How to Apply for Computer Science at Florida Gulf Coast University: the B.S. with cybersecurity, data science and software engineering concentrations and a combined B.S. to M.S., required SAT/ACT for international applicants, the USD 30 fee, the July 1 fall date and the English exemption for Canada (except Quebec), for students in China, Canada and transfer students

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is in Fort Myers, Florida. Its computer science degree is offered by the Department of Computing and Software Engineering in the U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering. This guide summarizes what the university publishes 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 courses

• Degree: B.S. in Computer Science. The program page says students build a foundation in theory and algorithms and take specialized courses in areas such as cybersecurity, natural language processing and data science, for example human-computer interaction, robotics, neural networks, data mining, machine learning and assembly language.
• Three concentrations:
  • Cybersecurity: database security, network security and hands-on cybersecurity.
  • Data Science: natural language processing, neural networks and deep learning, exploratory data analysis and data mining.
  • Software Engineering: requirements engineering and analysis, software testing, and software architecture and design.
• Combined B.S. to M.S.: students can take up to 9 graduate credits as undergraduates; the master’s offers cybersecurity and data science concentrations.
• Accreditation: the college’s accreditation page lists the B.S. in Software Engineering as ABET-accredited (Engineering Accreditation Commission) but does not list the B.S. in Computer Science.
• Credits and course list: the program page points to the catalog (catalog.fgcu.edu) for admission information, program requirements and the degree map. Our access to the catalog was blocked, so check it directly or ask the college’s advisors.

2. Admission to the major

• The freshman page says the specialized admission programs, where students enter as pre-majors and submit a separate application, are Music, Nursing, Athletic Training and PGA Golf Management. Computer science is not on that list.
• Whether computer science has its own entry requirements, and the conditions for changing into it, are not described on the pages we read; the catalog’s admission section could not be read (not published). Ask the college’s advisors.

3. First-year application (domestic dates)

• Application: the FGCU application or the Common App; the fee is USD 30.
• Deadlines: for fall, Early Action November 1 (decisions in December, supplemental items by November 15) and Regular Decision March 1; spring December 1; fall deposit May 1. No year is shown.
• Testing: first-year applicants must send SAT or ACT scores, including sub-scores; scores submitted after February do not guarantee admission.
• Admitted freshman averages: GPA 4.16, SAT 1140, ACT 23, CLT 76 (no year shown).
• High school units: English 4, math 4 (Algebra I or higher), natural science 3 (2 with labs), social science 3, the same foreign language 2, and electives 2.

4. International application

• Who is international: applicants applying for an F-1 visa; J-1 applicants are classed as exchange visitors or students.
• Steps: apply online with the non-refundable USD 30 fee; send official transcripts; send SAT or ACT scores; send English scores; submit the Financial Statement Form (dated no more than 6 months before enrollment); and, if currently at a U.S. institution, a Visa Clearance Form.
• Credential evaluation: FGCU does not evaluate foreign transcripts on campus; use a NACES member agency, which sends the report directly. A document-by-document evaluation is usually enough for high school; if the evaluation shows no GPA, the student must meet ACT 21 or SAT 1060.
• Deadlines (for international freshmen, transfers and second-bachelor’s students; no year shown):
  • Fall: the application opens August 1, the preferred deadline is July 1 and the deposit is due August 1.
  • Spring: the application opens January 2, the preferred deadline is November 1 and the deposit is due December 1.
  • Summer entry is by special permission only. The international page suggests starting six months to a year ahead.

5. English requirements

• Minimums: TOEFL iBT 79, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 110 (Duolingo appears only on the international admission page).
• Score validity, which differs between pages: the international admission page says scores must be no more than 2 years old, while the application process page and the FAQ say 3 years. Confirm with International Admissions.
• Exemptions: applicants from English-speaking countries (the list includes Canada (except Quebec), the United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore), or who attended four years of U.S. high school and graduated, or who hold a U.S. bachelor’s degree or an A.A. from a Florida public college, or who earned a C or better in English Composition 1 and 2.
• English courses: the FAQ says FGCU does not currently offer intensive English classes to help applicants reach the admission level, but the international admission section also has an “Intensive English Language Program” page, which we did not read. Confirm with International Admissions if needed.

6. Students at high schools in China

• China is not on the exemption list, so English scores are required, along with the SAT or ACT.
• High school transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES member agency.
• How the Gaokao is used is not published; email International Admissions (internationaladm@fgcu.edu).
• Credit for A-Level, IB and AP is not described on the pages we read; check the catalog or ask Admissions. The freshman page says AP, IB and similar courses with a C or better earn extra points in the weighted GPA.

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

• Canada (except Quebec) is on the English exemption list.
• Grade requirements and conversion for BC courses are not published; confirm with International Admissions.
• Florida Linkage Institute waivers: the international scholarships page lists out-of-state tuition waivers by citizenship; the one for Canada is administered by the University of Central Florida. Follow that institute’s instructions.

8. Transfer students

• International transfers: the FAQ says college courses need a course-by-course evaluation and an overall GPA of at least 2.0 (C).
• Testing, which differs between pages: the international transfer page says the SAT/ACT is optional with 30+ transferable credits (including college-level math and English), while the FAQ says scores are needed with fewer than 60 transferable hours. Confirm with International Admissions.
• General transfer requirements by transferable credits: 60+ credits need a 2.0 GPA and two college English and two college math courses with a C or better; 30–59 credits need a 2.5 GPA; 12–29 credits need a 2.5 GPA plus a high school transcript and SAT/ACT scores meeting freshman requirements. Meeting the minimums does not guarantee admission, and some programs have extra requirements.
• Any extra requirement for entering computer science is not published.

9. Costs and scholarships

• Tuition: the tuition table shows USD 933.95 per credit, including fees, for non-Florida-resident undergraduates (the table header shows no year; the repeat surcharge in the same table is labeled 2026-27).
• International estimated expenses: the amounts are in a PDF we did not read (not published on the pages we read). The page says a local sponsor providing housing and meals must commit at least USD 4,836, and each dependent needs USD 6,000 for nine months.
• First-year merit scholarships: the Blue & Green awards for non-Florida residents are USD 10,000–15,000 a year, with eligibility limited to U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens as defined for federal aid; the international FAQ says applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are not eligible for federal aid. Confirm with Admissions whether international students qualify.
• Out-of-State Waiver: USD 10,500 a year for up to 2 years, by committee review, with priority for newly admitted transfer students and a minimum transfer GPA of 3.4; deadlines April 1 for fall and October 1 for spring. The page does not say whether international students can apply.
• FGCU Foundation Scholarships: the international FAQ says applications open October 1 to March 1 with priority by January 1, while the admissions scholarships page says January 1 priority and May 1 final. The two pages differ.
• International students are not eligible for U.S. federal financial aid.

10. Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply by July 1 for fall, starting six months to a year ahead
• Prepare the SAT or ACT and TOEFL 79, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 110
• Have a NACES member agency evaluate your transcript and prepare the Financial Statement Form
• Ask International Admissions how the Gaokao is used

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

• Prepare the SAT or ACT and confirm how BC grades are converted
• Look into the Linkage Institute waiver for Canada

Transfer students:

• Keep a GPA of 2.0 or higher (2.5 for domestic transfers with 30–59 credits) and confirm whether SAT/ACT scores are needed

Sources: Florida Gulf Coast University, Computer Science (BS); Department of Computing and Software Engineering; Whitaker College of Engineering Accreditation; International Student Admission; International Student Application Process; International FAQ; Estimated Expenses; International Transfer; Freshman/FTIC; Application Deadlines; Admissions Scholarships & Waivers; International Student Scholarships; Tuition and Fees; Transfer Student Admissions. For the course list, see the catalog. Check FGCU’s website for the latest.