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IT FAQ
After I complete all of my requirements, do I have to do anything special in order to graduate?You must apply for graduation at the Registrar. It is a good idea to see an advisor before applying for graduation, just to make sure that there are not any missing requirements. The deadline for applying is always within a few weeks of the start of the semester. After you submit the form to the Registrar, you will be given two copies of the application. Bring the Gold copy to an advisor in the School of Computer Science. Can I minor in Computer Science.No. An IT major must choose a minor other than Computer Science. I can't register because I have a hold but my gpa is above 2.0You have a US hold. You have to declare your major formally (fill out a form and have it signed by a CS advisor). Can I get a second minor in Computer Science?No. Even if you have declared a different minor for the IT degree requirements, you still cannot earn a minor in CS. I am currently working on becoming MCSE certified for Windows 2000. I am also A+ certified. I was wondering if either of these certifications would receive any credit towards a Computer Science or Information Technology degree at FIU.No credit is given for either of these certifications. If you already have the certificates, then speak to an adviser about taking other IT classes in place of our introductory, A+ type classes. Can I take classes at another school while I am registered at FIU?It is possible to take classes at other schools after you have been accepted to FIU. However, there are some restrictions.
What cognate classes are acceptable for an MIS major who is earning an IT degree as a second major?The following classes would be acceptable as cognate electives for a student majoring in MIS and earning a second degree in IT.
What is the difference between the CS degree and the IT degree?In simple terms, the CS degree will train you to be a programmer, while the IT degree will train you to be a technical support professional. In order to decide which degree you desire, try to imagine the type of job you want when you graduate. If you dream of writing programs for a software development company (IBM, Microsoft, ...), then choose the CS degree. If you like to install hardware/software, set up and administer a network, manage a web server, do simple web programming, and administer a database, then choose the IT degree. What is the difference between the IT degree and an MIS degree?MIS is a business degree, with a minor emphasis on computer science. IT is a computer science degree. With the IT degree, it is possible to select a minor in any filed you desire, including business. In order to decide which degree you want, imagine the job that you would like when you graduate. If you want to be making decisions about marketing, finance, and accounting while working as a liason with computer personel, then choose MIS. If you like to install hardware/software, set up and administer a network, manage a web server, do simple web programming, and administer a database, then choose the IT degree. I am transferring from another school. Do I have to complete all the prerequisites before being admitted to FIU?You can be admitted to FIU without completing the prerequisites. Any missing prerequisites become additional required classes at FIU. How can I find the FIU catalog online?Follow this link http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/register/catalog/undergraduate/ How can I find the UCC requirements online?Follow this link to the FIU catalog
http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/register/catalog/undergraduate/
What happens when my GPA falls below 2.0?When your GPA falls below 2.0, then you are on Academic Warning the first semester. On subsequent, consecutive smesters with a GPA below 2.0, you are on Academic Probation. If you are on Academic Probation then you must maintain a 2.0 or above for the courses you take that semester. If your semester average falls below 2.0, then you will be dismissed from FIU for one year. If you are on probation, then do not overload yourself with course work. It is very important that you maintain a semester average of 2.0. I am have over 60 credits from a Community College, why were only 60 credits transferred?Since a Community College is a two-year institute, we only accept 60 credits. These correspond to the credit for the first two years of course work. All of your courses have been accepted, but they only count as 60 credits. This means that you will need to earn at least 60 credits at FIU. In most cases, you will actually need more than 60 credits at FIU to complete your degree. What are free electives?In order to earn a BA or BS degree from the School of Computer Science, you must have at least 120 credits. If you complete all of your requirements for the degree in less than 120 credits, then the remaining credits are free electives. You can take just about any course to earn these credits, except for 1 and 2 credit Physical Education classes. Check with an advisor if you have a doubt. I am a transfer student with an AA degree. What courses should I take during my first semester at FIU?The most important class to take in your first semester is COP2250, because it is a prerequisite for all the other IT classes. You may also take MAD1100. This course is not offered at the Community Colleges, so you will need to take it at FIU. It is also possible to take ENC3211. This is a 3000 level class, so it is not offered at the Community Colleges. If you are missing any of the other prerequisites then you can take them as well. You can also take a class from your chosen Minor. I am a student at MDC. What classes can I take at MDC that will meet requirements for the IT program?There are only five classes that are offered at MDC that apply directly to IT requirements.
What major should I have at MDC in order to be accepted into the School of Computer Science?There are only a few classes at MDC that apply to the IT degree. The major that you select at MDC is not important. The important thing is to earn an AA degree so that all of the University Core Curriculum requirements are met. I have taken a programming course in Visual Basic, do I need to take Programming I?Yes, you still have to take Programming I. Visual Basic is an excellent language, but it will not prepare you for the second programming course, which uses the Java language. I have taken a course in C++ (or Pascal, C, or Fortran), do I still need to take Programming I?You should take the Programming I class. The main reason is that Programming I at FIU uses the Java programming language, and so does Programming II. In order to be properly prepared for Programming II, you will need to understand how to program in Java. If you have already take a class in C++, and have learned to program in Java on your own, then contact an advisor. I already speak a foreign language, will this fulfill the language requirement?If you can read, speak, and write a foreign language, then there are several options available for fulfilling the language requirement.
I do not speak a foreign language, but I took foreign language classes in High School. Do I need to take foreign language classes at FIU?Any student who was admitted with a foreign language deficiency must successfully complete two semesters of sequential instruction in one foreign language prior to graduation. So, if you passed two years of one language in High School, then you do not need to take any foreign language classes at FIU. Can I earn a minor in Education so that I can be certified to teach in Florida schools?No. It is not possible to complete a minor in Education, because there is no lab for Information Technology. For more information, please contact an advisor in Education. How many of my credits can be transferred from a two year school?From a two-year school, like a community college, it is possible to transfer 60 credits. We are able to transfer all of your courses, if they are equivalent to FIU courses, but they will only count as 60 credits. In other words, if you took 80 credits worth of classes and they were all equivalent to FIU classes, then all the courses would be applied to your FIU transcript, but they would only count as 60 FIU credits. This means that you would still need to take at least 60 credits at FIU in order to graduate with a degree from FIU. I have an AS degree. Will I need to take classes other than those required for the major?Yes. The AS degree does not force you to take enough classes outside your area of concentration in order to meet the University Core Curriculum (UCC) requirements. Please review the UCC in the catalog, or bring a transcript to an advisor. Do I need to take the CLAST exams?All students must take the CLAST exam, or be exempted from the CLAST exams. Please refer to the CLAST information page at http://www.fiu.edu/~casdean/Advising/CLAST.htm What classes that were taken as a CS major can be applied to the IT degree?The following CS classes can be applied to the IT program
What minor should I choose for a BS in IT?The best advice is to choose a minor that interests you. The minor should help you to get a job when you graduate. IT does not stand alone these days, it is usually related to another field: banking, insurance, etc. Pick a minor in a field in which you would like to work. If you don't have a preference for a minor, then you might consider a minor in Business or Entrepreneurship. Some students are interested in Web Design. There is no minor for Web Design; however, some students have obtained a minor in Art and have chosen classes that relate to general design principles. I have taken some of the UCC classes at another school. Can they be used in place of the UCC classes at FIU.Bring the descriptions of these classes to an adviser. We will use the descriptions to request that the courses be used in place of the UCC classes. What is the Forgiveness Policy?The forgiveness policy is a method by which students may repeat a limited number of courses to improve their grade point average (GPA). Only the grade received on the last repeat is used in the GPA calculation. Under the University’s forgiveness policy, students must file a Repeated Course Form with the Office of the Registrar. There is no time limit on the use of the forgiveness policy for grades; however, the forgiveness policy cannot be used once a degree is posted. All courses taken with the grades earned will be recorded on the student’s transcript. The repeated course form will not be processed if the first or repeated grade received is ‘DR’, ‘DP’, ‘IF’, ‘W’, ‘WI’, ‘WP’, ‘AU’, ‘NR’, or ‘EM’. Repeated courses will be appropriately designated (T: attempted; R: last repeat). Undergraduate students may use the forgiveness policy a maximum of three times for the purpose of improving their GPA. The same course may be repeated up to three times or the student may use the three opportunities to apply to three different courses. Only the final grade for the three courses repeated under the forgiveness policy will be counted in computing the student’s GPA. In order for a course to be considered as repeated and adjusted in the GPA, the course must be the same and must be repeated at the University. Students who have used their three options under the forgiveness policy may still repeat courses; however, both the original grade and any additional grades received through repetitions of the course will be used in computing the GPA. A course taken on a letter grade basis must be repeated on the same basis. Students will not be allowed additional credit or quality points for a repeated course unless the course is specifically designated as repeatable (independent study, studio courses, etc.). Students not using the forgiveness policy may still repeat a course. All attempts will apply to computation of the GPA but credit for one attempt will apply toward graduation. What are Academic Warning, Probation and Dismissal?WarningAn undergraduate student whose cumulative GPA falls below a 2.0 will be placed on warning, indicating academic difficulty.ProbationAn undergraduate student on warning whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 will be placed on probation, indicating serious academic difficulty. The College/School of the student on probation may indicate the conditions which m ust be met in order to continue enrollment.DismissalAn undergraduate student on probation whose cumulative and semester GPAs fall below a 2.0 will automatically be dismissed from his/her program and the University. An undergraduate student will not be dismissed prior to attempting a minimum of 20 semester hours of coursework. The student has ten working days to appeal the dismissal decision. This appeal must be made in writing to the dean of the College or the School in which the student is admitted. The dismissal from the University is for a minimum of one year. After one year, the student may apply for re-admission (see Re-admission) to the University in the same or a different program, or register as a non-degree seeking student. Dismissed students applying for re-admission or registering as non-degree seeking students are placed on academic probation.How can I take a course at another school?In order to take a course at another school, you must fill out a transient student form.
In terms of career, how are the IT and CS degrees different?With a CS degree, you would probably start your career as a programmer for a large company. As you gain experience, you would move into software development. With an IT degree, you would be hired as a member of the technical support staff. You would be required to add user accounts, install software and hardware, troubleshoot hardware and software, administer the network, administer the database, administer the web server, administer the web site, write dynamic web pages. Do I need to take CGS 1920?The answer depends on when you declared your major. If you formally declared your major prior to the Fall 2007 term, then it is not required.
You can verify this by using the FACTS unofficial degree audit (your SASS report). Here are the instructions on how to do this:
When the report is displayed, look at the Catalog Year entry in the top section. If the Catalog Year is 2006 or older, then you are not required to take CGS 1920. If the Catalog Year is 2007, then you are required to take this course. Can certifications take the place of courses?Currently, we will waive classes for some certificates; however, no credit is received towards graduation. When a class is waived, then the requirement is met, but no credits are granted.
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