University of North Florida

The University of North Florida is located in Jacksonville, Florida and is part of Florida’s State University System. Despite being located in one of Florida’s most populated areas, UNF remains modest in size, with enrollment at around 16,000 students in 2009. The university opened for classes in 1972 and has recently been named by The Princeton Review as a Best Southeastern College, as well as being tagged in 2006 and 2009 as one of the best value undergraduate institutions in the United States by the same publication. When North Florida was founded, the only other publicly-funded institution of higher learning in Jacksonville was a community college. At first, the university was a considered a ‘Senior College,’ meaning only upper division and graduate students were admitted. Starting in 1984, freshmen and sophomores were also admitted. There was a legislative effort in 1980 to merge the UNF with the University of Florida, but the bill was vetoed by then-governor Bob Graham. In 2009, the University of North Florida athletic programs were classified into NCAA Division I.

Programs the University of North Florida is known for include coastal biology, business, jazz, and nursing. There are five colleges at North Florida: Brooks College of Health, Coggin College of Business, College of Arts & Sciences, College of Computing, Engineering and Construction, and College of Education and Human Services. The School of Nursing is the most popular program in the Brooks College of Health, but also included in the College are a variety of programs and certifications relating to what the school calls “community and public health, rehabilitation counseling, nutrition, health administration, physical therapy and athletic training.”

The collection of programs in the Coggin College of Business has earned it “distinctive accreditation” and endorsement by the AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). There are two flagship programs in the College, which are singled out as giving North Florida a competitive advantage in attracting potentially strong business students: International Business and Transportation & Logistics. Other programs in the College of Business at North Florida include some usual business school suspects such as accounting, finance, management, marketing, and economics.

The College of Arts & Sciences is the largest college at the University of North Florida, boasting 15 different programs, including a newly added Center for Environmental Studies. There are also pre-Law and pre-medical programs in the college. Especially noteworthy is the College’s music department, which maintains a limited access, performance-based program which focuses on American music, including jazz.

The College of Computing, Engineering and Construction consists of a School of Engineering, which offers masters and bachelors degrees in civil, mechanical and electrical engineering, the School of Computing, and the Department of Construction Management, which along with offering a bachelors degree, works in conjunction with the College of Business in offering a M.B.A. degree with a construction track.

The College of Education & Human Services is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), Council on Education of the Deaf (CED) and the Florida Department of Education (FDOE). There are several degrees and certificates offered at bachelors, masters, and doctorate levels with varying tracks and concentrations offered at the College of Education at North Florida.

Various graduate degrees are offered in all five colleges at the University of North Florida. Most of the degrees are at a Master’s level, with some nursing and education doctorates also being available.