Well-qualified students offered admission to a Florida Tech master's or doctoral program at the Melbourne, Florida campus may be eligible for a graduate assistantship. Typically, graduate assistantships provide students with a wage, tuition-waiver, or both, in exchange for teaching or research assistance.

See the Graduate Student Assistantship website for details and application.

Exceptionally qualified graduate students may be selected by their academic department to receive a scholarship or fellowship.

The following is a list of named scholarships and is a representative sample of awards that may be available to admitted graduate students. 

• A.C. Bagtzoglou Civil Engineering Fellowship Endowment*
• Dr. Juanita Neal Baker Psychology Fellowship*
• Civil Alumni Recruitment Endowment (CARE)
• David L. and Theresa G. Clayton Fellowship in Marine and Environmental Systems*
• Deering–Irlandi Fellowship Fund*
• Harbor City Volunteer Ambulance Squad Endowment
• Dr. Leonard D. Healy Graduate Scholarship
• Link Foundation Ocean Engineering Fellowship*
• Dr. James M. and Sara M. Ortega Fellowship in Astronomy*
• Alan Edwin Paltzik Fellowship*
• Dr. Carol L. Philpot Fellowship in Family Psychology*
• Barbara A. and William G. Roy Fellowship in Management Studies
• Save Our Bays, Air and Canals/Waterways Inc. (SOBAC) Fellowship*
• Major Mathew Earl Schram ALMC-LEDC/FT Graduate Fellowship*
• Mrs. Krishna Devi Sharma Fellowship Endowment
• Gertrude E. Skelly Fellowship in Marine and Environmental Systems*
• Edward W. Snowdon and Lee Hill Snowdon Fellowship in Marine and Environmental Studies*
• Admiral O.D. Waters Graduate Fellowship (DMES)*
• John M. Williams Fellowship in DMES*
• Dr. Elizabeth B. Wolf-Corman Fellowship in Psychology*
• View List of Outside Scholarships
• View Financial Aid

*indicates endowed fellowship

Florida Institute of Technology was the first university to develop a program with the Peace Corps that focuses on the environment. Florida Tech’s Coverdell Peace Corps Fellows/USA Program began in 1999 and was originally called the Graduate Environmental Fellows Program (GEFP).

With the expansion of the program and the addition of graduate degree programs in education in 2004, the program became the Graduate Environmental and Teacher Education Fellows Program (GETEFP). Although Florida Tech does not distinguish between these programs for admission purposes, the Peace Corps website includes a description of the original Environmental degree programs (GEFP) and Teacher Education degree programs (GTEFP) as two separate Fellows/USA Programs.

In 2018, Florida Tech’s College of Engineering and College of Science merged, becoming the College of Engineering and Science (COES). This webpage has been modified to reflect changes in this Fellows program since 2004 (e.g., recently added environmental and educational degree programs, as well as changes in the name of degree programs since the creation of COES). As the program continues to develop, we hope to expand the number and type of degrees offered.

Download the Peace Corps Fellowship Brochure

Program Overview

Florida Tech’s Graduate Environmental and Teacher Education Fellows/USA Program is a two-year (minimum) program designed for returning Peace Corps volunteers with bachelor’s course work and Peace Corps experience in an environmental and/or educational field. This program offers degrees in four environmental areas (i.e., science, engineering, management and education), as well as seven educational fields (i.e., STEM education, with specializations in science education, mathematics education, educational technology, and elementary science education; environmental education and informal science education; and teaching). This program combines course work in a selected Master’s or advanced graduate degree program with related internship experience, usually with a regional partner.  These partners include federal, state, regional and county environmental agencies; county school districts; private scientific and educational institutions; and conservation organizations. The end-of-program requirement (i.e., M.S.: Thesis, Non-thesis Project, Capstone Design Project, or Internship; Ph.D.: Dissertation) may be completed with a cooperating partner.

Program Requirements

All of the master’s degree programs available through the fellowship program require a bachelor’s degree in a related field, with a GPA of 3.0 or above. Many of the Ph.D. programs require a master’s degree in a related field, with a GPA of 3.2 or above. However, several Ph.D. programs allows students to enter with only a bachelor’s degree. Applicants are required to submit the following materials to the Office of Graduate Admissions: a completed application form, official transcripts for all college/university course work, a résumé, a description of service (DOS) from the Peace Corps, a statement of objectives and three letters of recommendation. Most master’s and doctoral degree programs in the environmental sciences, engineering, and management areas also require GRE scores, although none of the education degree programs require this. Admission is competitive.

Internship Opportunities

Past participants have interned with St. Johns River Water Management District, Marine Resources Council, Brevard Zoo, Brevard County's Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, Brevard County Public Schools, as well as other educational and environmental organizations in the region.

How to Apply

Once you have chosen your degree program, the next step in this process is completing an application for admission. The Office of Graduate Admissions handles all applications. While completing the online application, please select Peace Corps under the “How did you hear about Florida Tech” drop-down menu.

Both fall and spring admission is available to graduate fellows with the exclusion of the biology program, which has a fall start date.

Applicable Degree Programs

Master of Science (M.S.) in environmentally related degree programs

• Biotechnology (Emphasis in Natural Resource and Environmental Quality Applications)
• Chemical Engineering (Specialization in Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology)
• Civil Engineering (Area of Study in Environmental Engineering)
• Conservation Technology
• Earth Remote Sensing
• Ecology
• Environmental and Informal Science Education
• Environmental Resource Management
• Environmental Science
• Interdisciplinary Science (Emphasis in Environmental and Sustainability Studies)
• Marine Biology
• Meteorology
• Ocean Engineering
• Oceanography (Specializations in Biological, Chemical, Geological and Physical Oceanography, and Coastal Zone Management)
• STEM Education (Specialization in Science Education, with an emphasis in Life, Earth and Environmental Science)

Master’s Degree Programs in Education (M.S, M.Ed. and Ed.S.)

• Education, M.Ed. for those preparing for a teaching career
• Environmental and Informal Science Education, M.S.
• STEM Education, M.S. (Specializations in Science Education, Mathematics Education, Educational Technology and, Elementary Science Education)
• STEM Education, Ed.S. (Specializations in Science Education, Mathematics Education, Educational Technology and, Elementary Science Education)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees

• Biological Sciences
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Environmental Science
• Ocean Engineering
• Oceanography
• STEM Education (Specialization in Science Education, Mathematics Education, and Educational Technology)

Wisdom Warrior Program

Students taking advantage of military tuition assistance may find their tuition 100% covered by enrolling in the Wisdom Warrior Program. Available only to Active Duty (under title 10) service members pursuing an online degree program, the Wisdom Warrior Program reduces the service members tuition to $250 per semester credit hour so that your entire cost is covered by tuition assistance.

The Wisdom Warrior Program is limited to degree programs in our Virtual and Education Centers. Effective Fall 1, 2024, it will be extended to include the Online 8-week programs. The Wisdom Warrior Program may not be used for any other programs or locations.

Contact the office of Military and Veteran Student Services mvss@vaftizo.com for more information.