Florida Institute of Technology - Definition and Overview

Founded by Jerome P. Keuper in 1958 as Brevard Engineering College, absorbing University of Melbourne, and changing its name to Florida Institute of Technology in 1966, Florida Tech is a growing independent technological college centered on engineering fields. Florida Tech employs around 800 people at its home base in Brevard County . It attracts over 3,000 full and part-time residents to Melbourne each year. Many of its employees are national leaders in their fields. It has been a silent partner in the community's economic growth and in the growth of high-tech industry on the Space Coast for the past 45 years.

History

In the beginning, classes were held in leased classrooms at Eau Gallie Junior High School (now Westshore Junior/Senior High School on Brevard Avenue) and at University of Melbourne's lone building on Country Club Boulevard. Classes were moved from Eau Gallie Junior High to Melbourne Methodist Church on Waverly St. in 1959 after the school district disapproved of two black students using the junior high school classrooms. In 1961, Brevard Engineering College purchased the property of the University of Melbourne which became the main campus in the heart of Melbourne, Florida. The only existing buildings at the time are the current Ray A. Work building. The next building to be built was the Keuper building, which currently houses the President's Office.

In the 1960's and 1970's many buildings were constructed on the main campus. In 1968, the Hydrospace Technical Institute (HTI) was chartered in a donated building in Cocoa Beach. In 1972, the campus of St. Joseph College in Jensen Beach was purchased with the support of a young engineer named Evinrude. The HTI was moved to Jensen Beach and became the School of Marine and Environmental Technology(SOMET). The Jensen Beach campus closed in 1986 and SOMET was transferred to the main campus to become the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences(DMES). The land was susequently sold, and portions are now part of the Martin County Indian Riverside Park.

Since 1997 the university has been in the midst of much construction and expansion. Following a $50 million grant given to them by the F.W. Olin Foundation, Florida Tech has constructed three new facilities for their engineering, life science, and physical science departments.

Colleges and Schools

• College of Engineering
• College of Science and Liberal Arts
• School of Aeronautics
• School of Management
• School of Psychology
• School of Extended Graduate Studies

Academics

Florida Tech enrolls approximately 2,300 undergraduates and 2,300 graduate students. The university offers degrees in a wide variety of science and engineering disciplines, and is one of the few universities to offer an aviation degree. FIT is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The Engineering programs are also accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The Computer Science program is accredited by the Computer Science Accreditation Commission of the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board. Its chemistry program is accredited by the Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society. Aeronautical Science and Aviation Management programs are accredited by the Council on Aviation Accreditation. The university is divided into two colleges and four schools.

College of Engineering

The College of Engineering includes seven departments: chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical/computer engineering, engineering systems, mechanical/aerospace engineering, and marine/environmental systems. Programs offered in addition to those included in the department names are biological oceanography, chemical oceanography, coastal zone management, computer information systems, engineering management, environmental resource management, environmental science, geological oceanography, marine environmental science, meterorology, ocean engineering, physical oceanography, software engineering, and systems engineering.

Collee of Science and Liberal Arts

The College of Science and Liberal Arts is composed of six departments: biological sciences, chemistry, mathematical sciences, physics/space sciences, science/mathematics education, and humanities/communication. Programs offered in addition to those included in the department names are biochemistry, interdisciplinary science, and military science. Graduate programs are offered in applied mathematics, biological sciences, chemistry, computer education, environmental education, mathematics education, operations research, physics, technical and professional communication, science education, space sciences, and teaching. Advances degree include the Specialist in Education, and doctoral degrees in applied mathematics, biological sciences, chemistry, mathematics education, operations research, physics, science education, and space sciences.

School of Aeronautics

The School of Aeronautics offers bachelor’s degrees in aeronautical science, aviation management, aviation meteorology (with flight options available in each program) and aviation computer science. It offers master’s degrees in airport development and management, applied aviation safety and aviation human factors.

School of Management

The School of Management offers both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration, and bachelor’s degrees in accounting, business and environmental studies, and management information systems. An accounting track in the M.B.A. program is offered for individuals who have completed a four-year degree in accounting and require additional credits to be able to qualify for the CPA exam in Florida, or to receive reciprocal licensure in Florida from another state. grams and make significant contributions to project results. Florida Tech houses a number of research institutes and centers that, in collaboration with academic departments, aid in the students’ training. These institutes and centers are described more fully in the Research: Institutes, Centers and Major Laboratories section of this catalog.

School of Psychology

The School of Psychology offers bachelor’s degrees in psychology and forensic psychology, master’s degrees in applied behavior analysis and industrial/organizational psychology, and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology and industrial/organizational psychology.

School of Extended Graduate Studies

The School of Extended Graduate Studies began in August 1972 as “Off-Campus Programs,” when 42 students enrolled in a master’s degree program in electrical engineering at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland. Today master’s degree programs are offered at 10 graduate centers in five states. Curricula and course content are tailored to meet the needs of the students and their employers, while maintaining the highest possible academic quality and integrity. Class times and locations are selected for the convenience of the students. Since 1972, nearly 15,000 Florida Tech master’s degrees have been conferred on off-campus candidates.

Housing

Campus housing is split between seven dormitories, and two apartments complexes.

Apartment Complexes

Southgate

Southgate is an off-campus housing complex owned and operated by the university. Southgate is restricted to upperclassmen and offers studio and one bedroom apartments as well as two and three bedroom apartments.

Columbia Village Suites

Recently constructed, Columbia is an on-campus facility. It is named in to honor the fallen astronauts of the Space Shuttle Columbia. Each building in the complex is named after one of the killed crew members.

Dormitories

Roberts Hall

Restricted to freshmen, Roberts Hall is a newly constructed coeducational dormitory. It is seven stories tall, and also serves as the headquarters for WFIT, the official campus radio station.

Grissom Hall

This dormitory is restricted to international students. It is one of the oldest buildings on campus, and is the only dormitory which contains classrooms. The building is named in honor of astronaut Gus Grissom.

External links

• Florida Institute of Technology official site (http://www.fit.edu)
• School of Extended Graduate Studies official site (http://segs.fit.edu/)
• WFIT, NPR member station located at Florida Tech's campus (http://www.wfit.org)