Current and incoming students at the USF St. Petersburg campus can take advantage of several new academic majors as fields of study.
The campus now offers majors in Environmental Chemistry and Hospitality and Tourism Management, with plans to bring bachelor’s degrees in General Studies, Applied Science and Public Health in the near future.
Campus administrators say these new academic programs will help address the needs of local and national businesses and organizations by providing the training and skills necessary for students to have successful careers in various fields.
"I am excited to see an expansion of academic programs on the St. Pete campus," said Deni Elliott, interim regional vice chancellor of academic affairs and vice provost. "USF students can take classes on any campus, but it is exciting to have more possibilities closer to home for students who live locally or on our campus. Students have a greater variety of internships and community engagement opportunities when the majors are offered on more than one campus."
Until now, no chemistry major has been available to students outside the Tampa campus. The bachelor of science in Environmental Chemistry offered through the College of Arts and Sciences will provide students all the training of a chemistry degree with a focus on the environment. Students in this major can expect to find a wide range of employment opportunities such as a chemist, clinical engineer or environmental specialist.
"The thought was to offer a distinct chemistry major in sync with USF's vision of making the St. Pete campus a destination campus for students and faculty interested in studying the environment, ocean and sustainability. The region needs chemists who can focus on environmental issues," said Magali Michael, acting dean of USF's College of Arts and Sciences.
Also starting in the fall, the St. Petersburg campus is offering a bachelor of science in Hospitality Management through the Muma College of Business. The degree will help create a talent pipeline in a hotbed of tourism and keep pace with pandemic-era trends that have changed the industry.
"Hospitality and tourism are the number one industry in Florida, especially in the Tampa Bay area," said Cihan Cobanoglu, dean of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. "There was a big demand from our industry partners in the St. Pete - Clearwater area for a hospitality school where talent can be developed and work in our local businesses."
Students in this major can expect to earn jobs as managers, assistant managers, executive chefs, bar managers, food and beverage coordinators, human resource managers and event planners in top hotels, restaurants, theme parks and tourist attractions in the hospitality industry.
Students can also expect to see a bachelor of General Studies and bachelor of science in Applied Science in spring 2023. The two majors will provide coursework with a more general focus for students on the St. Petersburg campus.
General Studies is a customized, interdisciplinary major designed for students who have already completed several credit hours and want to earn a bachelor's degree to integrate with their established lifestyle. Students completing General Studies pursue jobs related to teaching, advocacy, social services, business, media and arts.
The Applied Science degree meets the demands of a student with an associate of science. It removes constraints from the transfer process and recognizes some past coursework as transferable credit to the university allowing students to acquire a distinctive bachelor of science from USF. The career options are varied and based on the student’s chosen concentration.
In the near future, the campus also hopes to offer a bachelor of science in Public Health. The program is designed to educate students on the many facets of public health, including environmental health, epidemiology, food safety, global health and more. Students with this major go into counseling, coaching and community education careers, and often obtain master's degrees in specialty fields.