Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions we receive most from prospective and current online students. Don't see your question here? Contact us at (212) 217-4069.

FIT offers a one-year online AAS degree in Fashion Business Management and a two-year online BS degree in International Trade and Marketing. See: Online Degree Programs

For all other degree programs, credits may be obtained by taking online courses, but the majority of courses are offered on campus only.

Online Courses are available to everyone, both degree students and nondegree students, as well as international students.

However, online learning is not for everybody. It is best suited for those students who are independent learners and are motivated to take a fast-paced course. You should be very comfortable reading and writing on a computer.

To take an online course at FIT, you should have access to a computer with a high speed, broadband, or DSL internet connection. Dial-up connections are not recommended, due to the nature of downloading, viewing, and sharing rich media.

You will also need:

  • an up-to-date browser, such as Chrome (recommended), Firefox, or Safari
  • a word processing application that has the capability to save files in the Microsoft Word or RTF file format

Some courses may have additional requirements, such as access to a scanner or digital camera. Please call the department offering the course for more information. Contact numbers can be found in our department directory.

No, the great advantage of an online course is that you can do your work at any time of the day from any place that you can access the Internet. However, you will need to follow the semester schedule and course due dates. Also, some courses require proctored exams but you can arrange to take your exam/s at a location convenient for you (see below).

Here are some resources to help you find a proctor in New York City and across the United States. Make sure to get approval from your instructor before scheduling your exam. Please note that the student is responsible for any postage and/or fee that may be charged by the proctor.

NYPL Mid-Manhattan Library - Free Proctoring in NYC

Other NYC Proctoring Locations that the NYPL Links to

National College Testing Association - National Proctoring Location Search 

Although you are not required to be online at any particular time, online courses are not self-paced. They follow the same semester schedule as other courses offered at FIT and have regular due dates, assignments, and exams.

Although you do not have to be an expert, you must have basic computer skills such as word processing, using the internet, checking email, and downloading and uploading attachments.

Online courses require the same amount of work as classroom courses. In most courses, you will be asked to log on several times a week, for approximately two hours each time, to participate in online discussions, read lectures, complete assignments, and interact with the professor and other students. The most successful students log on frequently.

There are a number of steps you can take to ensure your online course experience is positive and successful. See: Current Student Resources: Strategies for Success In Online Courses.

Most students who take online courses actually report feeling more connected to their professors and their classmates.

Online credit courses run on the same semester schedule as campus courses; non-credit courses start and end on varying dates. See Registration for dates.

You should access your course as soon as the course begins. You should also purchase your textbook as soon as possible. Textbook information can be found after you have logged in to your course.

Financial aid is available to full-time students only. The Office of Online Learning does not handle financial aid. Please contact Financial Aid Services for assistance and information.  

Yes. If your home address is outside of New York State, non-NY State tuition applies. Visit Office of the Bursar for tuition and residency information.

Whether or not credits obtained at FIT will be accepted is determined by your school.

Please contact the Admissions office at (212) 217-3760 or [email protected].

If it has been at least 24 hours since you registered, please contact FIT's TechHelp.

Note: there is a Student Orientation to Brightspace on every student's Brightspace home page.
Courses will not show up in your account until the day they are scheduled to begin.

For technical problems with Brightspace, you may contact the SUNY Online Support Services Help Desk at 1-844-673-6786 or [email protected]. .

For general assistance using Brightspace, you may contact the Academic Skills Tutoring Center.