How to Apply to Computer Science at Florida Institute of Technology: The BS in Computer Science with Its Artificial Intelligence Track and Cyber Operations Concentration, Direct Admission, Testing Requirements and International Scholarships, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech) is in Melbourne, Florida. Its undergraduate computer science degree is taught by the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, which sits under the College of Engineering and Science website. Here is what you need to know, based on the university’s website, for students at high schools in China (including A-Level, IB and AP students), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. Degree and options

• BS in Computer Science: accredited by ABET’s Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) and offered on the Melbourne campus. The same department also offers undergraduate software engineering and computer engineering.
• Artificial intelligence track (optional): focused coursework in machine learning, computer vision and robotics, with advanced topics such as natural language processing and intelligent systems design.
• Cyber operations concentration (optional): six specialized courses covering software reverse engineering, vulnerability research and algorithm analysis, with electives such as wireless security, cyber forensics and memory forensics. Florida Tech is an NSA/DHS National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Research (CAE-R).
• Courses: the program page names Computer Disciplines and Careers, Algorithms and Data Structures, and Computer Architecture and Assembly Programming; seniors complete a team design project to conceive, design, build and present a software application. Total credits and the full course list are not on the program page and we could not read the catalog; check the catalog.
• Research and internships: well-qualified students can join faculty research in software testing, cybersecurity, intelligent systems and more; students are encouraged to do multiple internships.

2. How admission works

• Direct admission: the transfer page says Florida Tech is a direct-admit university; students apply for and are admitted directly into their desired degree programs.
• No published minimums: the first-year page says there is no minimum GPA, class rank or test score, but these are evaluated for admission and merit scholarships; transcripts are the most important element.
• High school courses for engineering and science applicants: at least four years of math (including trigonometry, mathematics analysis, analytical geometry or precalculus) and four years of science (including physics and chemistry); take the most rigorous math and science your school offers.
• Testing (the pages differ): the first-year page says SAT, ACT or CLT scores are required and that Florida Tech is not test-optional; the international page lists SAT, ACT and CLT under optional documents. International applicants should confirm with admissions (admission@fit.edu).
• Changing major: conditions for switching into computer science after enrolling are not published; check with the department.

3. Application timeline and materials (international)

• Application: the Florida Tech application or the Common App; first-year and transfer applications are free.
• Rolling admission: applications are accepted year-round and reviewed as received; international first-year applicants usually hear within 4–5 weeks of completing their file.
• I-20 deadlines: July 1 of the enrollment year for fall and November 1 for spring; applications received after the I-20 deadline may not be considered for that term. Apply early and allow for visa appointment wait times.
• Required: transcripts from each year of secondary school; predicted or preliminary exam results (if applicable); formal English translations by a school or translation service (if applicable).
• Optional: SAT, ACT or CLT scores (see the conflict above); a personal essay; a recommendation from a teacher, mentor or coach. English proof can come after admission but is required before the I-20 is issued or enrollment.
• Credential evaluation: a course-by-course evaluation is generally not required; if Florida Tech cannot evaluate records in-house, an admission counselor will ask for a NACES evaluation.

4. English requirements

• Scores within two years of attendance: TOEFL iBT 80 (tests before January 1, 2026) or 4.0 (tests on or after January 1, 2026); TOEFL Essentials 9; IELTS 6.5; PTE 58; Cambridge C1 Advanced 180; Duolingo 105.
• Other routes: a 4 or higher on the IB Higher Level English A exam or AP English Language and Composition; completion of ELS English for Academic Purposes level 112.
• By schooling: three consecutive years at a school in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, Anglophone Canada, the Anglophone Caribbean or Anglophone Africa, or at an overseas secondary school where English is the primary language of instruction (at admissions’ discretion), and graduation from an accredited high school.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Gaokao: the website does not say how Gaokao results are used; ask admissions (admission@fit.edu).
• Regular high school: under “Other International Curriculum,” submit transcripts from each year with formal English translations; before enrolling, send the final transcript, national exam results (if applicable) and the school-leaving certificate.
• A-Level: apply with transcripts from each year and IGCSE/O-Level, AS and A-Level results (predicted or final). At least five O-Level passes are required; AS and A-Level exams related to your major are encouraged and can earn credit.
• IB: no minimum IB Diploma score; students may take the full Diploma or individual exams, but only full Diploma students can earn credit for Standard Level exams.
• AP: Florida Tech awards credit for AP and similar exams; scores must come directly from the examining body.

6. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• Apply with transcripts from each year of secondary school; before enrolling, send the final official transcript with graduation date and the provincial diploma (for example Ontario or Alberta).
• Three consecutive years at a school in Anglophone Canada plus graduation from an accredited high school satisfies the English requirement.
• Score requirements for the BC curriculum are not published; Florida Tech says applications are reviewed in the context of the home country, so ask admissions.

7. Transfer students

• GPA: transfer applicants should generally have a cumulative college GPA of 2.50 or higher; those with fewer than 24 semester hours are also evaluated on high school records and must send test scores.
• Timing: rolling admission, with decisions typically within 10 business days of a complete application; credit evaluation is handled separately.
• Materials: official transcripts from every college attended (with English translations if international) and the high school transcript or diploma showing the graduation date.
• Credit: courses from accredited US institutions need a C- or higher; courses from universities abroad need a syllabus for each course, and credit is granted only for equivalent content, level and hours.

8. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-27 tuition: College of Engineering and Science, full-time (12–19 credits per semester), USD 23,780 a semester or USD 47,560 a year; credits above 19 cost USD 1,340 each. The tuition table is organized by college; the CS department's pages sit under the College of Engineering and Science site, but the table does not name the rate for CS, so confirm with the university.
• Cost of attendance (engineering/science, year not stated on the page): tuition USD 47,560, fees USD 1,370, one-time orientation fee USD 150, housing USD 7,240, food USD 7,500, books USD 1,026, transportation USD 1,500 and personal USD 2,100, totaling USD 68,512 (including a USD 66 federal loan fee charged only to borrowers).
• Florida Tech International Scholarship: all full-time foreign national first-time and transfer applicants are considered at admission, based on high school performance (or college performance for transfers), renewable for up to nine semesters. It is a partial-tuition award; Florida Tech does not offer full-tuition merit scholarships to foreign nationals. Amounts are not published.
• Need-based aid: not available to students who are not US citizens or permanent residents unless deemed an eligible noncitizen through the FAFSA; Florida Tech does not accept the CSS Profile or ISFAA.
• Other: F-1 students may work on campus up to 20 hours a week from their first semester and do paid internships or co-ops after one year.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• For fall, be admitted and request the I-20 by July 1 of the enrollment year; apply early
• Ask admissions whether SAT, ACT or CLT scores are required
• Prepare TOEFL 80 (4.0 new scale) or IELTS 6.5; it can come after admission but before the I-20
• Take four years of math and four years of science, including physics and chemistry

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Three consecutive years at an Anglophone Canadian school plus graduation meets the English requirement; send the provincial diploma before enrolling

Transfer students:

• A college GPA of 2.50 or higher is generally expected; prepare syllabi for courses taken abroad

Sources: Florida Institute of Technology, Computer Science, B.S. program page; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; International admission; Demonstrating English proficiency; First-year admission; Transfer admission; University scholarships and grants; 2026-27 tuition and fees; Cost of attendance. We could not read the catalog; check Florida Tech’s catalog for credits and the full course list.