The University of Tampa MBA is a hidden gem of a program that doesn’t require any work experience from candidates. From a prime downtown location to affordable tuition fees, here are five things you need to know about doing an MBA in one of the USA’s fastest-growing cities.
From a prime downtown location to affordable tuition fees, here are five things you need to know about doing an MBA at the University of Tampa.
If it’s diversity you’re looking for in your MBA, you won’t find many universities as diverse as Tampa. Maria Popel is the Associate Director of International Graduate Admissions at the University of Tampa, and she says it is one of their key selling points.
She says, “More than 42% of our student body is international. We represent all [US] states and more than 130 countries on campus. It’s this diversity of thought that helps you to shape your beliefs and realize who you want to be for the rest of your life.” (00:23)
Downtown Tampa is home to a beautiful waterfront area, thriving nightlife, and the city’s main business district – and the University of Tampa is right in the center of the action. Maria explains what that means for students:
“We have a beautiful historic campus right in downtown Tampa. Yes, we’re right in the city center, and for you it means safety, it means low living costs, [it means] jobs and internships within walking distance.” (00:46)
It’s little wonder why Tampa is such a popular city for students and workers alike. It’s now one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, with its population growing by around 20% over the past decade.
A big part of your MBA experience at any university is the access it provides to new career opportunities, and the University of Tampa is no different. Maria says that they place just as much importance on work experience as they do on the degree itself.
“We have to make sure that our international students are not just getting their degree, [but that] they receive great work experience in the country,” she explains. “That’s why we have the career services office. They arrange job fairs, they invite companies on campus, they organize networking events.” (01:11)
“Like we love to say here at the University of Tampa, our international students are graduating with two papers: the first one is the diploma and the second one is the resumé.” (01:28)
The job prospects for Tampa graduates certainly look good, with 97% of the university’s international students employed in the first year after graduation.
Tuition fees for the Tampa MBA compare favorably to other MBAs in the United States. The two-year full-time MBA costs approximately $36,000 per year, which remains the same regardless of where you’re from in the world.
“Our tuition fees are extremely competitive,” Maria confirms. “First of all, everybody pays the same, so it doesn’t matter if you’re from Florida, out of state, or a foreign country far, far away – we treat everybody equally.” (01:52)
A graduate assistantship is an opportunity for students to work at the university in their chosen field. Typically, graduate assistants will receive a discount on their tuition along with a monthly stipend to help with living costs. The University of Tampa offers a limited number of these spaces to its students every year, based on academic performance.
“We have about 60 positions throughout the year for academically qualified students, so if your GPA is competitive, as well as your GMAT score, you will be considered automatically after you receive an acceptance letter from us,” Maria tells us. (02:20)
On top of that, Maria explains why securing a graduate assistantship could also be the first step towards your future career:
“Graduate assistantships [also] give you great research opportunities that you can list on your resumé, and the most important component of your MBA: the networking.” (02:36)
