Jacksonville University
Founded in 1934, Jacksonville University continues to be a premier private college located in Northeast Florida. In 2024, the university celebrated their 90th anniversary highlighting almost a decade of serving the Jacksonville community by providing a commitment to innovation, leadership and service. Jacksonville University (JU) has been recognized by multiple outlets in regard to their top-tier education system – U.S. News & World Report recently ranked JU among the top universities in the south and Forbes recognized the school as one of America’s top 500 colleges.
Success in Northeast Florida
With a wide variety of fields to study, including several of the region’s target industries, JU provides education in areas where Northeast Florida is seeing growth. Some of Jacksonville’s target industries that are recognized at this university are Technology Services, Financial Services and Corporate Operations.
MBA Programs such as logistics, organizational leadership and project management will set up the next generation of workers for success in the Corporate Operations industry. JU also has a specialized program in Fintech that allows students to learn about the importance of data analytics, cybersecurity and financial innovation. The Fintech program also partners with companies around the region, like FIS, that could potentially lead to internship opportunities. There are also various programs in the Technology Services industry such as Health Tech and STEAM Institute. The Health Tech program allows students to work with local healthcare providers such as Ascension St. Vincent’s and Baptist Health. The STEAM Institute teaches students how to integrate technology with art and promotes innovation in technology services.
JU also has many other specialized programs at their institution that align with the region’s target industries like Nursing, Aviation Flight Operations and Management and Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. The school also has a few new and updated programs, like Game Design and Physical Therapy.
Student, Alumni & Faculty Stories
JU sets their students up for success and that has been proven by the numerous achievements their alumni and current students have received. Taylor Ruiz is a currently pursuing an MBA and received her BBA in Finance, Management and Marketing at JU. Taylor has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Students and received the Dean’s award for all of her leadership contributions and academic performance. Outside of pursuing her MBA, Taylor is also the Academic Success Coordinator and Chief of Staff for the Zimmerman Scholars Program.
Dr. Jennifer Pascual is an alumnus of the Linda Berry Stein College of Fine Arts & Humanities at JU and has gone on to receive remarkable achievements in the music field. She was the first woman at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City to be appointed as the director of music – this accomplishment is due to her talent and dedication, as well as the education she received at JU in the arts industry.
Apart from the student body, JU has many faculty members that add to why this school is a premier choice. Captain Angela Masson has had various achievements in the aviation industry before becoming a faculty member at JU. She was the first woman on the Boeing 747 and contributed to gender equality by pursuing the topic of organizational discrimination in the Air Force for her doctoral dissertation.
Some other notable faculty members are Dr. Christine Sapienza, a world-renowned speech-language pathologist, Dr. Bradley McKibben, an associate professor for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program and Dr. Bryan Franks, a shark biologist.
The Jacksonville University Difference
JU understands the importance of innovation and has incorporated AI into a lot of their programs. The University has a Center for Cybersecurity and has added a hyper-realistic simulation that recreates cyber threat situations and real-world networks. The simulation provides feedback to the student and even offers session recording and the option to create custom training sessions. JU’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program also incorporates advanced technology into their coursework through simulation labs and virtual reality – this allows students to use their clinical skills they have been taught in virtual hospital environments.
The University is also continuing to grow and expand. In the fall of 2025, the new Cost Honors College will open which will provide countless one-of-a-kind opportunities for students. JU also has many partnerships in the works including Ascension St. Vincent’s to provide a nursing program.
JU will also be providing a new Physical Therapy program in the fall of 2026 and a new Distance Learning Speech Language Pathology program in the fall of 2025.
With these new projects and additions, JU is constantly evolving and remains a leading school in the region and beyond.