to an answer.

• Why I choose Florida Tech for my education in the computer sciences?
  • Most students report that their reason was the ``Program of Study''
  • We have a dedicated faculty who teach (almost) all undergraduate computer science courses. All, but one, members of the faculty have earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science or closely related field.
  • Are students smart: the average SAT scores was 1198/1183 for students entering the program in Fall 2000/2001 (Math 625/617, Verbal 573/566).
  • About 10% of undergraduates are provided financial support through research grants directed by computer science faculty. We also hire many undergraduates as system administrators, to assist in our open labs, and to mentor beginning students in teaching labs. There is ample opportunity to work closely with the department's faculty.
  • The department has a full-time student coordinator to help students with ``maneuvering'' through the maze of academia.
  • The number of students is small (250 undergraduates) with a 20-to-1 student-faculty ratio.
  • Most classes are small: 25 or fewer students. This leads to more effective instruction.
  • We offer a well thought out curriculum in computer science, information systems, and software engineering. There is a stable core and many electives for specialization.
  • We encourage student participation in cooperative education programs.
  • We rely on graduate students to improve undergraduate education, not to deliver it!
  • Faculty research in reflected in the undergraduate curriculum.
  • Florida Tech is ranked as a Doctoral Research Intensive University by the Carnegie Foundation.
  • Florida Tech is just one of two Florida universities listed by Peterson's Top Colleges for Science.
  • Florida Tech is just one of six Florida universities selected by Barron's Best Buys in College Education.
  • Florida Tech is rated a a Tier 3 National University by U.S. News & World Reports.
    • Florida Tech is the youngest private university among the top 171 National Universities ranked Tier 3 or higher.
• What are the career opportunities in the computer sciences?

  Companies that hire Florida Tech Computer Sciences students

  Florida Tech' Career Services office

  The Bureau of Labor Statistic's Occupational Outlook Handbook

  Occupational Outlook Handbook [Computer Science]

  Occupational Outlook Handbook [Computer Programmer]

• What computing facilities does the school have?
  • An overview of the university's lab can be found from the university's homepage under Information Technology.
  • The College of Engineering supports four teaching laboratories with 60 PCs, and two Unix teaching labs (one with 14 Sun workstations and one with 14 Silicon Graphics workstations)
  • The Department of Computer Sciences supports several student computing labs
  • The department also has five research labs, available to undergraduates working on research.
  • Do I need to have my own computer?
    • We do not require students to have their own computers, but we strongly recommend that they do have one. A recommended configuration can by found at URL http://www.it.fit.edu/purchase/hardware/#compguidelines
  • Where can I learn more about the Department of Computer Sciences and Florida Tech?
    • See the department's web pages at URL http://www.cs.fit.edu, and the university's web pages at URL http://www.fit.edu.
    • Speak with the department head or other faculty.

  Questions for You

  What do you think computer science is all about and what do computer scientists do? Are your quantitative (mathematical, reasoning, logic) skills good? Are your communication (written and verbal) skills good? What experience (tool user, game player, programmer, web developer) do you have using a computer?