<?xml version="1.0" encoding="US-ASCII" ?>
    <!-- Field: Doc-Info; Name: Generator; Value: GoFiler Complete; Version: 6.5c -->
    <!-- Field: Doc-Info; Name: VendorURI; Value: https://www.novaworks.com -->
    <!-- Field: Doc-Info; Name: Status; Value: 0x00000000 -->
    <!-- Field: Doc-Info; Name: Misc; Value: 8qspo7xRiXhun8uCbXtcWauACaP9z5ZwSekxtmd+HbkqfywoQnK8Si9IfumGwZcH -->
<schema xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:link="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/linkbase" xmlns:xbrli="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance" xmlns:xbrldt="http://xbrl.org/2005/xbrldt" xmlns:xbrldi="http://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldi" xmlns:dei="http://xbrl.sec.gov/dei/2025" xmlns:us-gaap="http://fasb.org/us-gaap/2025" xmlns:cef="http://xbrl.sec.gov/cef/2025" xmlns:dtr-types="http://www.xbrl.org/dtr/type/2024-01-31" xmlns:FCT="http://ftportfolios.com/20260531" elementFormDefault="qualified" targetNamespace="http://ftportfolios.com/20260531">
    <annotation>
      <appinfo>
        <link:linkbaseRef xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="fct-20260531_pre.xml" xlink:role="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationLinkbaseRef" xlink:arcrole="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink/properties/linkbase" xlink:title="Presentation Links" />
        <link:linkbaseRef xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="fct-20260531_lab.xml" xlink:role="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/labelLinkbaseRef" xlink:arcrole="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink/properties/linkbase" xlink:title="Label Links" />
        <link:linkbaseRef xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="fct-20260531_def.xml" xlink:role="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/definitionLinkbaseRef" xlink:arcrole="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink/properties/linkbase" xlink:title="Definition Links" />
      </appinfo>
    </annotation>
    <import namespace="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance" schemaLocation="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/xbrl-instance-2003-12-31.xsd" />
    <import namespace="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/linkbase" schemaLocation="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/xbrl-linkbase-2003-12-31.xsd" />
    <import namespace="http://xbrl.sec.gov/dei/2025" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.sec.gov/dei/2025/dei-2025.xsd" />
    <import namespace="http://fasb.org/us-gaap/2025" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.fasb.org/us-gaap/2025/elts/us-gaap-2025.xsd" />
    <import namespace="http://fasb.org/us-types/2025" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.fasb.org/us-gaap/2025/elts/us-types-2025.xsd" />
    <import namespace="http://www.xbrl.org/dtr/type/2024-01-31" schemaLocation="https://www.xbrl.org/dtr/type/2024-01-31/types.xsd" />
    <import namespace="http://xbrl.sec.gov/cef/2025" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.sec.gov/cef/2025/cef-2025.xsd" />
    <import namespace="http://xbrl.sec.gov/cef-pre/2025" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.sec.gov/cef/2025/cef-2025_pre.xsd" />
    <import namespace="http://xbrl.sec.gov/country/2025" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.sec.gov/country/2025/country-2025.xsd" />
    <import namespace="http://fasb.org/srt/2025" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.fasb.org/srt/2025/elts/srt-2025.xsd" />
    <import namespace="http://fasb.org/srt-types/2025" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.fasb.org/srt/2025/elts/srt-types-2025.xsd" />
    <element id="FCT_ConversionRiskMember" name="ConversionRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_CreditAgencyRiskMember" name="CreditAgencyRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_CreditAndBelowInvestmentGradeSecuritiesRiskMember" name="CreditAndBelowInvestmentGradeSecuritiesRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_CurrentMarketConditionsRiskMember" name="CurrentMarketConditionsRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_CyberSecurityRiskMember" name="CyberSecurityRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_FinancialCompaniesRiskMember" name="FinancialCompaniesRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_HealthCareCompaniesRiskMember" name="HealthCareCompaniesRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_IlliquiidSecuritiesRiskMember" name="IlliquiidSecuritiesRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_InformationTechnologyCompaniesRiskMember" name="InformationTechnologyCompaniesRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_LeverageRiskMember" name="LeverageRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_ManagementRiskAndRelianceOnKeyPersonnelMember" name="ManagementRiskAndRelianceOnKeyPersonnelMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_MarketDiscountFromNetAssetValueMember" name="MarketDiscountFromNetAssetValueMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_MarketRiskMember" name="MarketRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_NonUSSecuritiesRiskMember" name="NonUSSecuritiesRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_OperationalRiskMember" name="OperationalRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_PotentialConflictsOfInterestRiskMember" name="PotentialConflictsOfInterestRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_ReinvestmentRiskMember" name="ReinvestmentRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_RisksAssoicataedWithInvestmentsInDistressedIssuersMember" name="RisksAssoicataedWithInvestmentsInDistressedIssuersMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_SecondLienLoanRiskMember" name="SecondLienLoanRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_SeniorLoanRiskMember" name="SeniorLoanRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
    <element id="FCT_ValuationRiskMember" name="ValuationRiskMember" nillable="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
</schema>
