Admissions
Why PCGS?
We asked USF Patel College of Global Sustainability students: "What does the Patel College mean to you?" Here are their answers.
Our Location
Situated at the heart of Tampa, the Patel College of Global Sustainability enjoys a location that is not only vibrant, but strategically significant for our mission. It's prime location, coupled with its rich ecological diversity makes it an ideal hub for a global sustainability institution.
Learn more about why the Tampa Campus is the premier location to kickstart your career in sustainability by visiting the link below.
STEM Programs
The Master of Arts and Master of Science in Global Sustainability degrees are STEM programs. STEM degrees offer numerous advantages, making them an attractive choice for many aspiring professionals. Graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields enjoy high demand in the job market, competitive salaries, and the opportunity to develop essential problem-solving skills. They contribute to innovation, address global challenges, and often find their work personally fulfilling. STEM education provides versatile skills that can be applied across various industries, promoting job stability and international opportunities. Overall, pursuing a STEM degree not only opens doors to a wide range of rewarding career paths but also equips individuals to make a meaningful impact on the world through their expertise and contributions.
For international students, this improves opportunities for Optional Practical Training.
Learn more about Optional Practical Training (International Students) by visiting
the following link.
Innovation Oriented
The Patel College of Global Sustainability (PCGS) offers coursework, training workshops, and certifications in virtualization technologies in collaboration with other campus centers, such as the Access 3D Lab.
- Past workshops have focused on creating virtual tours of marine pollution and modeling the effects of climate change at cultural heritage sites at Egmont Key in Tampa Bay.
- Past coursework involved working in Gravity Sketch (a cutting edge collaborative design program in VR developed with Ford Motor Company for hi-tech jobs in the new metaverse) to collaboratively and virtually model a deadwood gasifier in a small farming village in Fiji to produce energy and biochar to improve yields in their fields. Here is a livestream of Dr. Culhane and a student working in AltSpaceVR collaborating on Gravity Sketch.
Our Community
All PCGS students have access to the Rosebud Continuum Sustainability Education Center. Projects conducted throughout the learning center include building a solar-powered golf cart, aeroponic towers, aquaponic tanks, 3-D printing, and bio-digesters. Current experiments are analyzing soil quality from different composting materials with digital microscopes. Students are able to apply what they learn through these projects and share it with visitors of Rosebud Continuum. Let's take a look at some of these innovative projects.
All students with business ideas related to sustainability may apply to become part of the Student Innovation Incubator, where under close supervision of a mentor, they can further develop their business idea into a new business. In addition, students are encouraged to participate in pitch competitions such as the Florida Blue Healthcare Innovation Challenge, the Jabil Technology Innovation Challenge, or the USF Business Plan Competition. USF is also participating in the annual Patenthon event, where students design a business model around NASA patents that contribute to the UN SDGs.