Business Honors Program The only Business Honors Program in Florida, USF’s program is designed for high-achieving students to participate in faculty-led research, enjoy study abroad programs, live in the Bulls Business Community, and take advantage of mentoring and internship opportunities. The program began just four years ago and its first graduate participated in commencement exercises in 2013. She is working in Samoa as a Peace Corps representative - one of her lifelong goals. Of course, the first graduate is not the only student to earn a degree in fewer than four years. Of the remaining students from the inaugural cohort (who graduate in May) five of them are earning their degree in just three years. Collectively, these high achievers have impressive stats. The average GPA for the group: 3.72. Percentage who studied abroad at least once: 100. And 100 percent of the juniors and seniors have completed at least one internship. The list of companies they interned with is as impressive as the students and includes T. Rowe Price, Nielsen, Goldman Sachs, HSN, Leo Burnett Worldwide, and Raymond James. College of Business alumna Lynne Pippenger and Emeritus Professor Dick Dutton are the program’s strongest financial supporters, each providing scholarships to fund study abroad opportunities and general operations.
First Grads: Sport & Entertainment Management MBA Made possible by a partnership with the Tampa Bay Lightning and The Lightning Foundation, the MBA in Sport & Entertainment Management graduates its first cohort in May – and more than half of the grads already have early industry offers. Those with offers have accepted positions at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the New York Knicks’ D-League, North American Sports Group, the Tampa Bay Rays, and other big-name organizations. USF placed 30 students with sport or entertainment agencies around the area. Students worked 20+ hours/week as residents and, as a cohort, progressed through the MBA program as full-time students. Additionally, students participated in community service events, worked with faculty and Fox Sports Florida to produce the “Bulls and Bolts” television show, and helped plan the a week-long speaker series in January. Faculty hosted the second annual “Sports Analytics Day” in April and worked with Bari University Italy on a student exchange.
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