STEP: Supported Transition to Excellence Pathway

General STEP

FIU admits selected first-time in college (FTIC) students into this pathway to provide them with the best opportunity for success during their college career. The General STEP pathway provides students with additional support services such as workshops and specialized advising, which means that their FIU journey is tailored to them.

Students admitted into this pathway will need to meet the following requirements, which include certain milestones that must be met to progress into the Fall Semester:

• Early Fall/Summer B Requirements

  Students in the General STEP pathway will enroll in 7 in-person credit hours in the Early Fall/Summer B term, beginning on June 22, 2026. Course options will be set in advance, and students will select their preferred class times from several options. No online classes are permitted during this first term. Courses may be scheduled on the Modesto Maidique (MMC) or Biscayne Bay (BBC) campuses. Courses will include:

  • First Year Experience (FYE) course (1 credit hour), required for all first-year students, designed to support students' transition to FIU
  • First Year Experience Lab (0 credit hours), required for all students admitted via the STEP pathway, designed to supplement the FYE course and prepare students for success in the STEP pathway
  • Two University Core Curriculum (UCC) courses (3 credit hours each), including English if students do not already have credit-by-exam or dual enrollment.

  Students in the General STEP pathway who do not earn all the credits they enroll in (e.g. students with any failed or dropped courses) or have a term GPA below 2.0 (before any “NC - No Credit” grading is applied) will not be eligible to enroll at FIU in Fall 2026. Instead, their admission status will be updated to FIU Connect4Success (C4S).

  C4S is a guaranteed pathway to FIU after earning an AA degree at a Florida public college. Thousands of students benefit from personalized support by C4S Bridge Advisors and access to the FIU One Card. Our C4S team helps students stay on track toward their future at FIU!

  Students in the General STEP pathway who pass all of their classes and earn a 2.0-2.5 GPA in the Summer term, before NC grading is applied, will be required to complete a Student Success Plan requiring mandatory appointments with the STEP Success Team.

• Requirements for Fall and Beyond

  Progressing to the Fall Semester is the goal; from here, students will continue to take courses in accordance with their Panther Degree Audit. Students in the General STEP Pathway must enroll in Math and English (if any English requirements remain) in the Fall.

  Students in the General STEP pathway who are in a math-based major* (see list below) are required to take the first math course for their chosen major in the Fall. Sections are reserved for STEP pathway students to deliver dedicated support. They must continue to successfully progress through the required math courses for their major each term. Failure to meet course milestones may require that the student change their major.

  Through various strategies, which may include outreach efforts, group advising, math support programs, and registration checkpoints, the University will ensure that students who do not meet progression requirements seek support from their academic advisors to develop plans that result in timely graduation.

  *Math-Based Majors

  • All majors within the College of Business
  • Behavioral Neuroscience BS
  • Biomedical Engineering BS
  • Biochemistry BS
  • Biology BS
  • Chemistry BA
  • Chemistry BS
  • Civil Engineering BS
  • Computer Engineering BS
  • Computer Science BS
  • Data Science and Artificial Intelligence BS
  • Electrical Engineering BS
  • Environmental Engineering BS
  • Geosciences BS
  • Interdisciplinary Engineering BS
  • Marine Biology BS
  • Mathematics BA
  • Mathematical Sciences BS
  • Mechanical Engineering BS
  • Physics BA
  • Physics BS