The University of Tampa - John H. Sykes College of Business

The MBA program at the University of Tampa’s John H. Sykes College of Business provides “a great, friendly place to study,” with “small class sizes” that “enhance class interaction and active participation” and a “cheap tuition” that students can’t help but appreciate. The school offers students three curricular options: a full-time program that can be completed in sixteen months, a part-time program (with “a course schedule that is excellent for the working professional”) that is typically completed in about three years, and a six-term Executive MBA program for business leaders (“the only true Saturday program in the area,” one student tells us). Roughly one-third of the student body attends full time.

In all programs, students tout the curriculum, which “is outlined with a lower core, integrated core, and principal concentration that involves three electives. The program is flexible with the electives if you wanted to do a general MBA concentration.” “Most of the classes require heavy interaction instead of just the instructor speaking,” one MBA student writes, adding, “This leads to a lot of good insight and interesting conversations.” Concentrations are available in entrepreneurship, finance, information systems management, international business, [innovation] management, marketing, and nonprofit management.

MBAs are just as sanguine about their instructors. UT Professors “are willing to give their personal cell phone numbers and adapt to office hours at the students availability.” Their only complaint is that they feel some instructors aren’t utilized “to their full potential. For example, for finance courses, it would be cool if students got a field trip to a trading floor somewhere in either Tampa, or anywhere in the U.S. Other more hands on activities like that for other majors too would be good.” Still, students generally concur that, overall, “the academic experience is excellent. The school has built an environment that pushes the students to talk to each other, and ask each other for support.” Administrators “focus on teamwork and building an environment that puts very little stress on the student.” Students also appreciate how the administration “strives to remain cutting edge by preparing students as leaders in this new global marketplace.” One student sums up, “The University of Tampa does an excellent job preparing you for the business world.”

UT’s Office of Career Services provides Sykes MBAs with a battery of services, including assessment tests, workshops in business etiquette and business dress, one-on-one coun- seling, and job fairs. Students here praise “the professors’ desire to help students obtain careers after graduation.” Attendees of a recent on-campus career fair included ADP, Central Intelligence Agency, Chase Retirement Services, Deloitte, Franklin Templeton Investment, Geico, New York Life Insurance Company, Raymond James Financial, Syniverse Technologies Inc., Target Corporation, T. Rowe Price, The Nielsen Company, U.S. Department of State, and USAA.

UT students reap the benefits of “a beautiful campus and of course, warm weather and beaches” as well as a “business building that is top notch, with up-to-date facilities.” MBAs enjoy access to “outstanding educational, professional and social events for future business leaders,” including “numerous seminars in which well-known CEOs and entrepreneurs make presentations throughout the semester. This provides excellent networking opportunities.” The MBA program hosts “numerous clubs and local activi- ties advertised weekly,” and students with the time to spare also enjoy “sporting events on and around campus.”

Not all can. About one-third of students here attend full-time, and they generally reap the benefits of the gorgeous, lively campus. The rest are part-timers, typically working full time in addition to their class work; they have little time for anything other than school assignments. The school draws a diverse student body “with people from dif- ferent cultures and countries” as well as different professional backgrounds. The school works hard to build cohorts that exploit these differences “so that everyone brings some- thing to the table. We get along great and have in-depth discussions.”

Students’ wish list for quality of life improvements include more parking facilities. One writes, “Parking has always been an issue for this school. The student population is constantly growing, thereby requiring an increase in faculty and staff. Most of the area on campus is developed with various types of buildings (administrative, classrooms, residence halls, etc.) and although there are two parking garages it is sometimes difficult to find convenient parking.” Some full-timers also feel that “day care is needed as well as the introduction of family activities in order to get spouses and children more involved in students’ lives. Many of us are so busy studying and doing assignments that our home life is highly affected.”