If you have been directly admitted to UF but are interested in learning more about the Gator Engineering at SCF program, please contact us at gescf@eng.ufl.edu for more information!

In order to officially accept your invitation to the Gator Engineering at State College of Florida program, please complete and submit our confirmation form. Our confirmation deadline is May 1st.

This program is the first of its kind in the region – it is a result of a collaboration between the University of Florida (UF), the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering (HWCOE), and State College of Florida (SCF) and made possible by a generous gift from the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation. This program allows a cohort of students to take their critical tracking courses at SCF Venice, with smaller class sizes and more personal attention, while pursuing a UF Engineering degree.

Gator Engineering at State College of Florida students will be given specific programming opportunities only afforded to those participating in the program. This may include undergraduate research, specialized programming, early connections with UF faculty, special visits to UF, and one-on-one advising from both SCF and UF.

Students are invited to participate in this program in response to their application to UF for freshman admission. Gator Engineering at State College of Florida students will enroll as SCF students during the first fall semester and will be admitted to UF based upon meeting specific GPA and critical tracking course requirements as set by the HWCOE. After the first fall semester, students will continue taking classes at SCF, but they are actually UF students. This is unlike a traditional transfer program wherein students are required to apply and are admitted based on meeting the pre-requisites and only if there is space in their desired major. Traditional transfer students are not guaranteed admission.

All students must earn and maintain semester and cumulative GPAs of 2.0 or higher. Students must also earn and maintain the required critical tracking GPA for their major and must earn a minimum grade of C in all critical tracking courses based on a maximum of two attempts including withdrawals. The critical tracking GPA requirement varies among the majors and is calculated based on the UF grading scale. For example, students must take at least one critical tracking course during the first fall semester and earn the required semester, cumulative and critical tracking grade point averages for their major to be admitted to UF for the following semester. The required critical tracking courses and GPA for each major are listed below.   

Major Codes: Aerospace Engineering (ASE), Computer Engineering (CpE), Computer Science Engineering (CSE), Digital Arts and Sciences (DAS), Electrical Engineering (EE), Mechanical Engineering (MAE).
*CSE,ASE and MAE require one additional critical tracking course that will be taken at UF once the student begins taking courses on UF’s campus.

You will be considered a SCF student during your first fall semester of study. Students who meet the critical tracking course requirements during that semester will become a UF student in their second semester of study. If critical tracking course requirements are not met after the first fall semester, those students will be reevaluated at the end of the spring semester; UF admission will be granted based on adequate progress through critical tracking courses.

This program was developed in recognition of the fact that UF is forced to turn away many hard working, and obviously gifted, pre-engineering freshman applicants each year due to space restrictions. This program gives select students the chance to take their critical tracking courses at SCF, in a smaller class setting with more one-on-one attention and the opportunity to be UF admitted as soon as their first spring semester based on their performance in those courses. Due to the student’s admission to UF being based on their first fall semester performance, they are unable to be considered a UF student during their first semester.

No. When you confirm your participation in the program, you will submit a consent form giving UF permission to share your application data with SCF.  This will serve as your application to SCF.

As long as you successfully meet the critical tracking course requirements, you will be admitted to UF without having to reapply.  However, if you do not remain in the program but you still wish to pursue a degree at UF, you will have to reapply to UF as a transfer student once you complete the traditional transfer requirements at SCF.

Yes! Pending successful completion of critical tracking courses, the courses taken at SCF will be applied to your UF degree. The courses taken at UF will be shared with SCF so that you will be awarded you’re A.A. degree from SCF.

Yes! Upon completion of the requirements for the associate degree, you will earn an A.A. degree from SCF.

Students in tracks that do not have a summer semester built in can take courses during the summer in order to move faster through the program. Students may also have the opportunity to begin courses before the first fall semester.

Students will have advising available to them from both SCF and UF. A dedicated academic advisor from both SCF and UF work closely together to provide the most appropriate academic guidance to students in this program. In addition to these advisors, once students are admitted to UF, they will have access to the academic advisors and career coaches in the HWCOE Center for Student Excellence.    

After your first fall semester, you will take one UF online course in the first spring and if needed, in the second fall semester. During your first spring semester, you will enroll in UF’s Fundamentals of the New Engineer. If needed, you will work with your advisors to find the most appropriate UF course to enroll in for the second fall semester. With the approval of your advisor and contingent on your critical tracking progress, you may be able to take other UF courses offered by distance learning. 

You will need to either submit or adjust your FAFSA to include the FAFSA codes for both UF (001535) AND SCF (001504).

Yes, once you begin taking courses at both institutions you will have a bill for tuition and fees from both SCF and UF. Both SCF and UF have cost of attendance websites to help you estimate what your bills will be. You will pay SCF tuition and fees for SCF courses and UF tuition and fees for UF courses.

You can visit http://www.scf.edu/StudentServices/FinancialAid/Scholarships/ for scholarship information while you are a student at SCF. Once admitted to UF, students are eligible to apply for HWCOE scholarships.

If you do not meet the critical tracking course requirements, you will be placed on probation and will remain an SCF student during the first spring term. If at the end of the spring term you remove yourself from probation, you will then be admitted as a UF student. If you are not able to remove yourself from probation by the end of the second fall semester, you will have the option to complete you’re A.A. degree and apply to UF as a traditional transfer student.

If you decide that you want to pursue a different Engineering major offered within the program, you may do so. If this happens while taking classes at SCF, you must notify the Gator Engineering at State College of Florida academic advisor as well as the program coordinator. If you decide to pursue an Engineering major not offered within the program, you must leave the program and pursue courses at SCF or elsewhere with the intention of applying to UF through the traditional transfer admissions process. If you wish to change to a different Engineering major after you have been admitted to UF, you must consult with your intended major to determine their admissions policies as it is at the department’s discretion, some majors will allow it and some won’t. It is extremely important that you discuss these decisions with your advisor and the program coordinator prior to making any changes to your program of study.

If you decide that Engineering isn’t for you while taking classes at SCF, you can switch into any other degree program that SCF offers. However, this will revoke your UF admission through the Gator Engineering at State College of Florida program, and you must go through the traditional transfer application route for your program of choice.

For more information please visit us at https://www.eng.ufl.edu/gescf, email us at gescf@eng.ufl.edu, give us a call!

No. Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science Engineering, Digital Arts & Sciences, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering are the only majors that are a part of this program at this time.

If a student wants to study a different engineering major (for example, Civil Engineering) and indicates that on their application, they will never be considered for the Gator Engineering at State College of Florida program. Only students who have indicated one of the majors offered as part of this program and are invited to participate in the program can be a part of Gator Engineering at State College of Florida.

Once you have fully matriculated to UF, you can pursue a double major contingent upon the requirements of the two majors.

No. SCF does not have residential facilities. However; there are several local apartment complexes available for rentals.

Yes! Students can take courses at SCF or any other two-year college during the summer. Connect with your program advisor for details on transient status and impacts for financial aid.

Students are evaluated at the end of the first semester to see if they have met the first semester tracking requirements for their major. If they have, they are guaranteed admission to UF at the end of the first semester. If a student has not met the first semester tracking requirements for their major, they are placed on probation in the program. They continue as a SCF student for the spring semester and are then re-evaluated at the end of the spring semester. If a student has not removed themselves from probation by the end of the third semester (second fall semester), they have the option to remain at SCF as an SCF student complete their AA degree and then apply as a transfer student if they wish to do so.

You will earn the same credits for these types of courses/tests as any other State College of Florida or University of Florida student. Both institutions have websites that show the credit awarded for the various courses and test scores.

Yes! Job shadowing and internship opportunities will be available through the program. The first experiences for students will begin while attending SCF. Students will work with the Innovation Station representatives who have various points of contact in the community to establish partnerships and opportunities for student.