Celebrating 75 years of UF MBA

UF MBA has reached an important milestone – 75 years! That’s 75 years of engaging classes, dedicated faculty and lasting transformation for our alumni. With more than 11,000 UF MBA alumni around the world, the program impact continues to be felt across many global companies and industries.

Here are 75 facts to know about UF MBA as we celebrate the program’s history!

HISTORY

The UF MBA program’s history dates back to the 1940s. From becoming one of the first online MBA programs in the world to expanding program offerings to weekend professionals and South Florida residents, UF MBA has always been on the frontlines of innovation.

• The first UF MBA degree was awarded in 1946.
• In 1990, UF MBA appeared on BusinessWeek’s list of the nation’s top 40 programs for the first time.
• In 1993, UF MBA offered its first program for weekend professionals.
• UF MBA introduced its online program in 1999.
• The first online MBA program at Warrington was first known as FlexMBA and later known as the Internet MBA.
• Students used to get free computers when enrolling in the FlexMBA program.
• FlexMBA students used to receive VHS tapes of their classes in the mail to watch.
• The UF MBA Professional program in South Florida started in 2004.
• After hosting weekend classes at college classrooms and hotels in South Florida, the program opened its own facility in Sunrise, Fla. in 2008. 
• The Sunrise facility housed the South Florida program from 2008-2019. The program opened its new facility in 2019 in the booming business market and education corridor in Miramar, Fla.
• UF MBA alumnus Mike Ciadella (MBA ’17) and his team at Cushman & Wakefield sold the property that now houses the new South Florida MBA campus.
• Hough Hall, the College’s graduate school building and dedicated home of UF MBA, opened in 2010.
• Hough Hall is a 70,000 square foot facility with 17 breakout rooms, two lounge areas, 400 lockers and showers.
• It also houses career development and counseling centers, academic program offices, and a recruitment suite, which works daily to bring some of the nation’s top companies and recruiters to our campus.
• In 2017, UF MBA introduced its first fully online program.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

There are nine program formats that offer varying levels of flexibility. These formats all have strong rankings that prove the quality, and they are an important reason why UF MBA is viewed as a leader in business education.

• The Full-Time MBA program ranks in the top 10 publics by The Economist, Financial Times, QS, TFE Times, and U.S. News & World Report.
• The Princeton Review ranked the UF MBA Full-Time in the top 10 overall for Best Classroom Experience, Greatest Resources for Minority Students and Most Competitive Students.
• Full-Time MBA students have earned summer internships at companies like Nike, Microsoft, ExxonMobil, Accenture, Pfizer and more in 2019 and 2020.
• In 2020, 91% of Full-Time students accepted jobs by three months after graduation.
• The mean base salary for Full-Time students was $110,509.
• The mean signing bonus was $23,023.
• The Online MBA program was ranked in the top 5 by Financial Times, QS and U.S. News & World Report.
• Financial Times ranked the UF MBA Online program No. 1 in aims achieved (82% of alumni said they achieved their goals in the program), salary percentage increase (alumni reported a 35% salary increase), and overall satisfaction (alumni reported a rating of 9.48 out of 10).
• Financial Times also ranked the Online program No. 2 in value for money and online interaction.
• The Online program also ranked No. 3 in program delivery and faculty productivity by Financial Times.
• For the nine consecutive years, UF MBA’s Online program has named among the top 5 public universities by U.S. News & World Report.
• UF MBA Online is one of the top options for veterans, as it was named the No. 2 program for veterans in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.
• All online components of the UF MBA program are supported by Warrington’s Teaching & Learning Center.
• The Professional MBA program was ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report.
• U.S. News & World Report ranked the UF MBA Executive program the No. 9 public program.
• UF MBA students have access to career support through the Business Career Services office.
• UF MBA’s Business Career Services office was ranked No. 1 by Financial Times.
• For three consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has named UF MBA among the top 5 MBA programs in the nation with the highest return for graduates earning $100,000-plus.
• In the latest ranking from U.S. News & World Report, UF MBA’s salary-to-debt ratio is 5.4-to-1, making it the No. 2 MBA program in the nation for return on investment.
• For four straight years, Financial Times has ranked UF MBA No. 1 in Value for Money.
• UF MBA students have access to Global Immersion Experiences to learn from companies around the world.
• Most recent trips have been to Argentina, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Ireland and China.
• Global Immersion Experiences are open to all enrolled UF MBA students. It is required for Executive and South Florida students, but it can be taken as an elective for students in the Full-Time, Professional, or Online programs.
• While participating in Global Immersion Experiences, South Florida MBA students consulted with local businesses from various industries, including bike sharing, business intelligence and technology, tourism, leather goods, interactive gaming, and chocolate (with taste tests included!).
• Thanks to a partnership with the Washington Campus, UF MBA students have the opportunity to spend a week learning about the critical connection between government and business.
• UF MBA is committed to providing opportunities to its minority students and helping them get a head start on professional development through its partnership with the JumpStart Advisory Group.
• The UF MBA Association offers many student groups and organizations that bring likeminded professionals together and help students built a network.
• Military applications can apply the GI Bill to any of our programs and make it affordable to get your MBA.
• UF MBA hosts an annual Diversity Weekend for prospective students.
• UF MBA has Graduate CAP Mentors that assist other students with their career search.
• As part of their MBA experience, students have the chance to consult with real businesses across Europe and Latin America.
• UF MBA students don’t need a business background to apply.
• Applicants to the Executive, Online and Weekend Professional formats do not need GMAT and GRE scores to apply.
• UF MBA programs offer rolling admissions deadlines.
• UF MBA offers resources specifically dedicated to helping you pay for your MBA.
• Our video tour can show you the UF Warrington College of Business campus from anywhere in the world.
• We have a helpful chart so you can compare all of the program formats and find the best fit for you.
• You can request more information to learn more about any UF MBA program format.

FACULTY

UF MBA faculty are some of the brightest minds in business. The same faculty that teach our on-campus programs are also teaching online and South Florida students, ensuring that the same standard for education is met in all program formats.

• UF MBA faculty members are quoted in publications like Bloomberg, CNBC, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.
• Financial Times ranked Warrington faculty in the top 10 for research productivity among U.S. public schools.
• Warren Buffet visited UF MBA students and offered advice about the importance of developing good personal qualities at a young age.
• The same faculty who teach on-campus programs also travel to teach on weekends in the UF MBA Professional Program in South Florida.
• Dr. Mark Rush has been teaching UF MBA students since 1982.
• In August, Gary McGill will take over as Senior Associate Dean and Director of the Hough Graduate School of Business, home to the UF MBA program.
• UF MBA faculty member Fiona Barnes joined the We Are Warrington podcast to share how you can be a more thoughtful communicator.
• The most popular electives taken by UF MBA students in 2020-21 are Art and Science of Negotiation, Brand Equity, Economics of Organizations and Markets, Measuring and Managing Value, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Organizational Staffing.

ALUMNI

UF MBA alumni are making a difference in companies around the world. They are showing impact in different industries because of the strong education they received in the UF MBA program.

• There are more than 11,000 UF MBA graduates around the world.
• UF MBA graduates join a network of more than 74,000 Warrington College of Business graduates around the world.
• There were 472 degrees conferred by UF MBA in the 2019-2020 academic year.
• The College’s graduate school was named after Bill Hough when he gave a $30 million gift, the largest private gift ever received by UF at that time.
• Bill Hough was a member of the first UF MBA graduating class in 1948.
• Famous UF MBA alumni include astronaut Andrew Allen (MBA ’04) and New York Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner (MBA ’94).
• UF MBA graduates Tony Hill (BSBA ’02, MBA ’06) and Ryan Moseley (BSBA ’07, MBA ’08, JD ’11) both made the 40 Gators Under 40 list in 2020.
• Scott Paladina (MBA ’13) came in at No. 6 in the 2020 Gator 100, which honors the 100 fastest-growing Gator-owned or Gator-led businesses in the world.
• Nick Schumann (BA ’06, MBA ’12) traveled across an Ecuador volcano to raise $160,000 for mental health charities.
• Jim Heaney (MBA ’88) left his role as CFO of Carnival Cruise Line to become CFO of Fresh Market.
• Nikul Patel (MBA ’01) became the Senior Vice President of Information/Cybersecurity at Citi.
• Alumna Caroline Furse (MBA ’12) started her career with the U.S. Navy teaching pilots to fly helicopters before joining UPS’ Flight Forward Initiative, which will ultimately allow the shipping company to deliver packages via drones.
• Many UF MBA alumni have been hired to work at Anheuser-Busch InBev.
• MBA graduates come from unique backgrounds and might look different than you think.