Uni of the Month: Florida Institute of Technology

Every month FirstPoint USA aim to showcase the U.S universities that we have helped talented young athletes get a scholarship to. December’s featured university was Florida Institute of Technology. Background The Florida Institute of Technology (aka Florida Tech or FIT), is a private research university located in Melbourne, Florida, United States. Florida Tech has five academic divisions with strong emphases on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As of 2012, Florida Tech had an on campus student body of 4,200, almost equally divided between graduate- and undergraduate-level students. An additional 3,400 study online and 1,200 reside at extended campuses.  87% of all students came from the United States, representing all 50 states; 27% of those were from Florida and 13% of all students came from 106 other countries. Despite its small size and young history, Florida Tech is consistently ranked among the best national doctoral-granting universities in the US.Florida Tech has more than 50,000 alumni, including a National Teacher of the Year recipient, director of a NASA center, five astronauts who have flown on the Space Shuttle, several astronaut candidates, the first female four-star general, two other four-star generals and nearly two dozen other generals, a 1992 Olympic medalist, a major league pitcher, and thousands that serve as scientists, engineers, pilots, and managers in many high-technology enterprises.   Academics Florida Tech offers over 85 undergraduate and over 100 graduate degrees, ranging from high-tech Aeronautical Science and Space Sciences, to Marketing, Liberal Arts and Teaching. As of 2012, U.S. News & World Report ranks Florida Tech a first-tier national university and among the 4 best universities in Florida, joining University of Miami, University of Florida, and Florida State University. U.S. News & World Report ranks FIT the #2 best private Florida university and #160 among all national universities.   Athletics The athletic teams at Florida Tech are known as the Panthers. The school fields 22 sports, 11 each for men and women, at the NCAA Division II level and is a member of the Sunshine State Conference. The sports include: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's crew, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's golf, men's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming & diving, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track & field, and women's volleyball. The university has recently embarked on an expansion of the athletic program, adding men's and women's track & field in Spring 2011. Followed by men's and women's swimming & diving teams in Fall 2011 and men's lacrosse in Spring 2012. It was announced by President Catanese in May 2010, that FIT was going to begin a football program and plans to hold its inaugural season in 2013. The school is negotiating with local secondary schools to use one of the local school's football stadium. The school is exploring options to play in the NAIA or NCAA Division II as an independent team, or join the DII Gulf South Conference as an affiliate member for football because the Sunshine State Conference is one without football. Florida Tech won the NCAA Division II National Championship in Men's soccer in 1988 and again in 1991. Florida Tech's Daniela Iacobelli won the National NCAA Division II Woman's Golf Championship in 2007.  

Do you think you have what it takes to secure a scholarship to study in the USA while playing your favourite sport? Apply now for your assessment!