The University of Florida Board of Trustees’ Governance, Government Relations and Internal Affairs Committee approved a recommendation to select the area around the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center as the site of its new campus in Jacksonville, Chair Mori Hosseini announced.
The site, the selection of which is subject to additional due diligence, includes at least 22 acres of buildable land near the location of dozens of corporate headquarters and offices. The future campus will amplify investments being made in the city’s historic LaVilla community, be within walking distance to the growing Brooklyn neighborhood, and benefit from proximity to McCoys Creek and the Emerald Trail more broadly.
“UF has a bold vision for our campus in Jacksonville,” Hosseini said. “This will be a site that will give our students an opportunity to learn and thrive in a fast-growing city with incredible job opportunities. Our goal is to create a national center of excellence and to bring our bright students to this forward-thinking city. We are grateful for our strong partnerships with the state, city, and community leaders – we are going to do big things together.”
Interim UF President Kent Fuchs said he’s excited about expanding in Jacksonville, “especially as new companies continue to move to the area and look to hire outstanding talent. The workforce-oriented graduate programs we’ll be offering will help build tomorrow’s leaders and positively impact the state’s economy.”
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan also expressed enthusiasm about the announcement.
“We are excited to partner with the University of Florida to make this campus a reality,” said Deegan. “The City of Jacksonville is committed to being on the cutting-edge of workforce development and building a thriving downtown where our citizens can learn, live, work, and play. This campus and the degrees that will be offered are another monumental step towards Jacksonville being a national leader in the industries that will shape our collective future.”
The campus will build on UF Health’s offerings through advanced graduate and professional degree programs and related research efforts. UF plans to launch graduate degree programs by fall of 2026, which will include programs such as: a professional MBA program, a Master’s in Management with a newly created concentration in AI, a Master’s in Engineering Management with a concentration in Data Analytics, a Master’s in Computer Science with concentrations in AI and Cybersecurity, a Master’s in the Study of Law (for non-lawyers working in compliance), and a Master’s in AI in Biomedical and Health Sciences. A recently launched Master’s in Architecture will be incorporated into the downtown campus.
In addition to the campus’s academic offerings, UF will establish a world class research presence in the city. One focus area will be semiconductor technology through the Florida Semiconductor Institute (FSI). Fueled by a vision for global leadership in specialty electronics, FSI is building partnerships, accelerating R&D and expanding the workforce pipeline to support the semiconductor industry in the state of Florida and beyond. “UF is excited about the opportunities to uniquely expand the UF research enterprise in the Jacksonville region,” said UF’s Vice President for Research David Norton.
Jacksonville is one of the fastest growing cities in the country with a growing need for talent in emerging fields. UF is well positioned to bring academic programming to meet these needs, bringing to bear the University’s commitment to incorporating AI instruction across its curriculum. UF launched an AI initiative in 2019 that included the installation of one of the most powerful AI supercomputers in American higher education, the addition of more than 100 new faculty members in AI, an innovative approach to AI across the curriculum, and numerous research efforts in AI-related fields.
“Jacksonville – like UF – is on the forefront of innovation,” Fuchs said. “This is a place where our students will create great change and help transform the industries of the future.
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