The University of South Florida’s Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Program jumped 15 spots from last year in a newly released ranking, placing USF as the top graduate program in Florida and the fourth best in the world.
The rankings compiled by SportBusiness International, a leading publication that informs sports and entertainment industry leaders of market trends, highlighted the six-year-old USF program for its exceptional growth and success in such a short period of time. The dual-degree graduate program in the Muma College of Business boasts nearly a 100 percent job placement rate for its graduates, who are awarded a master’s degree in sport and entertainment management and an MBA.
The top two programs in the rankings have each been in place for more than 50 years.
“What we have been able to accomplish in such a short time is a tribute to our faculty, our great university, having incredible students and partnering with some of the best companies and organizations in the Tampa Bay area,” said Bill Sutton, program founder and director. “Most notably, our proud founding and naming partner, Jeff and Penny Vinik. Our partners always emphasize the importance of associating with the best brands and we now can say that we are among them.”
The program was named the Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Program last fall after the Vinik family donated more than $6 million.
SportBusiness International analysts sifted through more than 1,300 survey responses from alumni and course leaders of 75 universities around the world to arrive at the top 40.
The rankings assess programs based on the overall quality of the student education, taking into account course content, standard of teaching, guest speakers, provision and quality of work placements and internships as well as alumni support. The survey also considers student satisfaction, number of students employed within six months of graduation, gender ratio and average salary of graduates three years after graduation.