Florida Studies

Graduate Major

The interdisciplinary Florida Studies program is designed to highlight the state’s history, culture and environments, providing students the opportunity to explore a wide range of topics that highlight Florida’s critical role in regional, national and global affairs. It brings together faculty from History, Geography, Political Science, English, Anthropology and other disciplines to create an integrated, in-depth exploration of our state’s changing identity.
 
The Florida Studies concentration within the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts degree allows students to explore a broad array of interdisciplinary classes or focus in one of a small number of areas of faculty expertise. 

Degree Options

The College of Arts and Sciences offers a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Florida Studies on the St. Petersburg campus.

View more information about options on the USF Tampa campus.

Florida Studies at USF St. Petersburg

Florida is the glue that ties this program together, but it is not the only ingredient: the program teaches intellectual breadth and rigorous scholarship. Students will work closely with program faculty who approve courses and guide research on thesis or non-thesis projects.

The program hosts guest speakers and consists of field excursions to connect students with many of the things they are learning and reading about. In recent years, students have visited the state archives and capital in Tallahassee—and archives in Spain; traced the footsteps of civil rights activists from the 1960s; taken trips to the Everglades National Park and the rapidly vanishing scrub habitat of Archbold Biological Station near Lake Placid; crossed the St. Johns River via ferry boat; eaten seafood in Apalachicola, jumped into some of the state’s fabulous springs, and toured Florida’s most significant hydroelectric power plant near Chattahoochee. And we have taught students to appreciate local environments by canoeing on (and occasionally in!) several central Florida rivers.

Thanks to the breadth and depth of experience of faculty, fellows, alumni and students, the program benefits from numerous state and local community connections. The vast network of community partners help to support student research and its public dissemination. Some of these partners include Florida Humanities, Tampa Bay Estuary Program, St. Petersburg History Museum, Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Florida Trail Association. 

From environmental policy and resource management to contemporary political challenges and rewriting the state’s colonial history, Florida presents distinctive issues that merit close attention. Students from all disciplines can benefit from Florida Studies courses as they prepare for a wide range of career opportunities, including public history, education, museum studies, land management, and public service. For anyone interested in how our state fits into matters of regional and global significance, this program presents the ideal opportunity to use the State of Florida as a teaching and research laboratory.

Requirements for the Masters in Liberal Arts with Concentration in Florida Studies

Always refer to the Graduate Catalog for degree requirements. Students are urged to consult with the Liberal Arts advisor to create the most beneficial set of courses.

Questions?