The Tampa Bay Area

With more than 2.5 million residents, Tampa Bay is a populous and affluent metropolitan area. A thriving business community, vibrant arts scene and intriguing historic districts make it a desirable place in which to live. From historic Ybor City or the nearby Greek community of Tarpon Springs, there are numerous attractions, social and sports venues, performance halls, museums, theaters, shopping locations and restaurants to explore. Add in an average annual temperature of 72 degrees, and it’s no wonder nearly 90,000 of 200,000 graduates since USF’s first commencement in 1964 continue to live in the Tampa Bay area.

Business

USF recognizes the value of its location in a major metropolitan area and links its research, teaching and experiential learning to the vast resources of the area. Rich opportunities for student internships, part-time jobs, and cooperative education experiences relevant to career goals are within reach in all fields. The city and the university work collaboratively on many major projects such as the Florida High Tech Corridor which focuses economic and educational resources to help attract and retain high tech industry in the area. Forbes recently rated Tampa Bay one of the top 10 locations in the country for technology-related jobs because of the presence of graduates from USF’s engineering and computer sciences programs.

The Arts

Culture aficionados relish the amazing number of choices available throughout Tampa Bay. The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center’s 300,000 square-foot complex is the largest and busiest in the South with on-going local, national and international performances including symphony, opera, ballet and Broadway theater. The Florida Orchestra performs at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater and the Mahaffey Theatre in St. Petersburg, as well as at the Performing Arts Center in Tampa. USF’s Sun Dome, College of The Arts and Tampa’s St. Pete Times Forum are the sites of additional concerts and performances that appeal to every age and taste in music.

Museums

USF’s Contemporary Art Museum complements several other museums in the area, including the University of Tampa’s Scarfone Gallery, the Tampa Bay History Center and the Museum of African-American Art. Other museums of note include: the Dali Museum, the Florida Holocaust Museum, the Florida International Museum, the Tampa Museum of Art, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Museum of Fine Arts and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.

Sports

Tampa Bay is a hotbed of sports activity boasting professional teams in football, baseball and hockey that include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The New York Yankees also reside in Tampa during spring training and play their games at Steinbrenner Field. And USF’s membership in the Big East Conference has added excitement to the college sports scene.

Recreation

The Tampa Bay area offers plenty of opportunity for fun, adventure and relaxation. Miles of the most pristine beaches in the country are an easy drive away and are available for year-round swimming, boating, jet-skiing and fishing. Theme parks like Busch Gardens and Adventure Island are minutes from the Tampa campus. Walt Disney World, Epcot Center, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Sea World are about an hour away. The Florida Aquarium and Lowry Park Zoo provide perfect eco-driven diversions. Parks, trails, rivers and lakes for camping, canoeing, kayaking, picnicking, hiking and other outdoor activities abound.

Travel

Recognized as “America’s Favorite Airport,” Tampa International Airport (TIA) is consistently voted one of the best in the world. Centrally located, TIA is just 14 miles from the USF Tampa campus.