The University of South Florida

The University of South Florida, or USF, as it’s commonly known, is a research institution with multiple campuses throughout the state. The public university is based in Tampa and has regional campuses in Sarasota and St. Petersburg (Florida).USF offers a dynamic learning environment that inspires innovation, creativity and collaboration and is focused on student success. USF is in the nation’s top tier of research universities and plays a critical role in the economy of the Tampa Bay region and Florida.

Founded in 1956, the University of South Florida is the fourth largest public research university in the state of Florida. The main campus in Tampa is home to USF Health, which comprises the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health and Pharmacy. Its acclaimed journalism and media studies program is also taught on the Tampa campus. USF produces many Fulbright US scholarship students and claims to have the highest research and patent productivity in the region. 

The USF Tampa campus offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and 130 graduate, specialist, and doctoral degree programs under 14 colleges. Based on a semester system, the USF academic calendar is composed of three academic semesters each year. Through challenging courses and meaningful internship, leadership and service-learning opportunities, USF equips to pursue student’s dreams and embark on a successful career. 

USF ranks in the top 100 best public schools in the 2014 Best Colleges edition of U.S. News & World Report. USF was named a national leader in online education by Guide to Online Schools.

Notable alumni of the University of South Florida include many well-known people. Major business enterprises run by USF graduates include SeaWorld Entertainment, BAE Systems, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, FedEx, Google, Norwegian Cruise Line, TECO Energy Inc., and Symantec among many others. 

USF alumni have also led such professional and governmental regulatory bodies such as the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the International Astronomical Union, and Surgeon General of the United States Navy. In addition, USF alumni have been members of and held positions in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Florida State Senate and Florida House of Representatives, and the Florida Secretary of State. 

USF alumni have served as the presidents of the Central Michigan University, Cedarville University, and Virginia Commonwealth University, among others. Alumni of USF have also won many distinguished awards including Emmy Awards and the Pulitzer Prize. 

Colleges at the USF Tampa campus include:

• The Natural and Environmental Sciences building.
• College of Arts and Sciences
• College of Behavioral & Community Sciences
• Muma College of Business
• College of Education
• College of Engineering
• Patel College of Global Sustainability
• College of Graduate Studies
• Honors College
• College of Marine Science
• Morsani College of Medicine
• College of Nursing
• College of Pharmacy
• College of Public Health
• College of The Arts 

USF graduate level programs – including Public Health, Library and Information Studies, Education, and Criminology – continue to rank among the nation's 50 best in the U.S. News & World Report graduate school rankings. USF graduate programs in the top 50 include Industrial and Organizational Psychology (#4), Public Health (#16), Audiology (#17), Criminology (#22), Library and Information Studies (#24), Rehabilitation Counseling (#24), Nursing (#40), Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering (#46), Clinical Psychology (#50).

The most popular majors by the number of registered students are psychology, nursing, biomedical sciences and molecular medicine, health/medical preparatory programs, criminology, liberal arts and humanities.