PhD in Business Administration

An Urban Research University

Urban research universities are indispensable intellectual engines for addressing the challenges of the future. These numbers tell the story: There are roughly 4,300 colleges and universities in American and fewer than 160 of them spent more than $100 million on research in 2019.  Of those 160 institutions, 114 are public universities, and of those, only 42 are in an urban setting. In other words, one percent of America’s institutions of higher education are public research universities with a campus in an area with a population of at least one million. USF is in that one percent. 

Designated as a “preeminent university by the Florida legislature, USF is one of only 56 public research university campuses classified by the Carnegie Foundation as both a Doctoral University with “Highest Research Activity” and as a “Community Engaged” institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. A true research powerhouse, USF was awarded $535.4 million in research contracts and grants in fiscal year 2020, with $354 million in total research expenditures.

Tampa Bay is home to top global companies, a burgeoning entrepreneurial scene and thriving business districts in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota. The greater Tampa Bay area consistently tops the state in job creation and job demand, particularly in fast-growing industries such as cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, healthcare administration, and fintech and other financial services.  Strategic collaborations with external partners are a natural by-product.  

The university is close to beaches, of course, but it is also home to a myriad of suburban clusters, making it a great place to live, work, and study.