The University of South Florida System is comprised of two separately accredited, academically and fiscally autonomous institutions, USF and USF St. Petersburg. USF includes USF Tampa, USF Health and two regional campuses, USF Sarasota-Manatee and USF Polytechnic, located in Lakeland.

The mission of the USF System is to provide a broad range of educational opportunities for residents of the Tampa Bay region and the State of Florida.

USF System:

USF is one of the nation’s top 63 public research universities and one of 46 community-engaged public research institutions as designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. It consists of the main campus in Tampa, which includes USF Health, and two regional campuses, USF Sarasota-Manatee and USF Polytechnic in Lakeland. USF’s 11 colleges offer 219 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, specialist and doctoral levels, including the doctor of medicine. It is the largest and most comprehensive institution in the USF system and the only one to offer doctoral degrees.

More than 39,000 undergraduate and graduate students attend classes on USF’s vibrant 1,700-acre Tampa campus. In addition to its many classroom buildings, the campus features extensive health and medical education facilities, residence halls, research labs, a state-of-the-art student center, USF’s principal research library, an art museum, public television and radio stations, botanical gardens, a recreation center, a golf course, and a 10,000-seat arena. Students benefit from the impressive array of academic and social experiences only a large, metropolitan research university can offer — from undergraduate research opportunities, a highly personalized Honors College and extensive international study options, to the excitement of Big East Conference athletics, 17 varsity sports, and over 400 student clubs and service organizations.

USF St. Petersburg is a premier graduate urban institution recognized for its vibrant community of scholars who engage in and improve its community and the world. Its location on beautiful Bayboro Harbor is just one of the many reasons students appreciate USF St. Petersburg. Both undergraduate and graduate students can pursue university study on a close-knit campus with professors that offer research and scholarship oportunities not typically available at larger institutions. Students can select from 22 undergraduate and 12 graduate majors that include programs of study in the arts and sciences, business and education that are unique to the USF system. A new residence hall allows students to live close to classes and just blocks from downtown St. Petersburg, a haven for shopping, sports, dining and entertainment.

USF St. Petersburg offers selected degree programs at St. Petersburg College and Pasco -Hernando Community College campuses. These courses are taught by USF St. Petersburg faculty onsite or by videoconferencing. Students may choose to pursue a variety of programs in locations within their county.

USF Sarasota-Manatee provides courses for upper-level undergraduates, graduates and continuing education students. Today, the campus offers students 42 academic programs, including classes in south Sarasota County at the Manatee Community College Venice site. Degree programs and course offerings are built on the needs of the community — be it education, business, or the nonprofit sector. In September 2006, USF Sarasota-Manatee moved to a new campus center, a 108,000 squarefoot facility with 24 classrooms; a 190-seat lecture/exhibition hall; seminar and video-conferencing rooms; computer labs; a child care center; student gathering places; faculty and staff offices; a technology and learning center and dining facilities.

USF Polytechnic is the state's only polytechnic campus. USFP emphasizes applied learning and research and serves students in Polk, Highlands, Hardee and eastern Hillsborough counties with more than 20 undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs. The campus is located in Lakeland, at the heart of Florida's High Tech Corridor.